Parti Québécois leadership election, 2007
Encyclopedia
The 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
.
It was the third race of its kind in the history of the party, following those of 1985
and 2005
.
Former PQ Minister Pauline Marois was the first official candidate in the race. Marois ran in both previous PQ leadership races. In a high-profile move after Boisclair's resignation Gilles Duceppe
, leader of the Bloc Québécois
, had announced his candidacy but withdrew after witnessing sweeping overall support for Marois. Candidates had until June 26, 2007 to officially declare; no other candidate did so and Marois was acclaimed.
on May 8, 2007. After another emotional leader's departure, that of Bernard Landry
, Boisclair was elected on November 15, 2005 with a majority of 53.7% on the first voting round. At that time, the governing party in Quebec City
was dealing with unparalleled unpopularity under neoliberal
Jean Charest
's Liberal Party
, the Sponsorship Scandal
was badly hurting the Liberal
federal government's standing and support for Quebec independence was at record highs.
However, as the election date limit approached, Boisclair's popularity waned, a Conservative
federal government claiming to be more conciliatory was elected (and made in-roads in Quebec after more than a decade of drought), the Liberal Party of Quebec gained back support by moving back towards the center
and the Action démocratique du Québec
rapidly gained popularity (as it had in 2002, only to lose it the year after), notably on the reasonable accommodation
controversy. Boisclair impressed most analysts and PQ followers during the election campaign but, on March 26, 2007, the PQ was nonetheless sent back to a third party status at the National Assembly
as the third party in number of seats.
Opposition to Boisclair, already present before the election campaign, grew within his party. On May 4, at an interview taping of the SRC
television programme Les coulisses du pouvoir, Boisclair claimed to believe in an attempt from Gilles Duceppe's entourage to unseat him so Duceppe can become the PQ leader. This event created a sizable amount of criticism from within the sovereigntist movement and prompted a surprised Duceppe to deny the allegations. Boisclair finally resigned on May 8, 2007. Despite the historical blow for the PQ to its representation in the National Assembly, independence retains a stable support around 45%.
president and famous actor (known notably for his role in the oscarized The Barbarian Invasions), was a third name often mentioned by the media for a possible candidacy.
Just 24 hours after his candidacy announcement Gilles Duceppe chose to withdraw from the race. His decision ensued from the sweeping popular support for Pauline Marois, as described in a CROP poll on La Presse's front-page the day after the announcement. In the poll, 45% of the respondents had chosen Marois, against only 21% for Duceppe. A number of key Parti québécois MNAs also chose to support the former minister, thereby reducing Duceppe's chances. In a communique Duceppe declared he wanted to "avoid a duel which could divide and therefore weaken the sovereigntist movement."
Withdrew
Speculated
Declined
Parti Québécois
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...
, the main political party to promote Quebec independence
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...
in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, 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...
, and was won 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...
.
It was the third race of its kind in the history of the party, following those of 1985
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...
and 2005
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....
.
Former PQ Minister Pauline Marois was the first official candidate in the race. Marois ran in both previous PQ leadership races. In a high-profile move after Boisclair's resignation 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...
, leader 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...
, had announced his candidacy but withdrew after witnessing sweeping overall support for Marois. Candidates had until June 26, 2007 to officially declare; no other candidate did so and Marois was acclaimed.
Background
The race was launched by the resignation of leader André BoisclairAndré 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....
on May 8, 2007. After another emotional leader's departure, that of 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:...
, Boisclair was elected on November 15, 2005 with a majority of 53.7% on the first voting round. At that time, the governing party in Quebec City
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...
was dealing with unparalleled unpopularity under neoliberal
Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is a market-driven approach to economic and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics that emphasizes the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized trade and relatively open markets, and therefore seeks to maximize the role of the private sector in determining the...
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....
's Liberal Party
Parti libéral du Québec
The Quebec Liberal Party is a centre-right political party in Quebec. It has been independent of the federal Liberal Party of Canada since 1955....
, the Sponsorship Scandal
Sponsorship scandal
The sponsorship scandal, "AdScam", "Sponsorship" or Sponsorgate, is a scandal that came as a result of a Canadian federal government "sponsorship program" in the province of Quebec and involving the Liberal Party of Canada, which was in power from 1993 to 2006...
was badly hurting the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
federal government's standing and support for Quebec independence was at record highs.
