Parti Québécois
Encyclopedia
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left
political party
that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec
and secession
from Canada
. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement
. Unlike many other social-democratic
parties, its ties with the labour movement
are informal. Members and supporters of the PQ are called "péquistes" (peˈkist), a French word derived from the pronunciation of the party's initials.
Since June 2007, the party is headed by Pauline Marois
.
's Mouvement Souveraineté-Association
and the Ralliement national
. Following the creation of the PQ, the Rassemblement pour l'Indépendance Nationale
held a general assembly that voted to dissolve the RIN. Its former members were invited to join the new Parti Québécois.
PQs primary goals were and still are to obtain the political, economic and social independence for the province of Quebec. In the 1976 provincial election
, the Parti Québécois was elected for the first time to form the government of Quebec. The party's leader, René Lévesque
, became the Premier of Quebec
. This provided cause for celebration among many French-speaking Quebecer
s, while it resulted in an acceleration of the migration of the province's Anglophone population and related economic activity toward Toronto
.
The first PQ government was known as the "republic of teachers" because of the large number of scholars who served as cabinet members
. The PQ was the first government to recognize the rights of Aboriginal peoples
to self-determination, insofar as this self-determination did not affect the territorial integrity of Quebec. The PQ passed laws on public consultations and the financing of political parties, which insured equal financing of political parties and limited contributions by individuals to $3000. However, the most prominent legacy of the PQ is the Charter of the French Language
(the Bill 101), a framework law which defines the linguistic primacy of French and seeks to make French the common public language of Quebec. It allowed the advancement of francophones towards management roles, until then largely out of their reach — despite the fact that 85% of the population spoke French and most of them did not understand English, the language of management was English in most medium and large businesses. Critics, both Francophone and Anglophone, have however criticized the charter for restraining citizens' linguistic school choice, as it forbids immigrants and Quebecers of French descent from attending English-language schools funded by the state (private schools have always been an option open to everybody). The party was re-elected in the 1981 election
, but in November 1984 it experienced the most severe internal crisis
of its existence. The incident resulted in the resignation of Premier
René Lévesque. In September 1985, the party leadership election
chose Pierre-Marc Johnson
as his successor.
Despite its social democratic past, in the 1980s the PQ lost its affiliation with the Socialist International
.
The PQ was defeated by the Quebec Liberal Party in the 1985 election
.
The Parti Québécois initiated the 1980 Quebec referendum seeking a mandate to begin negotiation for independence. It was rejected by 60 per cent of voters. With the failure of the Charlottetown Accord
and the Meech Lake Accord
, two packages of proposed amendments to the Canadian constitution, the question of Quebec's status remained unresolved, and the PQ called the 1995 Quebec referendum proposing negotiations on sovereignty. After leading all night, the final count showed 49.6% of voters supported negotiations that could eventually lead to sovereignty. On the night of the defeat, an emotionally drained Premier Jacques Parizeau
stated that the loss was caused by "money and some ethnic votes" as well as by the divided votes amongst francophones. Parizeau resigned the next day (as he is alleged to have planned beforehand in case of a defeat).
Lucien Bouchard
, a former member of Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney
's Cabinet and later founder of the Bloc Québécois
, a federal-level sovereigntist party, succeeded Parizeau as PQ leader, but chose not to call another referendum due to the absence of "winning conditions". Bouchard's government then balanced the provincial budget — a feat achieved in Canada only by the federal government and a few of the ten Canadian provinces at that point — by reducing government spending
, including social programs. The PQ won another term in the 1998 election
, despite receiving fewer votes than the Quebec Liberal Party led by Jean Charest
. Bouchard resigned in 2001, and was succeeded as PQ leader and Quebec Premier by Bernard Landry
, a former PQ Finance minister. Under Landry's leadership, the party lost the 2003 election
to Jean Charest's Liberals.
Mid-late 2004 was difficult for Landry's leadership, which was being contested. A vote was held during the party's June 2005 convention to determine whether Landry continued to have the confidence of the party membership. Landry said he wanted at least 80% of approval and after gaining 76.2% approval on the confidence vote from party membership on 4 June 2005, Landry announced his intention to resign.
Louise Harel
had been chosen to replace him until a new leader, André Boisclair
, was elected 15 November 2005, through the party's 2005 leadership election
. At the time of Boisclair's election, the PQ was as much as 20 percent ahead of the Liberals in opinion polls, suggesting that Boisclair would lead them to a landslide majority government in the next election.
