Palestini served four terms as a borough councillor before she was elected to city council in 2021.
A Montreal city councillor will be the Liberal candidate in an upcoming federal byelection in the southwestern Montreal riding vacated by former Liberal justice minister David Lametti.
Laura Palestini, a member of municipal party Équipe LaSalle Team, served four terms as a borough councillor before she was elected to city council in 2021.
“As a city councillor and community leader, Laura has a strong track record of delivering results for her neighbours,” Sachit Mehra, the president of the Liberal Party of Canada, said in a news release. “While Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives try to make deep cuts to the services Quebecers rely on, Laura is ready to work with our Liberal team to build more homes and protect renters, strengthen public health care, keep assault weapons off our streets, and deliver fairness for everyone in LaSalle–Émard–Verdun.”
Palestini, a lifelong resident of LaSalle, also sits on several local boards, including those of the LaSalle Hospital Foundation and a local cultural and community centre, the party said, describing her as someone who is “fighting for progressive priorities, including better public transit, more affordable housing, a cleaner and greener city, and a local economy that works for everyone.”
Palestini was not available for an interview Friday.
The byelection has not yet been officially called, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is legally required to announce the date of the vote by July 30.
The Conservative Party of Canada and the Bloc Québécois have not yet announced candidates for the race.
The byelection follows the Conservative victory in the longtime Liberal riding of Toronto—St. Paul’s last month.