‘Extremely sovereigntist’: Alexandre Boulerice quits federal NDP to join Quebec party

MONTREAL — After 15 years in Ottawa with the NDP, Montreal MP Alexandre Boulerice says he is quitting federal politics to join Québec solidaire — a leftist, sovereigntist party — ahead of October’s provincial election.

His departure had been an open secret for some time, and he made the official announcement Monday in the Montreal riding of Gouin, where he will seek the Québec solidaire nomination in what is widely seen as a safe seat for the party.

The only Quebec member of Parliament remaining for the NDP, Boulerice said he will immediately sit as an Independent and will formally resign the day before the provincial campaign is called. Speaking to reporters, Boulerice framed his decision as a “continuation of my progressive, ecological, and humanist commitments.”

But he didn’t explicitly say he was a Quebec sovereigntist. That declaration came from Sol Zanetti, Québec solidaire’s male spokesperson — the party doesn’t have traditional leaders; instead, it has one male and one female co-spokesperson.

“He’s extremely sovereigntist, OK?” said Zanetti, standing next to Boulerice, referring to what he said was the “elephant in the room.”

“He campaigned for the “yes” side in 1995,” Zanetti said about the second failed independence referendum. ” … He spent 15 years (in Ottawa.) Having witnessed Ottawa’s failures and setbacks on all the important issues, he is in a strong position to testify to just how much Quebec should leave Canada and become its own country.”

Boulerice is the last MP standing in Quebec from the NDP’s 2011 “orange wave” election, which catapulted the party under Jack Layton to official Opposition status in the House of Commons. And his departure leaves the NDP with five MPs — all from west of Ontario — under newly elected leader Avi Lewis.

In a news release on Monday, Lewis said he has “immense respect” for Boulerice, calling him “an exceptional representative for the people of Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie” who “has worked tirelessly to deliver real gains for the people of Quebec.”

On Monday, Boulerice acknowledged frustration with the federal NDP’s direction at times, including concerns about the lack of French during the recent leadership race, but he said, “I leave with a heavy heart for my colleagues, but also with confidence in their future.”

He alluded to his support for Quebec independence, saying his experience in the Parliament of a “sovereign country also showed me just how advantageous it is to be a true state — how much greater your capacity to act is as a state compared to being a province.”

All the years of “endlessly negotiating” agreements with Quebec, he said, “really brought home for me how important it was to be at the national assembly and to work with the program and vision of Québec solidaire.”

And while Gouin is a safe seat for Québec solidaire — the riding overlaps with the federal riding of Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie — the leftist party has struggled to connect with voters since the 2022 election and is polling behind the other major parties. Poll aggregator Qc125 forecasts the party would win seven out of 125 seats in the Oct. 5 election.

Zanetti said Boulerice’s arrival brings experience and credibility to the party, adding the new recruit represents a significant gain for the sovereigntist movement and the party’s political ambitions heading into the next election.

Boulerice said, “I had the feeling that after 15 years and five election victories, I had done what I needed to do in Ottawa, and it was time to come back home,” adding that his decision followed months of reflection and conversations with Québec solidaire, including discussions with constituents.

He noted that by the time discussions with the party began, he already saw that his federal career was coming to a close. “It’s a continuity, the same values I’ve defended for years,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2026.

Charlotte Glorieux, The Canadian Press