Quebec provincial election campaign begins ahead of Oct. 5 vote

Quebec’s five main party leaders are off on the campaign trail as the next provincial election is set for Oct. 5.

Premier Christine Fréchette met with the lieutenant-governor Thursday morning to dissolve the National Assembly, officially triggering a 39-day election period.

The Coalition Avenir Québec is seeking another mandate after eight years in power. Fréchette took over party leadership in April after former premier François Legault stepped down amid poor polling numbers.

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Speaking to reporters Thursday, Fréchette emphasized the importance of providing “stability and predictability” amidst heightened tensions with the U.S. and President Donald Trump, as well as the need to protect Quebec culture and language.

“President Trump is my principal opponent,” she said. “He’s the one who’s completely disturbing our trade links with the United States, our economy, our businesses and our regions”

She reiterated her position for a strong Quebec within a united Canada, citing a deal her government recently signed with federal officials for Quebec’s shipbuilding industry to build six new icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard.

She also touted the Churchill Falls energy agreement signed with Newfoundland and Labrador that could ensure the province has the megawatts it needs to meet the province’s growing electricity demand through 2075.

Fréchette emphasized her desire to change the image of the CAQ in the face of waning public support, pointing to her role as Quebec’s second female premier with the majority of her party’s candidates being women.

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“Quebecers will see we are a very interesting blend between experience and new faces, new energy.”

PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said Quebec is looking for a change after eight years of a CAQ government that he says was characterized by misspending and “not solving the problems that are important to the population.”

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He said a PQ government would provide “balance” between standing up to Trump, building a strong Quebec economy and revisiting the question of sovereignty. He said the three issues are intertwined.

Last week, the PQ leader announced he would not hold a referendum while Trump was still president, though it would remain a key priority in his first mandate despite waning public support for separation.

“The status of an independent country can only help,” he said Thursday, addressing Quebec’s response to U.S. trade relations. “We’ve seen several countries, some of them smaller than Quebec, just doing very well with the United States in terms of diplomacy and making sure their interests are represented.”

Québec Solidaire leader Ruba Ghazal said she sees an opportunity in the approximately 50 per cent of Quebec voters who remain undecided about who they will support in the upcoming election.

“Quebecers still want to listen,” she said. “I ask them to continue to listen.”

She said the Québec Solidaire is working to provide “solutions” to problems such as housing, cost of living and the environment.

“We can’t continue to manage Quebec in the same way as the CAQ and all the other political parties who want the status quo.”

Ghazal said her vision for sovereignty is very “inclusive,” adding she herself moved to Quebec from Beirut at age 10 and learned French in Canada.

Liberal leader Charles Milliard said he agrees with Fréchette that Quebec is feeling the pressure from the U.S., but said she is using the trade crisis to “instrumentalize” the campaign.

“I think Mrs. Fréchette’s worst enemy is actually her own party,” he said.

Milliard said his main opponent in the election is the PQ, but the Liberals do not support separation.

“We truly believe in a strong Quebec within a strong Canada,” he said. “The eleventh priority for Quebecers is the separation of Quebec. I will be working on the top 10.”

Conservative Party of Quebec Leader Éric Duhaime launched his campaign southwest of Quebec City, where he promised what he described as the largest tax cut in Quebec history.

Duhaime said a Conservative government would cut provincial spending by $47 billion while reducing taxes for both individuals and businesses.

“The highest tax cut in Quebec history,” he said.

While the PQ remains ahead across the province, new polling released Thursday from Leger for Le journal-TVA Nouvelles shows there are tight races in several key regions.

In the Quebec City region, the PQ and the Quebec Conservative Party are tied at 30 per cent, ahead of the CAQ at 21 per cent.

The PQ holds just a slight advantage over the CAQ in the suburbs surrounding Montreal with 31 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.

On the Island of Montreal, the Liberal Party is holding strong with 40 per cent, but falls to 14 per cent in the rest of Quebec.

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