Quebec provincial election campaign set to get underway

Quebec’s upcoming provincial election is set to begin on October 5, with the five main party leaders currently campaigning. Premier Christine St-Francis Fréchette met with the lieutenant-governor on Thursday to dissolve the National Assembly, officially launching the 39-day election period. The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), currently in power for eight years, is aiming for another term under Fréchette, who assumed leadership in April following the departure of former premier François Legault.

Fréchette emphasizes the need for stability and predictability, particularly amid heightened tensions with the U.S. and President Donald Trump, as well as the protection of Quebec culture and language. She also highlighted her support for a strong Quebec within a united Canada, citing a recent agreement with federal officials for the construction of six new icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard.

The Parti Québécois (PQ), led by Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, argues that the eight years of CAQ rule were marked by misspending and failure to address population concerns. Plamondon asserts that a PQ government would strike a balance between opposing Trump, nurturing Quebec's economy, and revisiting the sovereignty question. He maintains that the status of an independent country could benefit Quebec in U.S. trade relations, citing examples of smaller countries thriving in diplomacy.

The PQ leader also addressed Quebec's response to U.S. trade relations, stating that several countries, including some smaller than Quebec, are doing well in this regard.

Québec Solidaire leader Ruba Ghazal sees an opportunity in the approximately 50 percent of Quebec voters who remain undecided. She encourages them to continue listening and promises to provide solutions to pressing issues such as housing, cost of living, and the environment. Ghazal emphasizes her inclusive vision for sovereignty, sharing her personal experience of moving to Quebec from Beirut at age ten and learning French in Canada.

Liberal Party of Quebec leader Charles Milliard agrees with Fréchette on Quebec's pressure from the U.S. but accuses her of using the trade crisis to "instrumentalize" the campaign. Milliard identifies the PQ as his main opponent but clarifies that the Liberals do not support separation. He stresses that Quebec should be a strong entity within a robust Canada and highlights the eleventh priority of Quebecers, which is separation.

While the PQ remains ahead across the province, recent polling from Leger for Le journal-TVA Nouvelles indicates tight races in several key regions. In the Quebec City region, the PQ and the Conservative Party are tied at 30 percent, while the CAQ follows at 21 percent. The PQ holds a slight advantage over the CAQ in Montreal's suburbs with 31 percent to 28 percent, while the Liberal Party leads on the Island of Montreal at 40 percent but trails to 14 percent in the rest of Quebec.