Parti conservateur du Québec
Encyclopedia
The Parti conservateur du Québec (in English
: Conservative Party of Quebec) was a political party
in Quebec
, Canada
.
which was formed around 1850 by the followers of Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine
. The parti bleu opposed the anti-clericalism
and radicalism of its rival, the parti rouge
of Louis-Joseph Papineau
.
The parti bleu supported the role of the clergy
in Quebec society. Members of the parti bleu, led by George-Étienne Cartier
from Canada East
, joined with the followers of Sir John A. Macdonald
in Canada West to form a coalition government
with Cartier as co-premier from 1857 to 1862. It was out of this coalition that the Conservative Party
was formed (then known as Liberal-Conservative), laying the basis for Confederation
in 1867.
as Quebec's first premier
. Cartier acted as Macdonald's Quebec lieutenant
in the federal House of Commons
. The Conservatives dominated Quebec politics at both the federal and provincial level for the next 30 years. The Conservatives held power in Quebec City for 25 out of 30 years, providing eight of the province's ten premiers in that period.
However, the party became increasingly divided between a moderate wing and an Ultramontane wing of Catholic
fundamentalists. As well, the party's links with the federal Conservatives
harmed the party as the Tories in English Canada became increasingly identified as hostile to French Canadians and Quebec. The execution of Louis Riel
in 1885 outraged French Canadians and hurt the Macdonald Conservatives at the polls.
After Macdonald's death in 1891, the coalition that formed the national Conservatives unravelled, particularly around the Manitoba Schools Question
that pitted English-Canadian Protestants against French-Canadian Catholics. This issue essentially ended the possibility of a significant French-Canadian presence in western Canada.
The federal Conservatives lost the 1896 federal election
, largely due to the collapse of their support in Quebec. The provincial Conservative government of Edmund James Flynn
lost the 1897 Quebec election
.
With the defeats of 1896 and 1897, the Conservatives became a minority party in Quebec at both levels of government. The Conservative Party of Quebec never formed another provincial government. The Quebec Liberal Party
held power without interruption for the next 38 years.
when the federal Conservative government of Sir Robert Borden
invoked conscription against the opposition of Quebec. This led to riots in the province.
In 1933, Maurice Duplessis
became leader of the Quebec Conservatives. The next year, the ruling Liberal party split when a group of nationalist Liberals dissatisfied with the government of Louis-Alexandre Taschereau
bolted from the party to form the Action libérale nationale
or ALN. Duplessis wooed the dissident party and, two weeks before the 1935 election
, the Conservatives and ALN formed a "Union Nationale" alliance to contest the election. The alliance was later formalized as a merger into a single political party, the Union Nationale.
The UN took power in the 1936 election
, were unexpectedly defeated in 1939, but went on to dominate Quebec politics from 1944 until Duplessis died in 1959. In the 1958 federal election
, Duplessis lent the UN's electoral machine to John Diefenbaker
's Progressive Conservatives
, helping them to win the majority of ridings there.
The Union Nationale formed the government again from 1966-1970 and afterwards went into rapid decline, being supplanted by the Parti Québécois
as the main opposition to the Liberals.
. In the 1970s, Bourassa had a strained relationship with the federal Liberals of Pierre Trudeau
, who were staunch federalists.
Claude Wagner
, a judge and a prominent Quebec Liberal cabinet minister who departed provincial politics in 1970, ran successfully as a Progressive Conservative
in the 1972 federal election, and was the front-runner in the party leadership convention in 1976 before losing on the final ballot to Joe Clark
. When Bourassa returned to politics in the 1980s, he worked closely with the federal Progressive Conservatives
led by Brian Mulroney
. During that decade, the Liberals won the majority of Quebec's seats in 1985 and 1989, while the PCs did so at the federal level in 1984 and 1988.
In 1998, federal PC leader Jean Charest
moved to provincial politics as the leader of the Quebec Liberals
.
who told them to keep their distance.
