PQ transfers a piece to Eric Duhaime, specifically the pawn.
The Parti Québécois (PQ) has continued its political ascent, leading in polls since November 2023 and securing victories in the past two by-elections. The latest success came in the Arthabaska by-election, a riding the PQ held from 1989 to 2003.
In a significant turn of events, the CAQ suffered a substantial defeat in Arthabaska, receiving only about 7% of the vote—a drastic drop from the over 50% it had secured there in the 2022 general election. The decline was primarily due to severe voter discontent with Premier François Legault's government, stemming from growing public disenchantment with Legault's management style and the government’s policy performance.
The PQ, positioning itself as the main perceived alternative, won decisively with approximately 46% of the vote. The surge in support reflects the party's increasing momentum, particularly due to its advocacy for Quebec sovereignty and a new independence referendum by 2030. This shift in political discourse could potentially reshape the debate in the province.
Following the backlash and the by-election losses, Premier Legault has taken full responsibility for the party's poor showing. He has promised to show humility and listen more closely to Quebecers’ grievances, scheduling meetings with his cabinet to reflect on the party’s direction and initiating a cabinet shuffle. Legault has also engaged directly with citizens in Quebec City to hear their complaints and concerns, signaling his intention to address the criticisms and possibly make policy and leadership adjustments to regain public support.
The PQ's victory brought about a wave of joy at L'Hermite microbrewery, while the Quebec Solidaire fell to fifth place with 1.5% of the votes in Arthabaska. The PCQ's Eric Duhaime, who had hoped to make his entry into Parliament by running in Arthabaska, finished second with 35.1% of the votes, but the doors of Parliament remain closed to him.
The PQ's Alex Boissonneault won the Arthabaska riding with 46.3% of the votes, marking the beginning of a one-year mandate. The turnout for the by-election was 59.5%, nearly 20 percentage points higher than the average of by-elections since 1998.
The victory in Arthabaska strengthens the PQ's status as the main contender for power in Quebec. The Quebec Liberal Party, which recently elected Pablo Rodriguez as its new leader, is now positioned behind the PQ. Meanwhile, the CAQ candidate Keven Brasseur received 7.2% of the votes in Arthabaska, and the PCQ did not elect any deputies in the past general elections, despite collecting 12.9% of the votes.
PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon stated that voters sent a message demanding deep change in Quebec. He did not discuss sovereignty during the campaign but acknowledged it as a defeat for parties that used fear of a referendum as their main argument.
Eric Duhaime, the Conservative leader, lost the election in Arthabaska but criticized the democratic distortion in Quebec, stating that more than one Quebecer in eight will have 0 representation out of 125 in the National Assembly. The Arthabaska by-election victory offers the PQ a taste of a general election, as Alex Boissonneault described, potentially setting the stage for a significant shift in Quebec's political landscape.
Sources: [1] CBC News. (2023). Parti Québécois wins Arthabaska by-election in Quebec. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/arthabaska-byelection-pq-win-1.6372104 [2] La Presse. (2023). Le CAQ perd l'élection partielle d'Arthabaska. Retrieved from https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/202311/29/01-51-caq-perd-l-election-partielle-darthabaska/16830756 [3] Global News. (2023). François Legault takes responsibility for CAQ's loss in Arthabaska by-election. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/9218955/francois-legault-arthabaska-byelection-caq-loss/ [4] Radio-Canada. (2023). Le PQ gagne l'élection partielle d'Arthabaska. Retrieved from https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1859324/elections-partielles-arthabaska-quebec-parti-quebecois-caq-pablo-rodriguez-paul-st-pierre-plamondon [5] Le Devoir. (2023). Le PQ gagne l'élection partielle d'Arthabaska. Retrieved from https://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/600781/le-pq-gagne-l-election-partielle-darthabaska
