Quebec general election, 1960
Encyclopedia
The Quebec general election of 1960 was held on June 22, 1960 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly
of Quebec
, Canada
. It was one of the most significant elections in Quebec history, rivalled perhaps only by the 1976 general election
. The incumbent Union Nationale, led by Antonio Barrette
, was defeated by the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Lesage
.
The 1960 election set the stage for the Révolution Tranquille
, a major social transformation of all aspects of Quebec society throughout the 1960s. Among many other changes, the influence and power of the Catholic church fell sharply as Quebec became a secular society.
This election put an end to 16 years of continuous Union Nationale rule, much of it under Maurice Duplessis
. Duplessis had died in 1959.
His successor, Paul Sauvé
, initiated a "hundred days of change" that began to transform Quebec society after a long era of conservatism under Duplessis. The Duplessis period was later derisively referred to as La Grande Noirceur (the Great Darkness). Sauvé died suddenly after only a few months in office. The Union Nationale was thus in disarray when it went into an election under its second new leader (Barrette) in less than a year.
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...
of 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...
. It was one of the most significant elections in Quebec history, rivalled perhaps only by the 1976 general 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 incumbent Union Nationale, led by Antonio Barrette
Antonio Barrette
Antonio J. Barrette was a Quebec politician born in Joliette, Quebec, Canada.-Member of the legislature:Barrette ran as a Conservative candidate in the provincial district of Joliette in the 1935 election but lost...
, was defeated by the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Lesage
Jean Lesage
Jean Lesage, PC, CC, CD was a lawyer and politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 19th Premier of Quebec from 22 June 1960, to 16 August 1966...
.
The 1960 election set the stage for the Révolution Tranquille
Quiet Revolution
The Quiet Revolution was the 1960s period of intense change in Quebec, Canada, characterized by the rapid and effective secularization of society, the creation of a welfare state and a re-alignment of politics into federalist and separatist factions...
, a major social transformation of all aspects of Quebec society throughout the 1960s. Among many other changes, the influence and power of the Catholic church fell sharply as Quebec became a secular society.
This election put an end to 16 years of continuous Union Nationale rule, much of it under 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...
. Duplessis had died in 1959.
His successor, Paul Sauvé
Paul Sauvé
Joseph-Mignault-Paul Sauvé was a Quebec lawyer, World War II veteran and politician. He was the first Quebec Premier to be born in the 20th century.-Life:...
, initiated a "hundred days of change" that began to transform Quebec society after a long era of conservatism under Duplessis. The Duplessis period was later derisively referred to as La Grande Noirceur (the Great Darkness). Sauvé died suddenly after only a few months in office. The Union Nationale was thus in disarray when it went into an election under its second new leader (Barrette) in less than a year.
Results
| Party | Party leader | # of candidates |
Seats | Popular Vote | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 Quebec general election, 1956 The Quebec general election of 1956 was held on June 20, 1956 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Union Nationale, led by Maurice Duplessis, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Georges-Émile Lapalme.This was the fifth and final... |
Elected | % Change | # | % | % Change |
Liberal | Jean Lesage Jean Lesage Jean Lesage, PC, CC, CD was a lawyer and politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 19th Premier of Quebec from 22 June 1960, to 16 August 1966... |
20 | 51 | +155% | 51.38% | +6.5% |
Union Nationale | Antonio Barrette Antonio Barrette Antonio J. Barrette was a Quebec politician born in Joliette, Quebec, Canada.-Member of the legislature:Barrette ran as a Conservative candidate in the provincial district of Joliette in the 1935 election but lost... |
72 | 43 | -40.3% | 46.61% | -5.2% |
Other | 1 | 1 | - | 2.01% | -1.3% | |||||||
| Total | 93 | 95 | +2.2% | 100% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
- List of Quebec premiers
- 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...
- 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....
- List of Quebec political parties
- 26th Legislative Assembly of Quebec26th Legislative Assembly of QuebecThe 26th Legislative Assembly of Quebec was the political provincial legislature in Quebec, Canada that existed from June 22, 1960 to November 14, 1962. The Quebec Liberal Party led by Jean Lesage was the governing party after over 15 years of governance of the Union Nationale under Maurice...