Former Bloc MP who lost by single vote says she will appeal to Supreme Court

The former Bloc MP who lost her Quebec riding by a single vote is taking the matter to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné says she will appeal a recent Quebec Superior Court decision that rejected her request for a new election in the Montreal-area riding of Terrebonne.

She had challenged the result after a Bloc voter revealed that her special ballot was not counted and instead returned to her because of an error in the address on the envelope provided by Elections Canada.

But a judge ruled last week that the mistake was a simple human error that did not warrant annulling the election.

Sinclair-Desgagné says the case is about the accountability of democratic institutions, and she has launched an online fundraiser to help cover the costs of the legal challenge.

She lost the April 28 election by one vote to Liberal MP Tatiana Auguste.

“The Bloc Québécois supports Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné’s decision to appeal the Superior Court’s ruling in the Terrebonne election case,” Bloc Québécois president Suzanne Proulx said in a statement. “We maintain our disagreement with this judgment and believe that a new election is the best way to ensure that the voices of the voters in the Terrebonne riding are heard.

“We wish Ms. Sinclair-Desgagné the best of luck in the remainder of the proceedings, which we will follow closely.”