The party was dormant until January 1985 when he stepped aside to allow André Asselin, a lawyer, mayor of the small town of Ste-Émilie-de-l'Énergie, and president of the Quebec Union of Regional Municipal Councils, to become party leader. However, Brian Mulroney told the press following a meeting with Liberal leader Robert Bourassa
that he did not support the creation of a provincial Conservative Party at the time. By the 1980s, the Union Nationale was no longer a contender for office and in terminal decline - though it rebuffed an offer by Asselin for a merger with his Conservative Party. After making an impression in a June 1985 by-election in which Asselin placed second with 30% of the vote in L'Assomption
, the party nominated 48 candidates for the December 1985 provincial election
but failed to make a major impact, receiving 1.03% popular vote. Asselin blamed the party's poor showing on what he called deliberate sabotage by federal Tory officials who discouraged Conservatives from giving money or otherwise becoming identified with the provincial group.
Asselin resigned as party leader in 1989 leaving Robert Coppenrath to lead the party into the 1989 election
where it ran 12 candidates and received 0.14% of the vote. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, the party disbanded shortly afterward.
and Bertrand Goulet
announced the formation of a new Conservative Party of Quebec. Fontaine had offered Éric Caire
of the ADQ to join the party and become its leader, with a view to attract disaffected ADQ supporters, but this did not materialise and Caire now sits as an independent.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Conservative Party of Quebec) was a 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...
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...
.
Origins
The party originated as the Parti bleuParti bleu
The Parti bleu was a moderate political group in Quebec, Canada that emerged in 1854. It was based on the moderate reformist views of Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, and was a rival to the radical Parti rouge....
which was formed around 1850 by the followers of Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine
Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine
Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine , 1st Baronet, KCMG was the first Canadian to become Prime Minister of the United Province of Canada and the first head of a responsible government in Canada. He was born in Boucherville, Lower Canada in 1807...
. The parti bleu opposed the anti-clericalism
Anti-clericalism
Anti-clericalism is a historical movement that opposes religious institutional power and influence, real or alleged, in all aspects of public and political life, and the involvement of religion in the everyday life of the citizen...
and radicalism of its rival, the parti rouge
Parti rouge
The Parti rouge was formed in the Province of Quebec, around 1848 by radical French-Canadians inspired by the ideas of Louis-Joseph Papineau, the Institut canadien de Montréal, and the reformist movement led by the Parti patriote of the 1830s.The party was a successor to the Parti patriote...
of Louis-Joseph Papineau
Louis-Joseph Papineau
Louis-Joseph Papineau , born in Montreal, Quebec, was a politician, lawyer, and the landlord of the seigneurie de la Petite-Nation. He was the leader of the reformist Patriote movement before the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837–1838. His father was Joseph Papineau, also a famous politician in Quebec...
.
The parti bleu supported the role of the clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
in Quebec society. Members of the parti bleu, led by George-Étienne Cartier
George-Étienne Cartier
Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1st Baronet, PC was a French-Canadian statesman and Father of Confederation.The English spelling of the name, George, instead of Georges, the usual French spelling, is explained by his having been named in honour of King George III....
from Canada East
Canada East
Canada East was the eastern portion of the United Province of Canada. It consisted of the southern portion of the modern-day Canadian Province of Quebec, and was primarily a French-speaking region....
, joined with the followers of Sir John A. Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
in Canada West to form a coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
with Cartier as co-premier from 1857 to 1862. It was out of this coalition that the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
was formed (then known as Liberal-Conservative), laying the basis for Confederation
Confederation
A confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense, foreign...
in 1867.
