Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is the rank outsider in the Parti Quebecois leadership race, but it would be hard to accuse him of lacking conviction.
The unexpected entrant in the race to succeed Pierre Karl Peladeau formalized his candidacy on Wednesday by submitting more than 1,900 signatures of support and the $10,000 required fee, which he borrowed for the occasion.
The lawyer and political essayist has never held a seat in the legislature and will have a tough time outmuscling former cabinet ministers Alexandre Cloutier, Veronique Hivon, Martine Ouellet and Jean-Francois Lisee to become leader.
But as he filed his papers, the 39-year-old said he's already proven some doubters wrong by meeting all the qualifications to enter the race.
He explained he chose to borrow his nomination fee to concentrate on meeting the key requirement of getting 1,500 signatures from 45 ridings across Quebec — a goal he exceeded by more than 400 signatures.
"(We told) people who wanted to give money: 'Let me show you I am capable of meeting this challenge... and after we'll come back for donations,'" he said at party headquarters in Montreal.
He'll launch his fundraising campaign on July 4 and believes he can raise enough to cover not only the $10,000 he's borrowed, but also a second cheque for the same amount that is due by the end of August.
"It's very doable, just as we believed from the beginning that it was doable to get the 1,500 signatures, and we showed that," he said.
St-Pierre Plamondon has described himself as someone who became disillusioned with federalism around the time of the federal sponsorship scandal.
Now, the man who in 2014 founded a group calling itself "the political orphans," believes he can attract other newcomers to the sovereigntist party.
He noted almost half the signatures he collected in support of his candidacy came from new members, most of them under the age of 40.
"My commitment is to hold the door open, to say to people: 'Come, be a part of the solution,'" he said.
The PQ will announce its new leader Oct. 7.
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