The PQ was unable to maintain this momentum, and in the 2007 provincial election
, the party fell to 36 seats and behind the conservative Action démocratique du Québec
(ADQ) in number of seats and the popular vote: this is the first time since 1973 that the party did not form the government or Official Opposition
. Boisclair said that the voters clearly did not support a strategy of a rapid referendum in the first mandate of a PQ government (This is shown by recent polls which demonstrate most Quebecers are not ready for another separation referendum). Instead of a policy convention following the election, the party held a presidents' council. The party caucus in the provincial legislative assembly was said to have supported Boisclair continuing as leader.
On 8 May 2007, Boisclair announced his resignation as leader of the PQ. This was effective immediately, although Boisclair confirmed he would remain within the PQ caucus for the time being. He was replaced by veteran MNA François Gendron
, pending a leadership race and convention.
Former Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe
was the first to announce his intention to run for party leadership, on 11 May 2007. He was followed the same day by Pauline Marois
. In a surprise move, Duceppe withdrew on the 12th - leaving Marois the only declared candidate. No other candidates came forward, and on 26 June 2007, Marois won the leadership by acclamation.
In June 2011, the party was shaken when three of its most prominent MNAs—popular actor Pierre Curzi
, former cabinet minister Louise Beaudoin
, and Lisette Lapointe
, the wife of former premier Jacques Parizeau
, followed the next day by a fourth, Jean-Martin Aussant
, quit the party to sit as independents over Marois's support for a bill changing the law to permit an agreement between the City of Québec
and Quebecor
Inc. concerning the management of the new sports and entertainment complex in Quebec City. Unrest continued later in the month when a fifth MNA, Benoît Charette
, also quit, citing his dissatisfaction with the party's sole focus being sovereignty.
This party infighting has caused the support in the opinion polls for the PQ to drop considerably; seeping to the autonomist ADQ and Quebec Solidaire
. Vote splitting of the separatist parties have handed the federalist Liberals, led by the deeply unpopular Charest, the lead once more with 35% compared to 29% for the PQ.
(BQ) is a federal political party founded in 1990 by future PQ leader Lucien Bouchard
. It holds close ties to the Parti Québécois, and shares its principal objective: sovereignty
. The two parties frequently share political candidates, and support each other during election campaigns.
The two parties have a similar membership and voter base. Prominent members of either party often attend and speak at both organizations' public events. Gilles Duceppe
, a former Bloc leader, is also the son of Jean Duceppe
, a Quebec actor who helped found the PQ. Jean Duceppe also helped found the New Democratic Party
branch in Quebec
, which later separated from the federal NDP and merged into the Union des forces progressistes (UFP), which gathered 1.0% of the vote during the 2004 election). The UFP then merged with Option citoyenne
to form the left-wing
party Québec solidaire
.
of the Parti Québécois breaking the circle of colonialism
which he claimed Canada was imposing on Quebec and opening Quebec upon the world and the future.
The creator represented the second letter of the two-letter acronym only (see the Hydro-Québec
logo, also an example of a second letter design).
Compared to the Quebec Liberal Party, which has completely changed its logo often, the PQ has made very few significant modifications to its logo during its history. In 1985 it made the circle and arrow slightly thicker, and placed the tip of the latter at the centre of the circle. The original saw it span the whole diameter]. When placed upon a blue background instead of a white one, the circle was commonly turned to white, the single main design variation currently observed.
The party revealed a new logo on 21 February 2007, at the beginning of the 2007 provincial election campaign. While maintaining the basic style of past logos, the Q was redesigned and modernized. In addition, the tail of the Q was recoloured green, in order to present a more environmentally-friendly image of the party.
The PQ will deliver a brief to the reasonable accommodation
commission on minorities, now conducting holding hearings across the province. The commission headed will look to reformulate the relations between Quebec's francophone
and minority populations. Its task will be a platform for the PQ's protectionism of French.
Marois stated there is nothing dogmatic in Francophones wishing to declare their existence even if it includes developing legislation requiring newcomers to have a basic understanding of French before becoming citizens of Quebec. (Note that there are no official citizens of Quebec; residents of Quebec are citizens of Canada.)
Marois stated the PQ understands the appearance of newcomers is attractive and they donate largely to Quebec's growth, but she noted that does not say that to better acculturate them that "we must erase our own history."
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec
Quebec sovereignty movement
The Quebec sovereignty movement refers to both the political movement and the ideology of values, concepts and ideas that promote the secession of the province of Quebec from the rest of Canada...
and secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
. Unlike many other social-democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
parties, its ties with the labour movement
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
are informal. Members and supporters of the PQ are called "péquistes" (peˈkist), a French word derived from the pronunciation of the party's initials.
