Dumont's out, for now

Add to this list of unlikely sources the village of Rivière-du-Loup, whose most famous son stepped down from elected office last week after an all-too-brief but distinguished career.

Mario Dumont is a hero in his home town — the local lad who defied all odds to become the leader of a third political force in Quebec. He not only put Rivière-du-Loup on the map, he also served as an inspiration to many young rural Quebecers, showing them that Algeresque success is possible, given the right circumstances.

Whether or not you agreed with his politics, or questioned his frustrating tendency to swing whichever way the political wind was blowing, you had to admire Dumont's accomplishments. Not many people can claim to have assumed the leadership of a fledgling political party at such a young age, win a single seat in the National Assembly, and then be considered on an equal footing with the seasoned leaders of two well-established parties. Certainly no other single-seat candidate would ever be invited to participate in a leaders’ debate, but Dumont was always there, representing his riding as the epitome of a political underdog.

He even went so far as to affix his own name to his party, so that in the last few years the Action Démocratique was also known as Équipe Mario Dumont. Not even René Lévesque, whose leadership and charisma fuelled a movement that nearly broke up the nation, went so far as to place himself so high on the bill.

Dumont’s early retirement from political life certainly does not mean we’ll never see his name on a ballot again. He most likely will return one day, probably when “favourable conditions” prevail. This means he may still be the premier of Quebec one day, or even end up in Ottawa. Don’t forget, that kid from Shawinigan returned to his private law practice once the Trudeau years were over, shunning suggestions that he might ever run for office again, but eventually came back to serve as prime minister for many years.

And as we all know, in Quebec, anything is possible.