Post-Confederation
With Confederation and Quebec's entry as a province, what had been the parti bleu became the Quebec wing of Macdonald's Conservative Party. It formed the government in the province, with Pierre-Joseph-Olivier ChauveauPierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau
Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau , born in Charlesbourg, near Quebec City, was the first Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec following the establishment of the Dominion of Canada in 1867. He led a Conservative Party government. He was also the Minister of Education and Provincial Secretary...
as Quebec's first premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
. Cartier acted as Macdonald's Quebec lieutenant
Quebec lieutenant
In Canadian politics, a Quebec lieutenant is a politician, from Quebec, usually a francophone and most often a Member of Parliament or at least a current or former candidate for Parliament, who is selected by a senior politician such as the Prime Minister or the leader of a national federal party,...
in the federal House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
. The Conservatives dominated Quebec politics at both the federal and provincial level for the next 30 years. The Conservatives held power in Quebec City for 25 out of 30 years, providing eight of the province's ten premiers in that period.
However, the party became increasingly divided between a moderate wing and an Ultramontane wing of Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
fundamentalists. As well, the party's links with the federal Conservatives
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
harmed the party as the Tories in English Canada became increasingly identified as hostile to French Canadians and Quebec. The execution of Louis Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
in 1885 outraged French Canadians and hurt the Macdonald Conservatives at the polls.
After Macdonald's death in 1891, the coalition that formed the national Conservatives unravelled, particularly around the Manitoba Schools Question
Manitoba Schools Question
The Manitoba Schools Question was a political crisis in the Canadian Province of Manitoba that occurred late in the 19th century, involving publicly funded separate schools for Roman Catholics and Protestants...
that pitted English-Canadian Protestants against French-Canadian Catholics. This issue essentially ended the possibility of a significant French-Canadian presence in western Canada.
The federal Conservatives lost the 1896 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1896
The Canadian federal election of 1896 was held on June 23, 1896 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 8th Parliament of Canada. Though the Conservative Party won a plurality of the popular vote, the Liberal Party, led by Wilfrid Laurier, won the majority of seats to form the...
, largely due to the collapse of their support in Quebec. The provincial Conservative government of Edmund James Flynn
Edmund James Flynn
Edmund James Flynn was a Canadian politician and the tenth Premier of Quebec.-Background:Flynn, the son of Jacques Flynn and Elizabeth Tostevin, was born at Percé on November 16, 1847. He studied law at the Université Laval in Quebec City from 1871 to 1873, obtaining his degree with distinction. On...
lost the 1897 Quebec election
Quebec general election, 1897
The Quebec general election of 1897 was held on May 11, 1897 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Quebec Liberal Party, led by Félix-Gabriel Marchand, defeated the incumbent Quebec Conservative Party, led by Edmund James Flynn.This marked the start of...
.
With the defeats of 1896 and 1897, the Conservatives became a minority party in Quebec at both levels of government. The Conservative Party of Quebec never formed another provincial government. The Quebec 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....
held power without interruption for the next 38 years.
Decline and re-emergence as Union Nationale
Conservative fortunes were further hurt by the Conscription Crisis of 1917Conscription Crisis of 1917
The Conscription Crisis of 1917 was a political and military crisis in Canada during World War I.-Background:...
when the federal Conservative government of Sir Robert Borden
Robert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
invoked conscription against the opposition of Quebec. This led to riots in the province.
In 1933, Maurice Duplessis
Maurice Duplessis
Maurice Le Noblet Duplessis served as the 16th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from 1936 to 1939 and 1944 to 1959. A founder and leader of the highly conservative Union Nationale party, he rose to power after exposing the misconduct and patronage of Liberal Premier Louis-Alexandre...
became leader of the Quebec Conservatives. The next year, the ruling Liberal party split when a group of nationalist Liberals dissatisfied with the government of Louis-Alexandre Taschereau
Louis-Alexandre Taschereau
Louis-Alexandre Taschereau was a the 14th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from 1920 to 1936. He was elected four times, the first in 1900, in the riding of Montmorency. He was also a member of the Parti libéral du Québec...
bolted from the party to form the Action libérale nationale
Action libérale nationale
The Action libérale nationale was a short-lived provincial political party in Quebec, Canada. It was founded during the Great Depression and led by Paul Gouin. The ALN played an important role in the foundation of the Union Nationale.-Origin and beliefs:The party was created in 1934 by...
or ALN. Duplessis wooed the dissident party and, two weeks before the 1935 election
Quebec general election, 1935
The Quebec general election of 1935 was held on November 25, 1935 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada...