However, as the election date limit approached, Boisclair's popularity waned, a Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
federal government claiming to be more conciliatory was elected (and made in-roads in Quebec after more than a decade of drought), the Liberal Party of Quebec gained back support by moving back towards the center
Centrism
In politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
and the 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....
rapidly gained popularity (as it had in 2002, only to lose it the year after), notably on 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...
controversy. Boisclair impressed most analysts and PQ followers during the election campaign but, on March 26, 2007, the PQ was nonetheless sent back to a third party status at the National Assembly
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
as the third party in number of seats.
Opposition to Boisclair, already present before the election campaign, grew within his party. On May 4, at an interview taping of the SRC
Télévision de Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada is a Canadian French language television network. It is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, known in French as Société Radio-Canada. Headquarters are at Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal, which is also home to the network's flagship station, CBFT-DT...
television programme Les coulisses du pouvoir, Boisclair claimed to believe in an attempt from Gilles Duceppe's entourage to unseat him so Duceppe can become the PQ leader. This event created a sizable amount of criticism from within the sovereigntist movement and prompted a surprised Duceppe to deny the allegations. Boisclair finally resigned on May 8, 2007. Despite the historical blow for the PQ to its representation in the National Assembly, independence retains a stable support around 45%.
Race
The race was launched at a time when finances for the party were relatively tight. On 11 May 2007, Gilles Duceppe issued a press release announcing his candidacy and Pauline Marois announced her own to the press minutes later. Pierre Curzi, a very popular MNA newcomer, former Union des artistesUnion des artistes
The Union des artistes or Artist union is a Quebec-based labour organization representing stage, television, radio and film performers in French-language media in Canada . It represents over 6,900 members and is affiliated with the International Federation of Actors...
president and famous actor (known notably for his role in the oscarized The Barbarian Invasions), was a third name often mentioned by the media for a possible candidacy.
Just 24 hours after his candidacy announcement Gilles Duceppe chose to withdraw from the race. His decision ensued from the sweeping popular support for Pauline Marois, as described in a CROP poll on La Presse's front-page the day after the announcement. In the poll, 45% of the respondents had chosen Marois, against only 21% for Duceppe. A number of key Parti québécois MNAs also chose to support the former minister, thereby reducing Duceppe's chances. In a communique Duceppe declared he wanted to "avoid a duel which could divide and therefore weaken the sovereigntist movement."
Candidates
Official- Pauline MaroisPauline MaroisPauline 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...
: Entered the race on May 11, 2007 and became an official candidate on June 18, 2007. Supports: MNA Bernard DrainvilleBernard DrainvilleBernard Drainville is a Quebec politician, television host and journalist. He is the current Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Marie-Victorin in Longueuil and represents the Parti Québécois....
(May 9), MNA Marie MalavoyMarie MalavoyMarie Malavoy is a Quebec politician and teacher. She is the current Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Taillon in the Montérégie region and represents the Parti Québécois....
(May 11), MNA Danielle DoyerDanielle DoyerDanielle Doyer is a Quebec politician and teacher. She is the current Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Matapédia in the Gaspésie region...
(May 11), MNA Denis TrottierDenis TrottierDenis Trottier is a Quebec politician and teacher. He is the current Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Roberval in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. He represents the Parti Québécois....
(May 11), MP Christiane GagnonChristiane GagnonChristiane Gagnon is a Canadian politician.Gagnon was born in Chicoutimi, Quebec. A real estate agent, she was first elected in the 1993 federal election. She was the Bloc Québécois candidate in the riding of Québec . She was re-elected in the Canadian federal election, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, and...
(May 11), MP Réal MénardRéal MénardRéal Ménard is a Canadian politician, who was a Bloc Québécois member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2009. He was the second Canadian Member of Parliament to come out as gay .Ménard is a political scientist with B.A. and M.A...
(May 11), former PQ regional association president for Quebec City Philippe-Edwin Bélanger (May 11).
Withdrew
- Gilles DuceppeGilles DuceppeGilles 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...
: Entered the race on 11 May 2007, but withdrew 24 hours later after witnessing a wave of popular support for Pauline Marois. Duceppe threw his support to Marois and voiced a wish to remain leader of the Bloc in Ottawa.
Speculated
- Pierre CurziPierre CurziPierre 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...
- Joseph FacalJoseph FacalJoseph Facal is a politician, academic, and journalist in the Canadian province of Quebec. He was a Parti Québécois member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 1994 to 2003 and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Lucien Bouchard and Bernard Landry.-Early life and career:Facal was born...
