Quebec provincial premier and Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois in front of her cabinet, Wednesday, March 5, 2014 in Quebec City, as she announced the start of the election campaign.
Photo Credit: Jacques Boissinot/CP

Election campaign begins in province of Quebec

Canada’s predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec is now officially in an election campaign, and election day is April 7. The premier of Canada’s second most populous province, Pauline Marois, made the announcement Wednesday morning (March 5).

Elected 18 months ago with a minority government Marois’ Parti Québécois government was limited in what it could achieve, given the opposition parties outnumbered it in the legislature. The party has been in and out of government since 1976, and its stated goal is to take Quebec out of the Canadian confederation.

Last September, a year after its election, the government unveiled a controversial Charter of Values that would take away the right of provincial employees and others in the public sector to wear visible religious symbols such as hijabs, kippas, turbans, and larger than average crosses.

The proposed charter of values was then renamed to focus on its stated goal of secularism. But it has raised concerns among immigrant groups, and those Francophones who appreciate the diversity of the province, particularly in the province’s largest city of Montreal.

On Wednesday, Premier Marois focused on jobs and the economy saying the only way her government could advance was to have a majority, since the opposition parties were blocking what she wanted to do.

Opposition Liberal leader Philippe Couillard raised the concern that the Parti Québécois (often referred to as the PQ) was not dealing with its stated goal of independence, and holding another referendum on independence. There have been two votes, one in 1980 with 40 per cent of Quebecers voting for sovereignty. In 1995, 49.42 per cent voted in favour.

Initial public opinion polls suggest that the Parti Québécois could win the election with a majority.

But Toronto Star political journalist Chantal Hebert suggests that “while it is tempting to treat the outcome of the April 7 vote as a foregone conclusion, anyone who has followed Quebec politics since the 1995 referendum should be wary of fast-forwarding to another showdown before the election campaign has even begun. Over the past decade voters in this country have regularly turned pre-election polls on their heads.”

More information:
Globe and Mail – Marois wants focus off sovereignty on first day of Quebec campaign – here
CBC News – Party leaders square off on sovereignty, economy as 33-day election campaign gets underway – here
Canadian Press – Federal politicians tiptoe around Quebec election – here
Toronto Star – Quebec election not a foregone conclusion: Hébert – here
Elections Quebec website (English version) – here

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