CanadaPQ Eyes Majority
A majority is not out of reach if turnout breaks their way. The separatist Parti Québécois could win a majority government in Quebec with barely 30 per cent of the vote.
Global Newsflix 2 min read
Polls open in under 24 hours, as Quebec’s political party leaders continue to campaign across the province. The Parti Québécois is leading a crowded field into the vote.
Daniel Béland, a professor of political science at McGill University, said if the PQ wins a majority with 30 per cent of the votes, that would be absolutely stunning.
Three polls taken last weekend showed the PQ with 30 per cent support and the Liberals between 22 and 26 per cent. Poll aggregator sites suggested the PQ was within grasp of forming a majority government.
The incumbent Coalition Avenir Québec has fallen to fourth place behind the PQ, the Liberals and the Conservative Party of Quebec, which was polling at 16 to 19 per cent support.
André Lecours, a political scientist at the University of Ottawa, said the extreme fragmentation of the vote makes it possible for a party to claim victory with just 30 per cent support.
If the PQ forms a majority, Béland suspects this will probably re-start or amplify the debate on electoral reform.
Québec Solidaire is trailing with about 11 per cent of the vote in the first Quebec election with five significant parties in the running.
Key facts
- The Parti Québécois is leading a crowded field into the vote.
- The PQ could win a majority government with barely 30 per cent of the vote.
- Three polls show the PQ with 30 per cent support.
- The Conservative Party of Quebec is polling at 16 to 19 per cent support.
Three perspectives
Neutral
The Quebec election is nearing its end, with the Parti Québécois in the lead. The outcome will depend on voter turnout. The election result may lead to a debate on electoral reform.
Positive
A Parti Québécois majority government could bring stability and a clear direction for Quebec. The party's leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, has been campaigning across the province.
Negative
The possibility of a party winning a majority with less than 30 per cent of the vote has raised concerns about the electoral system. Some critics argue that this could lead to a government that does not represent the majority of voters.
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