- Diane LemieuxDiane LemieuxDiane Lemieux is a politician in Quebec, Canada. She was the Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Bourget as a member of the Parti Québécois from 1998 to 2007....
Declined
- Bernard DrainvilleBernard DrainvilleBernard Drainville is a Quebec politician, television host and journalist. He is the current Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Marie-Victorin in Longueuil and represents the Parti Québécois....
: Threw his support for Pauline Marois' candidacy the day after Boisclair's departure, before Marois officially entered the race. - Bernard LandryBernard LandryBernard 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:...
: Promptly confirmed after the resignation of Boisclair that he had no intention of running.
Polls
| Opinion polls during the campaign | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firm/Client | Date | 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... |
Bernard Drainville Bernard Drainville Bernard Drainville is a Quebec politician, television host and journalist. He is the current Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Marie-Victorin in Longueuil and represents the Parti Québécois.... |
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... |
Joseph Facal Joseph Facal Joseph Facal is a politician, academic, and journalist in the Canadian province of Quebec. He was a Parti Québécois member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 1994 to 2003 and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Lucien Bouchard and Bernard Landry.-Early life and career:Facal was born... |
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:... |
Diane Lemieux Diane Lemieux Diane Lemieux is a politician in Quebec, Canada. She was the Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Bourget as a member of the Parti Québécois from 1998 to 2007.... |
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... |
||
| TVA-Léger Marketing 1, 2 | 8 May 2007 | 10% | 3% | 17% | — | 7% | 2% | 28% | ||
| CROP-La Presse 1, 2 | 12 May 2007 | 8% | 3% | 21% | 4% | — | 2% | 45% | ||
| Notes 1 Poll occurred after André Boisclair's resignation but before any candidates had announced their intention to run. ² Both PQ and non-PQ voters were polled. |
||||||||||
Timeline
- March 26, 2007: The Parti Québécois is third in number of seats at the Quebec general electionsQuebec 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...
. - May 3, 2007: Former PQ Minister Denis LazureDenis LazureDenis Lazure was a Canadian politician and a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 1976 to 1984 and from 1989 to 1996. -Background:...
addresses an open letter to leader André BoisclairAndré BoisclairAndré Boisclair is a politician in Quebec, Canada. He was the leader of the Parti Québécois, a social democratic and separatist party in Quebec....
in Le DevoirLe DevoirLe Devoir is a French-language newspaper published in Montreal and distributed in Quebec and the rest of Canada. It was founded by journalist, politician, and nationalist Henri Bourassa in 1910....
calling for his resignation. - May 4, 2007: At an interview taping of the SRCTélévision de Radio-CanadaTélévision de Radio-Canada is a Canadian French language television network. It is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, known in French as Société Radio-Canada. Headquarters are at Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal, which is also home to the network's flagship station, CBFT-DT...
political programme Les coulisses du pouvoir, André Boisclair claims to believe in an attempt to unseat him by Gilles DuceppeGilles DuceppeGilles 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...
's entourage, so Duceppe can talk the helm of the PQ. Criticism from within the sovereigntist movement follows. - May 8, 2007: Leader André Boisclair resigns.
- May 9, 2007: Bernard DrainvilleBernard DrainvilleBernard Drainville is a Quebec politician, television host and journalist. He is the current Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Marie-Victorin in Longueuil and represents the Parti Québécois....
announces his support for Pauline MaroisPauline MaroisPauline 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... - May 11, 2007: Gilles DuceppeGilles DuceppeGilles 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...
announces that he will run in the race. Minutes later, Pauline MaroisPauline MaroisPauline 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...
declares the same. - May 11, 2007: Pro-independence newspaper Le QuébécoisLe QuébécoisLe Québécois is a political newspaper based in Quebec City. Founded in 2001, it is a medium of the Quebec sovereignty movement. The newspaper also has a militant wing, the Réseau de Résistance du Québécois.- Description :...
issues a press release stating that they would support neither Duceppe nor Marois, calling for a candidate without a "history of provincialist administration". - May 12, 2007: Gilles Duceppe announces his withdrawal from the race and throws his support to Pauline Marois.
See also
- 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....
- 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 :...
- 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...
- Leadership conventionLeadership conventionIn Canadian politics, a leadership convention is held by a political party when the party needs to choose a leader due to a vacancy or a challenge to the incumbent leader.- Overview :...
- Quebec sovereignty movementQuebec sovereignty movementThe 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...
External links
- Official Parti Québécois website
- Election page on Vigile.net