André Pratte: PQ byelection victory heralds the return of Quebec separatism
Article content
Monday evening, the PQ won a third byelection in a row, by a wide margin, despite their candidate facing strong opposition from the leader of the Quebec Conservative Party. 'This reminds me of the Parti Québécois of the 1970s,' stated péquiste leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. Indeed, leading in the polls for several months now, the sovereigntist party has clearly become THE alternative to the unpopular government led by François Legault.
Article content
Article content
Article content
The byelection was held in the region of Arthabaska, situated between Montreal and Quebec City. Arthabaska-L'Érable is a semi-rural conservative riding, comprising the city of Victoriaville (population: 48,000).
Article content
Article content
Éric Duhaime, leader of the provincial Conservative Party, was hoping to win so that his small party would finally be represented in the National Assembly. Most commentators predicted a close race between Duhaime and the PQ candidate, journalist Alex Boissonneault. In fact, Boissonneault won easily with over 46 per cent of the vote, compared with 35 per cent for Duhaime. It is the first time since 1998, 27 years ago, that the riding has elected a Parti Québécois candidate.
Article content
Campaigning from door to door, Duhaime and the other candidates tried to tap in some voters' fear of a third referendum on separation, as promised by Plamondon if the PQ forms the next government. In vain. To the contrary, there appears to be a surge of enthusiasm for independence, at least amongst young Quebecers.
Article content
Article content
This summer, surveys by two different polling firms put the support for separation at close to 50 per cent among voters aged 18 to 34 years old, a leap of some 15 percentage points compared with earlier polls. It is not clear what caused this sudden rise, but if it reflects reality, this will infuse the separatist movement with a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm. For a time seen as an outdated project, Quebec's independence appears to be making a comeback, perceived by an increasing number of young people as an idea of the future, a solution to the province's many problems (and theirs). Some even think that an independent Quebec would be in a better position to negotiate with Donald Trump, as baffling as that may sound.
Article content
Article content
The other major provincial parties did not fare well in the Arthabaska-L'Érable byelection, and their poor performance is a clear signal that they need to redress the boat quickly if they want to be competitive in the next general elections, scheduled for October 2026. The ruling Coalition Avenir Québec, which had previously won the riding with 52 per cent of the vote, saw its share of support crash down to seven per cent. This catastrophic score, combined with very poor polling results, brought Premier Legault to acknowledge Monday evening that Quebecers are not satisfied with his government. Legault, who appears set to continue to lead his party notwithstanding, will announce a major shuffle of his cabinet next month in the hopes that this may begin to turn things around. It is true that the outcome of the past federal election shows that nothing is impossible in politics; however, the premier cannot ignore the fact that that outcome was only made possible by a change at the helm of the Liberal Party of Canada.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
44 minutes ago
- CTV News
Prince Albert narrows down location for new complex needs shelter
The City of Prince Albert is finalizing a location for the new complex needs shelter, which will house clients who may present a danger to themselves or others. 'When we talk about a complex needs facility, we're not talking about the same discussion as providing a shelter service,' said Prince Albert Police Chief Patrick Nogier. 'We're taking a very proactive approach to ensure that individuals are put in touch with resources that can potentially lower the number of calls coming in regarding people who need help and are in complex situations.' City council is considering the old liquor store on the corner of 9th Street and 1st Avenue East. Mayor Powalinsky says he lives in that ward and sees the need for a complex needs facility. 'It's close to where we get a lot of issues with people who need to have that intervention,' said Powalinsky. 'The province owns the building. We don't need a new build. It'll be faster to get online, because it's just simply a case of the renovation. And, ultimately, because it's a closed facility, people don't walk in and walk out.' Clients will be brought in by police and transitioned into social supports or specified care, providing an alternative to housing them in police cells. 'I have a deputy chief that is dialed into how many hours and the cost of policing hours that are associated to these apprehensions, and the numbers are staggering,' said Nogier. 'When you put a dollar figure on it, that needs to change. So, we talk about being efficient as an organization. If we continue to go down the same path, arresting people, putting them in our facility, in our cells, we will not make a difference in the city.' Two complex needs shelters are already operational, one in Regina and one in Saskatoon. The decision on whether to proceed with the old liquor store will be made at the next city council meeting.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Removal of tariff exemption causes trouble for some Manitoba entrepreneurs
Under what's called the 'de minimis' duty-free treatment, goods under $800 were exempt from U.S. tariffs. However, U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to remove the exemption, causing a lot of confusion and uncertainty for small businesses in Manitoba.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
‘Buy Canadian' slogan losing steam, says Metro
Windsorites are still buying Canadian, despite what grocer Metro says. 'Yeah, we're definitely buying Canadian. We're definitely buying in Canada,' said Connie Day while shopping at Fred's Farm Fresh. The push to 'buy Canadian' at the grocery store is still going strong, but according to Metro, one of the country's top grocers, and smaller stores like Fred's Farm Fresh, that movement may be losing a bit of momentum. 'They've got that taste in their mouth with Trump and all that other stuff and I think they're still trying to but it's not as important as it was, say, six months or seven months ago,' said owner Fred Bouzide. Shoppers may not be as engaged with the slogan, but some say they are committed to buying Canadian. 'I think that people really do want to see this Windsor, especially, and Canada in general to produce what they need and, make sure that we buy our things so that we are promoting our own people,' Day told CTV News. Frank Boschin added that instead of buying into the slogan, buy into your culture and local neighbours. 'Go out and say hello to your friends, see your local butcher, your local market, have a conversation,' he said. Shoppers know that American products are on the shelf and are sometimes left with a decision. 'I'm debating this purchase,' said Althea Di Gregorio, who had an American product in her hands. 'This only because I can't find (a Canadian version). If I had a garden, I'd have my own. I have no desire to spend any money to support what's going on south of the border (in the U.S.)' Tariffs are affecting the way Bouzide buys for his store. 'Lemons, for example coming out of California at a certain price,' he said. 'Now what we're giving them is out of Argentina or Spain or something like that. So, it's a further way. The price has got to be higher because of shipping costs.' He supports the 'buy Canadian' movement but says tariffs have affected the bottom line. 'I mean, they put tariffs on certain things, on watermelons, and different kinds of fruit that were bringing in,' he said. 'We've had to raise our prices and we're not selling as much as we used.' Those prices are hitting the consumer. Some of them are buying, while many aren't, and that is reflected in the quantity of produce he buys. When he buys, Bouzide said he sometimes can't avoid not buying American. He added Canadian grown food is good, but sometimes not as good as American grown, which many customers like. 'For example, watermelons coming out of Canada, they're very good but they don't compare to Texas or Georgia watermelons are incredibly sweet and very good,' he said.