Since June 2007, the party is headed by Pauline Marois
Pauline Marois
Pauline Marois is the current leader of the Parti Québécois in the province of Quebec, since June 27, 2007 and current Leader of the Official Opposition of the National Assembly of Quebec, representing the riding of Charlevoix...
.
History
The PQ is the result of the 1968 merger between René LévesqueRené Lévesque
René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
's Mouvement Souveraineté-Association
Mouvement Souveraineté-Association
The Mouvement Souveraineté-Association was formed on November 19, 1967 by René Lévesque to promote the concept of sovereignty-association between Quebec and the rest of Canada....
and the Ralliement national
Ralliement national
Ralliement national was a political party that advocated the political independence of Quebec from Canada in the 1960s.It was led by former créditiste Gilles Grégoire...
. Following the creation of the PQ, the Rassemblement pour l'Indépendance Nationale
Rassemblement pour l'indépendance nationale
The Rassemblement pour l'Indépendance Nationale was a political organization dedicated to the promotion of Quebec national independence from Canada.-History:...
held a general assembly that voted to dissolve the RIN. Its former members were invited to join the new Parti Québécois.
PQs primary goals were and still are to obtain the political, economic and social independence for the province of Quebec. In the 1976 provincial election
Quebec general election, 1976
The Quebec general election of 1976 was held on November 15, 1976 to elect members to National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. It was one of the most significant elections in Quebec history, rivalled only by the 1960 general election, and caused major repercussions in the rest of Canada...
, the Parti Québécois was elected for the first time to form the government of Quebec. The party's leader, René Lévesque
René Lévesque
René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
, became the Premier of Quebec
Premier of Quebec
The Premier of Quebec is the first minister of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and his title is Premier and President of the Executive Council....
. This provided cause for celebration among many French-speaking Quebecer
French-speaking Quebecer
French-speaking Quebecers are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Quebec....
s, while it resulted in an acceleration of the migration of the province's Anglophone population and related economic activity toward Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
The first PQ government was known as the "republic of teachers" because of the large number of scholars who served as cabinet members
Executive Council of Quebec
The Executive Council of Quebec is the cabinet of the government of Quebec, Canada....
. The PQ was the first government to recognize the rights of Aboriginal peoples
Aboriginal peoples in Quebec
Aboriginal peoples in Quebec total 11 distinct nations. The 10 Amerindian nations and the Inuit nations number 71,415 people and account for approximately 1% of the total population of Quebec, Canada.-Inuit:...
to self-determination, insofar as this self-determination did not affect the territorial integrity of Quebec. The PQ passed laws on public consultations and the financing of political parties, which insured equal financing of political parties and limited contributions by individuals to $3000. However, the most prominent legacy of the PQ is the Charter of the French Language
Charter of the French Language
The Charter of the French Language , also known as Bill 101 and Loi 101, is a law in the province of Quebec in Canada defining French, the language of the majority of the population, as the only official language of Quebec, and framing fundamental language rights for everyone in the province...
(the Bill 101), a framework law which defines the linguistic primacy of French and seeks to make French the common public language of Quebec. It allowed the advancement of francophones towards management roles, until then largely out of their reach — despite the fact that 85% of the population spoke French and most of them did not understand English, the language of management was English in most medium and large businesses. Critics, both Francophone and Anglophone, have however criticized the charter for restraining citizens' linguistic school choice, as it forbids immigrants and Quebecers of French descent from attending English-language schools funded by the state (private schools have always been an option open to everybody). The party was re-elected in the 1981 election
Quebec general election, 1981
The Quebec general election of 1981 was held on April 13, 1981, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Claude Ryan.The PQ won re-election despite...
, but in November 1984 it experienced the most severe internal crisis
Parti Québécois Crisis, 1984
The Parti Québécois Crisis of 1984 was one of the most severe internal party crises in Quebec politics.-Origins:In September 1984, Progressive Conservative politician Brian Mulroney became Prime Minister of Canada, with the backing of many Parti Québécois supporters...
of its existence. The incident resulted in the resignation of Premier
Premier of Quebec
The Premier of Quebec is the first minister of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and his title is Premier and President of the Executive Council....
René Lévesque. In September 1985, the party leadership election
Parti Québécois leadership election, 1985
The Parti Québécois leadership election of 1985 was held to elect a new leader of the Parti Québécois, the main sovereigntist and social democratic political party in Quebec, Canada. It elected Pierre-Marc Johnson at the helm of the party...
chose Pierre-Marc Johnson
Pierre-Marc Johnson
Pierre-Marc Johnson, , is a Quebec lawyer, physician and politician. He was the 24th Premier of Quebec from October 3 to December 12, 1985.- Early background :...
as his successor.