, the Conservatives and ALN formed a "Union Nationale" alliance to contest the election. The alliance was later formalized as a merger into a single political party, the Union Nationale.
The UN took power in the 1936 election
Quebec general election, 1936
The Quebec general election of 1936 was held on August 17, 1936 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Union Nationale, led by Maurice Duplessis, defeated the incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Adélard Godbout.This marked the end of slightly more...
, were unexpectedly defeated in 1939, but went on to dominate Quebec politics from 1944 until Duplessis died in 1959. In the 1958 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1958
The Canadian federal election of 1958 was the 24th general election in Canada's history. It was held to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 24th Parliament of Canada on March 31, 1958, just nine months after the 23rd election...
, Duplessis lent the UN's electoral machine to John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...
's Progressive Conservatives
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
, helping them to win the majority of ridings there.
The Union Nationale formed the government again from 1966-1970 and afterwards went into rapid decline, being supplanted by the Parti Québécois
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...
as the main opposition to the Liberals.
Supporters endorse Quebec Liberals
Since the late 1960s, separatism/federalism became the main divide for the next few decades where national unity was a major issue, rather than the traditional conservatism/liberalism. Federalists, whether conservative or liberal, generally supported the Liberals led by Robert BourassaRobert Bourassa
Jean-Robert Bourassa, was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 22nd Premier of Quebec in two different mandates, first from May 12, 1970, to November 25, 1976, and then from December 12, 1985, to January 11, 1994, serving a total of just under 15 years as Provincial Premier.-Early...
. In the 1970s, Bourassa had a strained relationship with the federal Liberals of Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
, who were staunch federalists.
Claude Wagner
Claude Wagner
Claude Wagner, PC, QC was a judge and politician in the Province of Quebec, Canada. In his career, Wagner was a Crown prosecutor, professor of criminal law and judge...
, a judge and a prominent Quebec Liberal cabinet minister who departed provincial politics in 1970, ran successfully as a Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
in the 1972 federal election, and was the front-runner in the party leadership convention in 1976 before losing on the final ballot to Joe Clark
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
. When Bourassa returned to politics in the 1980s, he worked closely with the federal Progressive Conservatives
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
led by 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...
. During that decade, the Liberals won the majority of Quebec's seats in 1985 and 1989, while the PCs did so at the federal level in 1984 and 1988.
In 1998, federal PC leader 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....
moved to provincial politics as the leader of the Quebec Liberals
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....
.
Revival in the 1980s
A new Parti conservateur du Québec (sometimes referred to as the Parti progressiste conservateur du Québec) was formed in 1982 with Denis Carignan as leader but was rebuffed by federal Progressive Conservative leader Joe ClarkJoe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
who told them to keep their distance.
The party was dormant until January 1985 when he stepped aside to allow André Asselin, a lawyer, mayor of the small town of Ste-Émilie-de-l'Énergie, and president of the Quebec Union of Regional Municipal Councils, to become party leader. However, Brian Mulroney told the press following a meeting with Liberal leader Robert Bourassa
Robert Bourassa
Jean-Robert Bourassa, was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 22nd Premier of Quebec in two different mandates, first from May 12, 1970, to November 25, 1976, and then from December 12, 1985, to January 11, 1994, serving a total of just under 15 years as Provincial Premier.-Early...
that he did not support the creation of a provincial Conservative Party at the time. By the 1980s, the Union Nationale was no longer a contender for office and in terminal decline - though it rebuffed an offer by Asselin for a merger with his Conservative Party. After making an impression in a June 1985 by-election in which Asselin placed second with 30% of the vote in L'Assomption
L'Assomption (provincial electoral district)
L'Assomption is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. Created in 1829 and located in the Lanaudière region, the district includes the municipalities of Saint-Sulpice and L'Assomption and portions of the city of Repentigny.-Members...
