PQ defends candidate in hotly contested Arthabaska riding over leftist past, arrest
Alex Boissonneault was arrested in 2001 in Quebec City for being part of a group that had plotted to penetrate the security perimeter at a free-trade meeting called Summit of the Americas.
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Montreal Gazette
a day ago
- Montreal Gazette
Libman: Is another gut-wrenching Quebec sovereignty referendum on tap?
On top of everything else that's going on in this world right now, will we soon have to start bracing for another gut-wrenching Quebec sovereignty referendum? The next provincial election is still over a year away, but this week's convincing byelection win by the Parti Québécois in Arthabaska is another indication that the separatist party is cementing itself as the prevailing choice of Quebecers and heavy favourite to form the next government. By contrast, the Coalition Avenir Québec, which had owned this riding in every election since the party's creation in 2011, was badly humbled, finishing a distant fourth. It will be difficult for the bruised and battered governing party to reverse its fortunes before the next election, with no heir apparent to its leader and founder, François Legault, who will inevitably be stepping down. The Liberals have made their bed with Pablo Rodriguez, with whom they improved their vote in the almost exclusively francophone riding but still garnered only single-digit support. With Rodriguez, their chances of winning the general election, which is highly contingent on the regions, is a long shot at this point. A year in politics is a long time, but with the challenges facing its two main rivals, the PQ looks like a pretty sure bet right now. (Sigh!) So, then what? Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has steadfastly maintained a hardline position since assuming the PQ leadership, promising a sovereignty referendum in his first mandate. He needed to consolidate the party's base after devastating losses in the last two elections and hasn't wavered since. Now that the scent of power is getting stronger, some suspect he may try to downplay that commitment, which many previous PQ leaders have done before elections, to avoid scaring off less-nationalist voters. I don't expect PSPP to back down. He knows that his opponents will attack his referendum pledge and are waiting to cynically pounce, as is the media, if he shows the slightest hint of backtracking. His winning mantra during the campaign will be that a referendum allows Quebecers themselves to democratically decide their future, not him. Once in power, then, is a third sovereignty referendum before the end of the decade winnable? For the longest time, support for sovereignty had been stagnating in the low 30 per cent range, particularly weakened by U.S. President Donald Trump's threats of tariffs and annexation. But a couple of recent polls showed a noticeable bump, increasingly among young people, with the overall support in the population hovering around 40 per cent — still comparable to the 1980 referendum result. Referendum campaigns, however, can be volatile, presenting an opportunity to stoke Quebec nationalist pride. It will also be relatively easy for an articulate leader like PSPP — especially when times are tough — to resonate, with magical promises about the cure-all of an independent Quebec, primarily among young people. Also, who would lead the No side this time? For the 1995 referendum, the result was shockingly close, with the federalist leadership — like it is now — fragmented and unprepared. Will Legault's successor be from the federalist flank of the party — or the more nationalist wing, thus putting up only a half-hearted defence of Canada? Will the party split entirely along Yes/No lines? Does Rodriguez have the chops of a young and fiery (circa 1995) Jean Charest, for example, who electrified the pro-Canada rally, waving his Canadian passport? Will Prime Minister Mark Carney play more of an effective role than Jean Chrétien did in 1995, when he seemed to be begging on his knees at the last minute? And what about Trump? Will he meddle, offering to recognize and negotiate with an independent Quebec, seeing separation as a means to severely weaken Canada, thus benefiting his 51st-state narrative — stalking the remnants of a fractured country? Many things can change, but current indicators are reason for concern. We need to be much better prepared this time in girding for the unpleasant battle ahead. Robert Libman is an architect and planning consultant who has served as Equality Party leader and MNA, mayor of Côte-St-Luc and a member of the Montreal executive committee. He was a Conservative candidate in the 2015 federal election.
Global News
4 days ago
- Global News
Legault taking crushing byelection loss to the PQ with ‘humility'
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Quebec Premier François Legault says he is taking Monday's byelection loss to the Parti Québécois with humility. Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec finished fourth in the Arthabaska riding with seven per cent of the vote — down from the 52 per cent the party collected in the district in the 2022 general election. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The premier is scheduled to meet members of his caucus Thursday ahead of an expected cabinet shuffle. He says he expects them to talk about all the 'negative' comments they've heard from voters about the government over the summer. On Tuesday, Legault walked around Quebec City to speak with people and hear their grievances. Former journalist Alex Boissonneault won Arthabaska with more than 46 per cent of the vote, increasing momentum for the PQ, which has won the past three byelections. Story continues below advertisement This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2025.
Montreal Gazette
4 days ago
- Montreal Gazette
Opinion: Why is the PQ resonating with so many Quebecers right now?
Opinion The results of the Arthabaska byelection confirm what polls have been saying for months: a vast majority of Quebecers want the Legault government out. On Monday, only 7.2 per cent of voters gave their support to the Coalition Avenir Québec candidate. Even Premier François Legault conceded that this poor outcome is an indication of Quebecers' discontent. The next general election will be held a little over a year from now — Oct. 5, 2026 — and it is easy to predict what the main theme will be: change. Quebecers will wonder which party best represents this ever-important political value. In Arthabaska, as in the two previous byelections won by the Parti Québécois, voters concluded that the separatist party is the most credible alternative to the CAQ. Why? One reason is that, considering his relative youth (he is 48) and the fact that he has never been in government, PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon personifies change. His style of direct, sincere, thoughtful politics also differs from the stuff of many career politicians. Veteran pollster Jean-Marc Léger noted on Tuesday that 30 per cent of Parti Québécois voters are federalists. Instead of voting Liberal as would be expected, those Quebecers choose to support the PQ because Plamondon's party is perceived as the one with the best chance of winning and therefore, of sending the CAQ government packing. In Monday's byelection, the Quebec Liberal Party had a strong local candidate. They also, finally, have a new, well-known leader. Despite those assets, Chantale Marchand received only 9.3 per cent of the byelection votes. Clearly, voters in Arthabaska did not consider the QLP as the party through which one could express their longing for a fresh start. This is a weakness that leader Pablo Rodriguez will have to address quickly if he wants his party to be competitive come October 2026. Another reason for the PQ's success is the rapid decline of Québec solidaire. No one expected QS to win in Arthabaska, a traditionally conservative riding. Still, in the 2022 general election, they had obtained 9.2 per cent of Arthabaska votes ; on Monday, their score fell to an anemic 1.5 per cent. Voters, specifically young voters, who were attracted to the societal changes proposed by the leftist party may have switched their vote to the PQ, notwithstanding some major differences between the positions of the 'péquistes' and that of the 'solidaires' on immigration, for example. After the 2022 election, some commentators predicted the death of the party founded by René Lévesque. To Plamondon's credit, he succeeded in bringing the PQ back from the brink. His commitment to hold a third referendum on sovereignty was thought to be an obstacle to growing the party's base. That has not happened yet, and it remains to be seen whether things will change when Quebecers are called upon to choose the province's next government instead of simply voting for their local MNA. In his victory speech Monday night, Plamondon emphasized concrete issues that concern Quebecers — ineffective public services, the increase in the cost of living, the worrisome state of the province's finances, uncontrolled immigration — rather than separation. Is this the beginning of a strategic turn where, even if still committed to hold a third referendum on independence, the PQ will first and foremost promise a competent government ('un bon government'), as they have often done in the past? Of course, a lot can happen in the next year. However, for now, Plamondon and his party are clearly being perceived by many Quebecers as the most credible alternative to the Legault government. Strategically, that is a very enviable position to hold. This story was originally published