Despite its social democratic past, in the 1980s the PQ lost its affiliation with the Socialist International
Socialist International
The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.- History :...
.
The PQ was defeated by the Quebec Liberal Party in the 1985 election
Quebec general election, 1985
The Quebec general election of 1985 was held on December 2, 1985, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Quebec Liberal Party, led by former premier Robert Bourassa, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by premier Pierre-Marc Johnson.This election...
.
The Parti Québécois initiated the 1980 Quebec referendum seeking a mandate to begin negotiation for independence. It was rejected by 60 per cent of voters. With the failure of the Charlottetown Accord
Charlottetown Accord
The Charlottetown Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. It was submitted to a public referendum on October 26 of that year, and was defeated.-Background:...
and the Meech Lake Accord
Meech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
, two packages of proposed amendments to the Canadian constitution, the question of Quebec's status remained unresolved, and the PQ called the 1995 Quebec referendum proposing negotiations on sovereignty. After leading all night, the final count showed 49.6% of voters supported negotiations that could eventually lead to sovereignty. On the night of the defeat, an emotionally drained Premier Jacques Parizeau
Jacques Parizeau
Jacques Parizeau, is an economist and noted Quebec sovereignist who was the 26th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from September 26, 1994 to January 29, 1996.-Early life and career:...
stated that the loss was caused by "money and some ethnic votes" as well as by the divided votes amongst francophones. Parizeau resigned the next day (as he is alleged to have planned beforehand in case of a defeat).
Lucien Bouchard
Lucien Bouchard
Lucien Bouchard, is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, politician and former Minister of the Environment of the Canadian Federal Government. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 1996, and the 27th Premier of Quebec from January 29, 1996 to March 8, 2001...
, a former member of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
's Cabinet and later founder of the Bloc Québécois
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
, a federal-level sovereigntist party, succeeded Parizeau as PQ leader, but chose not to call another referendum due to the absence of "winning conditions". Bouchard's government then balanced the provincial budget — a feat achieved in Canada only by the federal government and a few of the ten Canadian provinces at that point — by reducing government spending
Government spending
Government spending includes all government consumption, investment but excludes transfer payments made by a state. Government acquisition of goods and services for current use to directly satisfy individual or collective needs of the members of the community is classed as government final...
, including social programs. The PQ won another term in the 1998 election
Quebec general election, 1998
The Quebec general election of 1998 was held on November 30, 1998, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by Lucien Bouchard, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Charest.After the narrow defeat of...
, despite receiving fewer votes than the Quebec Liberal Party led by Jean Charest
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....
. Bouchard resigned in 2001, and was succeeded as PQ leader and Quebec Premier by Bernard Landry
Bernard Landry
Bernard Landry, is a Quebec lawyer, teacher, politician, who served as the 28th Premier of Quebec , leader of the Opposition and leader of the Parti Québécois .-Personal:...
, a former PQ Finance minister. Under Landry's leadership, the party lost the 2003 election
Quebec general election, 2003
The Quebec general election of 2003 was held on April 14, 2003, to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec . The Parti libéral du Québec , led by Jean Charest, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by Bernard Landry.-Unfolding:...
to Jean Charest's Liberals.
Mid-late 2004 was difficult for Landry's leadership, which was being contested. A vote was held during the party's June 2005 convention to determine whether Landry continued to have the confidence of the party membership. Landry said he wanted at least 80% of approval and after gaining 76.2% approval on the confidence vote from party membership on 4 June 2005, Landry announced his intention to resign.
Louise Harel
Louise Harel
Louise Harel is a Québec politician. In 2005 she served as interim leader of the Parti Québécois following the resignation of Bernard Landry. She was also interim leader of the opposition in the National Assembly of Quebec. She represented the riding of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in the Montreal region...
had been chosen to replace him until a new leader, André Boisclair
André Boisclair
André Boisclair is a politician in Quebec, Canada. He was the leader of the Parti Québécois, a social democratic and separatist party in Quebec....
, was elected 15 November 2005, through the party's 2005 leadership election
Parti Québécois leadership election, 2005
The Parti Québécois leadership election of 2005 was held from November 13 to November 15, 2005 to elect the new leader of the Parti Québécois, the main sovereigntist and social democratic political party in Quebec, Canada....
. At the time of Boisclair's election, the PQ was as much as 20 percent ahead of the Liberals in opinion polls, suggesting that Boisclair would lead them to a landslide majority government in the next election.