, the party nominated 48 candidates for the December 1985 provincial 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...
but failed to make a major impact, receiving 1.03% popular vote. Asselin blamed the party's poor showing on what he called deliberate sabotage by federal Tory officials who discouraged Conservatives from giving money or otherwise becoming identified with the provincial group.
Asselin resigned as party leader in 1989 leaving Robert Coppenrath to lead the party into the 1989 election
Quebec general election, 1989
The Quebec general election of 1989 was held on September 25, 1989, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada...
where it ran 12 candidates and received 0.14% of the vote. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, the party disbanded shortly afterward.
2009 revival
In 2009, former Union Nationale MNAs Serge FontaineSerge Fontaine
-Political career:Fontaine was elected as a Union Nationale candidate to the provincial legislature in the district of Nicolet with 35% of the vote in the 1976 election. He served as his party's Deputy House Whip in 1980 and 1981. He finished a close third with 32% of the vote against Parti...
and Bertrand Goulet
Bertrand Goulet
-Political career:Goulet was elected as a Union Nationale candidate to the provincial legislature in the district of Bellechasse in the 1976 election against Liberal incumbent Pierre Mercier. He served as his party's House Whip in 1980 and 1981. He finished a close third and lost in the 1981...
announced the formation of a new Conservative Party of Quebec. Fontaine had offered Éric Caire
Éric Caire
Éric Caire is a politician from Quebec, Canada, and the independent Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of La Peltrie....
of the ADQ to join the party and become its leader, with a view to attract disaffected ADQ supporters, but this did not materialise and Caire now sits as an independent.
Leaders of the Parti conservateur du Québec
- Pierre-Joseph-Olivier ChauveauPierre-Joseph-Olivier ChauveauPierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau , born in Charlesbourg, near Quebec City, was the first Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec following the establishment of the Dominion of Canada in 1867. He led a Conservative Party government. He was also the Minister of Education and Provincial Secretary...
1867-1873 (Premier 1867-1873) - Gédéon OuimetGédéon OuimetGédéon Ouimet was a French-Canadian politician.Born in what is today part of the city of Laval, Quebec Canada, Ouimet served as the second Premier of the province of Quebec from February 26, 1873 to September 22, 1874. He resigned as party leader of the Quebec Conservatives in 1874. He died in...
1873-1874 (Premier 1873-1874) - Charles-Eugène Boucher de Boucherville 1874-1878 (Premier 1874-1878, 1891-1892)
- Joseph-Adolphe ChapleauJoseph-Adolphe ChapleauSir Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau, PC, KCMG , born in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, was a French-Canadian lawyer and politician....
1878-1882 (Premier 1879-1882) - Joseph-Alfred MousseauJoseph-Alfred MousseauJoseph-Alfred Mousseau, PC , was a French Canadian politician.He was born in Sainte-Geneviève-de-Berthier, Lower Canada, the son of Louis Mousseau, the son of Alexis Mousseau, and Sophie Duteau, dit Grandpré...
1882-1884 (Premier 1882-1884) - John Jones RossJohn Jones RossJohn Jones Ross, PC was born in Quebec City, Canada. He was the son of a Scots-Quebecer merchant, George McIntosh Ross, and his French-Canadian wife Sophie-Éloïse Gouin.-Province of Canada Assembly:...
1884-1887 (Premier 1884-1887) - Louis-Olivier TaillonLouis-Olivier TaillonSir Louis-Olivier Taillon, PC was born in Terrebonne, Quebec. He twice served as the eighth Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec....
1887-1896 (Premier 1887, 1892-1896) - Edmund James FlynnEdmund James FlynnEdmund James Flynn was a Canadian politician and the tenth Premier of Quebec.-Background:Flynn, the son of Jacques Flynn and Elizabeth Tostevin, was born at Percé on November 16, 1847. He studied law at the Université Laval in Quebec City from 1871 to 1873, obtaining his degree with distinction. On...
