Quebec voters have handed the Parti Québécois (PQ) the most seats in the province's election on Monday, October 5, but not enough to govern alone.
The numbers
The PQ was leading or elected in 59 of the province's 127 seats, according to The Globe and Mail. That is short of the 64 seats needed to form a majority in the Quebec legislature.
The party's share of the popular vote was also thin. The Globe and Mail reports the PQ had less than 30 per cent of the popular vote, which would be the lowest share of support for a government in Quebec history.
A big loss for the CAQ
The Coalition Avenir Québec, led by Christine Fréchette, was completely shut out of the legislature, the Globe reports. Voters also chose the Quebec Liberals as the official Opposition for the third general election in a row, according to the Canadian Press.
What a minority means
With 59 seats, the PQ will need support from other parties to pass legislation and survive confidence votes. "A minority government means they don't have a blank cheque to do what they want," he said, as quoted by The Globe and Mail.
The Canadian Press reports that Québec solidaire, another sovereigntist party, could hold the balance of power and support the PQ's plans for a referendum.
The referendum question
PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has said a referendum would not come before U.S. President Donald Trump leaves the White House in 2029, the Canadian Press reports. The sources reviewed for this story do not say when a vote might be held beyond that, or what question would be asked.
What led here
The result comes after a campaign in which, as ottown's earlier report noted, a CBC News review of more than three decades of data suggested Quebec governments are more likely to break or walk back a pledge than keep it. On election day, ottown also covered what Outaouais voters needed to know before heading to the polls, in ottown's earlier report. Polling stations were open from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
What happens next
The sources available so far do not say when the new government will be sworn in, who will sit in cabinet, or when the legislature will return. They also do not say whether Québec solidaire has committed to backing the PQ on any specific measure. Those details have not yet been announced.
What is clear from the early results is that the PQ will have to negotiate rather than command. The party that won the most seats did so with under 30 per cent of the vote, and its opponents have already signalled they intend to hold it to account.
Sources: CBC News, The Globe and Mail, Lethbridge News Now (Canadian Press), Chronicle-Journal (Canadian Press)