The PQ was unable to maintain this momentum, and in the 2007 provincial election
Quebec general election, 2007
The Quebec general election of 2007 was held in the Canadian province of Quebec on March 26, 2007 to elect members of the 38th National Assembly of Quebec. The Quebec Liberal Party led by Jean Charest managed to win a plurality of seats, but were reduced to a minority government, Quebec's first in...
, the party fell to 36 seats and behind the conservative Action démocratique du Québec
Action démocratique du Québec
The Action démocratique du Québec, commonly referred to as the ADQ is a centre-right political party in Quebec, Canada. On the sovereignty question, it defines itself as autonomist, and has support from both soft nationalists and federalists....
(ADQ) in number of seats and the popular vote: this is the first time since 1973 that the party did not form the government or Official Opposition
Official Opposition (Canada)
In Canada, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition , commonly known as the Official Opposition, is usually the largest parliamentary opposition party in the House of Commons or a provincial legislative assembly that is not in government, either on its own or as part of a governing coalition...
. Boisclair said that the voters clearly did not support a strategy of a rapid referendum in the first mandate of a PQ government (This is shown by recent polls which demonstrate most Quebecers are not ready for another separation referendum). Instead of a policy convention following the election, the party held a presidents' council. The party caucus in the provincial legislative assembly was said to have supported Boisclair continuing as leader.
On 8 May 2007, Boisclair announced his resignation as leader of the PQ. This was effective immediately, although Boisclair confirmed he would remain within the PQ caucus for the time being. He was replaced by veteran MNA François Gendron
François Gendron
François Gendron is a politician and teacher in Quebec, Canada. He is the current Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Abitibi-Ouest. He represents the Parti Québécois since 1976....
, pending a leadership race and convention.
Former Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe
Gilles Duceppe
Gilles Duceppe is a Canadian politician, and proponent of the Québec sovereignty movement. He was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons for over 20 years and was the leader of the sovereigntist Bloc Québécois for almost 15 years. He is the son of a well-known Quebec actor, Jean...
was the first to announce his intention to run for party leadership, on 11 May 2007. He was followed the same day by Pauline Marois
Pauline Marois
Pauline Marois is the current leader of the Parti Québécois in the province of Quebec, since June 27, 2007 and current Leader of the Official Opposition of the National Assembly of Quebec, representing the riding of Charlevoix...
. In a surprise move, Duceppe withdrew on the 12th - leaving Marois the only declared candidate. No other candidates came forward, and on 26 June 2007, Marois won the leadership by acclamation.
In June 2011, the party was shaken when three of its most prominent MNAs—popular actor Pierre Curzi
Pierre Curzi
Pierre Curzi is an actor, screenwriter and politician in Quebec, Canada. He is the Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Borduas in the Montérégie region south of Montreal...
, former cabinet minister Louise Beaudoin
Louise Beaudoin
Louise Beaudoin is a Canadian politician, who represents the electoral district of Rosemont in the National Assembly of Quebec, initially as a member of the Parti Québécois , and since June 6, 2011, as an independent...
, and Lisette Lapointe
Lisette Lapointe
Lisette Lapointe is a Quebec politician, journalist and teacher, currently sitting as an independent. She is the wife of Jacques Parizeau, former Premier of Quebec, Canada...
, the wife of former premier Jacques Parizeau
Jacques Parizeau
Jacques Parizeau, is an economist and noted Quebec sovereignist who was the 26th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from September 26, 1994 to January 29, 1996.-Early life and career:...
, followed the next day by a fourth, Jean-Martin Aussant
Jean-Martin Aussant
Jean-Martin Aussant is a politician in the Canadian province of Quebec. He has represented Nicolet-Yamaska in the National Assembly of Quebec since 2008, first as a member of the Parti Québécois and currently as leader of his own party, Option nationale....
, quit the party to sit as independents over Marois's support for a bill changing the law to permit an agreement between the City of Québec
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
and Quebecor
Quebecor
Quebecor Inc. is a communications company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded by Pierre Péladeau, and remains run by his family. Quebecor Inc. owns 55% of Quebecor Media Inc...
Inc. concerning the management of the new sports and entertainment complex in Quebec City. Unrest continued later in the month when a fifth MNA, Benoît Charette
Benoît Charette
Benoît Charette is a Quebec politician elected in the 2008 provincial election for Deux-Montagnes. He was a member of the Parti Québécois, but quit on June 21, 2011 to protest the party's focus on sovereignty....
, also quit, citing his dissatisfaction with the party's sole focus being sovereignty.
This party infighting has caused the support in the opinion polls for the PQ to drop considerably; seeping to the autonomist ADQ and Quebec Solidaire
Québec Solidaire
Québec solidaire is a democratic socialist and sovereigntist political party in Quebec, Canada, that was created on 4 February 2006 in Montreal. It was formed by the merger of the left-wing party Union des forces progressistes and the alter-globalization political movement Option Citoyenne, led...