1896-1904 (Premier 1896-1897) - Pierre-Évariste LeblancPierre-Évariste LeblancSir Pierre-Évariste Leblanc, KCMG was born in Saint-Martin .He was a Quebec Conservative Party leader but never premier. First elected to the Legislative Assembly in a by-election in 1882 in the riding of Laval, he served as leader of the Opposition from 1905 to 1908, when he lost the 1908...
1905-1908 - Joseph-Mathias TellierJoseph-Mathias TellierSir Joseph-Mathias Tellier was born in Sainte-Mélanie, Quebec, Canada.-Biography:He was a Quebec Conservative Party leader but never premier...
1909-1915 - Philémon CousineauPhilémon CousineauPhilémon Cousineau was a Canadian politician born in Saint-Laurent . He was mayor of St-Laurent from 1905 to 1909, and Quebec Conservative Party leader from 1915 to 1916. He resigned following his defeat in the 1916 Quebec provincial election in the riding of Jacques-Cartier which he was the...
1915-1916 - Arthur SauvéArthur SauvéArthur Sauvé, PC was born in Saint-Hermas .The Legislative Assembly of Quebec member for Deux-Montagnes from 1908 to 1930, he was leader of the Quebec Conservative Party but never premier...
1916-1929 - Camillien HoudeCamillien HoudeCamillien Houde was a Quebec politician, a Member of Parliament, and a four-time mayor of Montreal.-Political career:...
1929-1932 - Maurice DuplessisMaurice DuplessisMaurice Le Noblet Duplessis served as the 16th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from 1936 to 1939 and 1944 to 1959. A founder and leader of the highly conservative Union Nationale party, he rose to power after exposing the misconduct and patronage of Liberal Premier Louis-Alexandre...
1933-1936 (later, Premier as leader of Union Nationale)
Leaders of the revived Parti conservateur du Québec
- Denis Carignan 1982-1985
- André Asselin 1985-1989
- Robert Coppenrath 1989
Election results
| General election | # of candidates | # of seats won | % of popular vote |
| 1867 | 69 | 51 | 59.90% |
| 1871 | 67 | 46 | 56.81% |
| 1875 | 68 | 44 | 56.53% |
| 1878 | 66 | 32 | 51.50% |
| 1881 | 62 | 48 | 54.12% |
| 1886 | 63 | 26 | 48.09% |
| 1890 | 62 | 24 | 46.47% |
| 1892 | 71 | 51 | 53.39% |
| 1897 | 67 | 23 | 43.82% |
| 1900 | 34 | 7 | 42.08% |
| 1904 | 24 | 6 | 31.27% |
| 1908 | 62 | 14 | 39.92% |
| 1912 | 75 | 16 | 42.68% |
| 1916 | 55 | 6 | 35.09% |
| 1919 | 22 | 5 | 19.50% |
| 1923 | 71 | 20 | 40.47% |
| 1927 | 69 | 9 | 35.45% |
| 1931 | 89 | 11 | 43.06% |
| 1935 | 34 | 16 | 18.84% |
| 1985 | 48 | 0 | 1.03% |
| 1989 | 12 | 0 | 0.14% |
See also
- Union Nationale
- 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...
- List of Quebec premiers
- List of Quebec leaders of the Opposition
- List of Quebec general elections
- National Assembly of QuebecNational Assembly of QuebecThe 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...
- Timeline of Quebec historyTimeline of Quebec historyThis article presents a detailed timeline of Quebec history. Events taking place outside Quebec, for example in English Canada, the United States, Britain or France, may be included when they are considered to have had a significant impact on Quebec's history....
- Political parties in Quebec
- List of elections in the Province of Canada
- Conservative Party of Quebec leadership electionsConservative Party of Quebec leadership electionsThis page lists the results of leadership elections held by the Conservative Party of Quebec. Before 1929 leaders were chosen by the caucus.-1933 leadership convention:*Maurice DUPLESSIS 334*Onesime GAGNON 216...