Christian Dub leaves Caisse de dpt to run for CAQ

Christian Dub, senior vice-president of Quebec's Caisse de dpt et placement since 2014, is leaving his position and returning to provincial politics as a candidate for the Coalition Avenir Qubec.

Dub's candidacy was officially announcedMonday morning in the La Prairie riding on Montreal's South Shore, where he'll be running.

He said one of the challenges will be to prove to people in the riding that he is worthy of their vote.

"I think I can make a difference for them.I just need to understand what are the challenges specific to this town," he said.

Dub left politicsin 2014, months after he was re-elected to a seat in the Lvis riding,to take the position at the Caisse.He waived the severance pay to which he was entitled as anMNAwhen he stepped down.

He said it was a good decision to make, but he repeated numerous times that he was happy to be back in the CAQfold.

Dubsaid if he is elected, he will stay onfor his fullterm, regardless of how the party does province-wide.

Legaultwas present for Dub's debut Monday and seemed pleased about his return.

"Christian, even more than before, knows all the economic players in Quebec very well. That's a big advantage," saidLegault.

A hockey fan, Legault said on Sunday that having Dubrejoin his ranks was akin to putting NHL players Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby Nikita Kucherov and Connor McDavid on the same team.

They are all verygood hockey players.

La Praire is by no means a stronghold for any party since 1973, it's been held by the Liberals, Parti Qubcois, the now-defunct Action Dmocratique du Qubecand the CAQ.

Party leaders react

CAQ president Stphane LeBouyonnecwas originally going to run in the riding, butwithdrew amid controversy last week.

Parti QubcoisLeader Jean-Franois Lise criticized Dub for his involvement, through his work at the Caisse, in the construction of the REM light rail trains. They are being built in India, rather than locally.

"He has a responsibility in one of the biggest economic mistakes in recent years in Quebec," Lise said.

Legaulthad also previously criticized the fact that the trains won't be built in Quebec, leading some to wonder whether that will cause friction between the leader and his candidate.

But Legaulttold reporters Monday that his issue was less with the Caisse's decisionand more with the fact that the Liberal government didn't step in to request that the Caisseconsider building the trains in Quebec.

Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard was less critical of the choice.

"It will be fascinating to see [Dub's] coexistence with the party," Couillard said Sunday, suggesting that there are other issues on which Dub and the CAQ will not see eye-to-eye.

"There will be questions to answer about the Caisse's independence. During the mandate, the CAQ regularly attacked the Caisse's independence."

With files from Radio-Canada'sJolleGirard

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