. Vote splitting of the separatist parties have handed the federalist Liberals, led by the deeply unpopular Charest, the lead once more with 35% compared to 29% for the PQ.
Relationship with the Bloc Québécois
The Bloc QuébécoisBloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
(BQ) is a federal political party founded in 1990 by future PQ leader Lucien Bouchard
Lucien Bouchard
Lucien Bouchard, is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, politician and former Minister of the Environment of the Canadian Federal Government. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 1996, and the 27th Premier of Quebec from January 29, 1996 to March 8, 2001...
. It holds close ties to the Parti Québécois, and shares its principal objective: sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
. The two parties frequently share political candidates, and support each other during election campaigns.
The two parties have a similar membership and voter base. Prominent members of either party often attend and speak at both organizations' public events. Gilles Duceppe
Gilles Duceppe
Gilles Duceppe is a Canadian politician, and proponent of the Québec sovereignty movement. He was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons for over 20 years and was the leader of the sovereigntist Bloc Québécois for almost 15 years. He is the son of a well-known Quebec actor, Jean...
, a former Bloc leader, is also the son of Jean Duceppe
Jean Duceppe
Jean Hotte-Duceppe, CQ was a stage and television actor from Montreal, Quebec. He founded the Compagnie de théâtre Jean Duceppe in 1973....
, a Quebec actor who helped found the PQ. Jean Duceppe also helped found the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
branch in Quebec
Parti de la démocratie socialiste
The Parti de la Democratie Socialiste was a political party in Quebec, Canada.The early origins of the PDS can be traced back to the Fédération du Commonwealth Coopératif , later renamed Parti social démocratique du Québec...
, which later separated from the federal NDP and merged into the Union des forces progressistes (UFP), which gathered 1.0% of the vote during the 2004 election). The UFP then merged with Option citoyenne
Option citoyenne
Option citoyenne was an altermondialist and feminist political organization in the Canadian province of Quebec. The group was created by Françoise David in 2004; David and François Saillant were its official spokespersons. Option citoyenne gave official support to the left-wing Union des forces...
to form the left-wing
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
party Québec solidaire
Québec Solidaire
Québec solidaire is a democratic socialist and sovereigntist political party in Quebec, Canada, that was created on 4 February 2006 in Montreal. It was formed by the merger of the left-wing party Union des forces progressistes and the alter-globalization political movement Option Citoyenne, led...
.
Logo
The party's symbol was designed in 1968 by painter and poet Roland Giguère. It consists of a stylised letter Q, represented by a blue circle broken by a red arrow. The creator meant it as an allegoryAllegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
of the Parti Québécois breaking the circle of colonialism
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
which he claimed Canada was imposing on Quebec and opening Quebec upon the world and the future.
The creator represented the second letter of the two-letter acronym only (see the Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. Based in Montreal, the company is in charge of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Quebec....
logo, also an example of a second letter design).
Compared to the Quebec Liberal Party, which has completely changed its logo often, the PQ has made very few significant modifications to its logo during its history. In 1985 it made the circle and arrow slightly thicker, and placed the tip of the latter at the centre of the circle. The original saw it span the whole diameter]. When placed upon a blue background instead of a white one, the circle was commonly turned to white, the single main design variation currently observed.
The party revealed a new logo on 21 February 2007, at the beginning of the 2007 provincial election campaign. While maintaining the basic style of past logos, the Q was redesigned and modernized. In addition, the tail of the Q was recoloured green, in order to present a more environmentally-friendly image of the party.
Party policy
Instead, the party hopes to concentrate on the protection of the French language in Quebec, leading up to the ultimate result of sovereignty-association.The PQ will deliver a brief to the reasonable accommodation
Reasonable accommodation
A reasonable accommodation is an adjustment made in a system to "accommodate" or make fair the same system for an individual based on a proven need. Accommodations can be religious, academic, or employment related and are often mandated by law. Each country has its own system of reasonable...
commission on minorities, now conducting holding hearings across the province. The commission headed will look to reformulate the relations between Quebec's francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
and minority populations. Its task will be a platform for the PQ's protectionism of French.
Marois stated there is nothing dogmatic in Francophones wishing to declare their existence even if it includes developing legislation requiring newcomers to have a basic understanding of French before becoming citizens of Quebec. (Note that there are no official citizens of Quebec; residents of Quebec are citizens of Canada.)
Marois stated the PQ understands the appearance of newcomers is attractive and they donate largely to Quebec's growth, but she noted that does not say that to better acculturate them that "we must erase our own history."
Slogans
These are the slogans used by the Parti Québécois in general election campaigns throughout its history. They are displayed with an unofficial translation. The elections in which the PQ won or remained in power are in bold.- 1970Quebec general election, 1970The Quebec general election of 1970 was held on April 29, 1970 to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The former Legislative Assembly had been renamed the "National Assembly" in 1968...
: OUI - Yes - 1973Quebec general election, 1973The Quebec general election of 1973 was held on October 29, 1973 to elect members to National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Robert Bourassa, won re-election, defeating the Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, and the Union Nationale .The Liberals won a...
: J'ai le goût du Québec - I have a taste for Quebec - 1976Quebec general election, 1976The Quebec general election of 1976 was held on November 15, 1976 to elect members to National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. It was one of the most significant elections in Quebec history, rivalled only by the 1960 general election, and caused major repercussions in the rest of Canada...
: On a besoin d'un vrai gouvernement - We need a real government - 1981Quebec general election, 1981The Quebec general election of 1981 was held on April 13, 1981, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Claude Ryan.The PQ won re-election despite...
: Faut rester forts au Québec - We must remain strong in Quebec - 1985Quebec general election, 1985The Quebec general election of 1985 was held on December 2, 1985, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Quebec Liberal Party, led by former premier Robert Bourassa, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by premier Pierre-Marc Johnson.This election...
: Le Québec avec Johnson - Québec with Johnson - 1989Quebec general election, 1989The Quebec general election of 1989 was held on September 25, 1989, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada...
: Je prends le parti du Québec - I'm choosing Quebec's party / I'm taking Quebec's side (double meaning) - 1994Quebec general election, 1994The Quebec general election of 1994 was held on September 12, 1994, to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The Parti Québécois, led by Jacques Parizeau, defeated the incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Daniel Johnson, Jr.....
: L'autre façon de gouverner - The other way of governing - 1998Quebec general election, 1998The Quebec general election of 1998 was held on November 30, 1998, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by Lucien Bouchard, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Charest.After the narrow defeat of...
: J'ai confiance - I am confident / I trust - 2003Quebec general election, 2003The Quebec general election of 2003 was held on April 14, 2003, to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec . The Parti libéral du Québec , led by Jean Charest, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by Bernard Landry.-Unfolding:...
: Restons forts - Let us stay strong - 2007Quebec general election, 2007The Quebec general election of 2007 was held in the Canadian province of Quebec on March 26, 2007 to elect members of the 38th National Assembly of Quebec. The Quebec Liberal Party led by Jean Charest managed to win a plurality of seats, but were reduced to a minority government, Quebec's first in...
: Reconstruisons notre Québec - Let us rebuild our Quebec - 2008: Québec gagnant avec Pauline - Quebec wins with Pauline
Party leaders
Interim leader in italics| Party leader | Years as party leader | Years as Premier Premier of Quebec The Premier of Quebec is the first minister of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and his title is Premier and President of the Executive Council.... |
|---|---|---|
| René Lévesque René Lévesque René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec... |
1968–1985 | 1976–1985 |
| Pierre-Marc Johnson Pierre-Marc Johnson Pierre-Marc Johnson, , is a Quebec lawyer, physician and politician. He was the 24th Premier of Quebec from October 3 to December 12, 1985.- Early background :... |
1985–1987 | 1985 |
| Guy Chevrette Guy Chevrette Guy Chevrette served as Parti Québécois leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada, from 1987 to 1989... |
1987–1988 | Was never Premier |
| Jacques Parizeau Jacques Parizeau Jacques Parizeau, is an economist and noted Quebec sovereignist who was the 26th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from September 26, 1994 to January 29, 1996.-Early life and career:... |
1988–1996 | 1994–1996 |
| Lucien Bouchard Lucien Bouchard Lucien Bouchard, is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, politician and former Minister of the Environment of the Canadian Federal Government. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 1996, and the 27th Premier of Quebec from January 29, 1996 to March 8, 2001... |
1996–2001 | 1996–2001 |
| Bernard Landry Bernard Landry Bernard Landry, is a Quebec lawyer, teacher, politician, who served as the 28th Premier of Quebec , leader of the Opposition and leader of the Parti Québécois .-Personal:... |
2001–2005 | 2001–2003 |
| Louise Harel Louise Harel Louise Harel is a Québec politician. In 2005 she served as interim leader of the Parti Québécois following the resignation of Bernard Landry. She was also interim leader of the opposition in the National Assembly of Quebec. She represented the riding of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in the Montreal region... |
2005 | Was never Premier |
| André Boisclair André Boisclair André Boisclair is a politician in Quebec, Canada. He was the leader of the Parti Québécois, a social democratic and separatist party in Quebec.... |
2005–2007 | Was never Premier |
| François Gendron François Gendron François Gendron is a politician and teacher in Quebec, Canada. He is the current Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Abitibi-Ouest. He represents the Parti Québécois since 1976.... |
2007 | Was never Premier |
| Pauline Marois Pauline Marois Pauline Marois is the current leader of the Parti Québécois in the province of Quebec, since June 27, 2007 and current Leader of the Official Opposition of the National Assembly of Quebec, representing the riding of Charlevoix... |
2007–Present | Has not been Premier |
Party presidents
- Monique RichardMonique RichardMonique Richard is a Quebec politician. She is a member of the National Assembly of Quebec, representing the district of Marguerite-D'Youville. She was elected in the 2008 provincial election. She is a member of the Parti Québécois and served as president of that party from 2005 to 2008.She is a...
(2005–2009) - Jonathan ValoisJonathan ValoisJonathan Valois is a politician from Quebec, Canada, and the former Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Joliette....
(2009–2011) - Raymond Archambault (2011–present)
Leadership elections
- Parti Québécois leadership electionsParti Québécois leadership electionsThis page lists the results of leadership elections held by the Parti Québécois. From its formation in 1968 and until 2005 the party president served as party leader. Elections are by one member, one vote.-1968 leadership election:...
- Parti Québécois leadership election, 1985Parti Québécois leadership election, 1985The Parti Québécois leadership election of 1985 was held to elect a new leader of the Parti Québécois, the main sovereigntist and social democratic political party in Quebec, Canada. It elected Pierre-Marc Johnson at the helm of the party...
- Parti Québécois leadership election, 2005Parti Québécois leadership election, 2005The Parti Québécois leadership election of 2005 was held from November 13 to November 15, 2005 to elect the new leader of the Parti Québécois, the main sovereigntist and social democratic political party in Quebec, Canada....
- Parti Québécois leadership election, 2007Parti Québécois leadership election, 2007The Parti Québécois leadership election of 2007 elected the seventh leader of the Parti Québécois, the main political party to promote Quebec independence in Quebec, Canada, and was won by Pauline Marois....
Election results
| General election | # of candidates | # of seats won | % of popular vote | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 108 | 7 | 23.06% | Liberal majority |
| 1973 | 110 | 6 | 30.22% | Liberal majority |
| 1976 | 110 | 71 | 41.37% | PQ majority |
| 1981 | 122 | 80 | 49.26% | PQ majority |
| 1985 | 122 | 23 | 38.69% | Liberal majority |
| 1989 | 125 | 29 | 40.16% | Liberal majority |
| 1994 | 125 | 77 | 44.75% | PQ majority |
| 1998 | 124 | 76 | 42.87% | PQ majority |
| 2003 | 125 | 45 | 33.24% | Liberal majority |
| 2007 | 125 | 36 | 28.35% | Liberal minority |
| 2008 | 125 | 51 | 35.17 % | Liberal majority |
See also
- SPQ LibreSPQ LibreThe SPQ Libre ! or Syndicalistes et progressistes pour un Québec libre ! is a political club that until March 2010 operated within the Parti Québécois...
- Parti Québécois Crisis, 1984Parti Québécois Crisis, 1984The Parti Québécois Crisis of 1984 was one of the most severe internal party crises in Quebec politics.-Origins:In September 1984, Progressive Conservative politician Brian Mulroney became Prime Minister of Canada, with the backing of many Parti Québécois supporters...
- Politics of QuebecPolitics of QuebecThe politics of Quebec are centred on a provincial government resembling that of the other Canadian provinces, namely a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The capital of the province is Quebec City, where the Lieutenant Governor, Premier, the legislature, and cabinet reside.The...
- History of QuebecHistory of QuebecQuebec has played a special role in Canadian history; it is the site where French settlers founded the colony of Canada in the 17th and 18th centuries.-Paleoindian Era :...
- List of political parties in Quebec
- Sovereigntist events and strategies
- Secessionist movements of CanadaSecessionist movements of CanadaThroughout the history of Canada, there have been movements seeking secession from Canada.-Newfoundland:There is a secessionist movement in Newfoundland based on its unique culture and its history, prior to 1949, of being a self-governing Dominion...
- Parti Québécois leadership electionsParti Québécois leadership electionsThis page lists the results of leadership elections held by the Parti Québécois. From its formation in 1968 and until 2005 the party president served as party leader. Elections are by one member, one vote.-1968 leadership election:...