Quebec election results: 'I will be the premier of all Quebecers,' François Legault says after winning huge majority

CAQ won 41% of the vote – and 71% of the seats in the National Assembly.

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Leading or elected, as of 1 a.m., according to Elections Quebec:

1 a.m.

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Read more of our election coverage at montrealgazette.com.

At 67.3 per cent, voter turnout was slightly higher than in 2018

As of 12:50 a.m., with 98 per cent of polling stations reporting, the voter turnout was 67.3 per cent, according to Elections Quebec.

That’s slightly better than the last election.

Here are the voter turnout rates from the last four Quebec general elections:

Paul St-Pierre Plamondon vows to push PQ forward with only three seats in National Assembly

Rejecting any notion of his party collapsing, a confident Paul St-Pierre Plamondon stood before Parti Québécois faithful Monday night and vowed to push the party forward.

By the time St-Pierre Plamondon took the stage at a Boucherville ballroom, results showed the PQ would win only three seats at the National Assembly — seven fewer than in 2018, when the party was handed its worst defeat in nearly 50 years.

Read our full story, by Jesse Feith.

Conservatives shut out, but claim moral victory with popular vote

Despite not winning any seats in the National Assembly, Conservative Party of Quebec Leader Éric Duhaime claimed a victory Monday night.

Duhaime said the Conservatives mounted a “David versus Goliath” campaign, with fewer resources than their opponents and having to build the party from nothing just two years ago.

Read our full story, by Jason Magder.

Despite losses, Holness, Standish remain hopeful for future of new parties

Montrealers in traditional Liberal strongholds voted against François Legault, not for the Quebec Liberal Party, Bloc Montréal Leader Balarama Holness says.

Colin Standish, leader of the Canadian Party of Quebec, said he felt a sense of accomplishment because he felt his party had managed to turn Bill 96 into a ballot box question in ridings where the Liberals have taken anglophone voters for granted.

Read our full story, by Linda Gyulai.

Video: Colin Standish reflects on the Canadian Party of Quebec’s first campaign

Holness finishes fifth in N.D.G.; Standish was sixth in Westmount–St-Louis

The first two charts below show the results as of 12:40 a.m. in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce riding, where Bloc Montréal leader Balarama Holess was a candidate, and in Westmount-St-Louis, where Colin Standish, the leader of the Canadian Party of Quebec, was running.

The third chart shows how Bloc Montréal and the Canadian Party of Quebec fared overall.

Bloc Montréal fielded 13 candidates, while the Canadian Party of Quebec’s slate included 20 candidates.

Photo: Paul St-Pierre Plamondon fights back tears

Liberals retain strongholds in central and western Montreal

Central and western Montreal have long been provincial Liberal strongholds, and the trend continued on Monday.

Liberal candidates were elected to the National Assembly in the ridings of D’Arcy McGee, Marguerite-Bourgeoys, Mont-Royal—Outremont, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Verdun and Westmount—Saint-Louis.

But in Verdun, it was a nail-biter as Liberal incumbent Isabelle Melançon and Alejandra Zaga Mendez of Québec solidaire remained within 200 votes of one another as results came in during the evening.

Read our full story, by Susan Schwartz.

CAQ wave doesn’t hit Montreal as Legault loses one of his two seats on the island

Further proof that Montreal and the rest of Quebec are two different political planets: the Coalition Avenir Québec wave did not hit Montreal.

The CAQ went into the election with two Montreal seats.

It only held onto one – Pointe-aux-Trembles, where Chantal Rouleau was re-elected. In Premier François Legault’s last cabinet, Rouleau was the minister responsible for Montreal.

The CAQ incumbent, Richard Campeau, lost in Camille-Laurin to PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. This is a new name for the riding, which used to be called Bourget.

Anglade declares a victory for unity in Quebec as Liberals keep opposition status

Surrounded by her family and adorned in Liberal red, Dominique Anglade took to the stage Monday night and declared her victory as leader of the official opposition represented a win for unity in Quebec, in what was often a divisive campaign.

Read our full story, by René Bruemmer.

CAQ won 41% of the vote – and 71% of the seats

As of midnight, the CAQ had 41 per cent of the popular vote – and 71 per cent of the seats in the National Assembly.

The other parties:

Midnight

Liberal support slips in West Island, but party still earns a clean sweep

While the Quebec Liberal Party dropped slightly in popularity in the West Island and two other ridings on the western end of Montreal Island, they repainted the area Liberal red in Monday’s election.

Read our full story, by Paul Cherry.

Midnight

Seesaw battle in Vaudreuil as CAQ sweeps other off-island ridings

The Coalition Avenir de Québec consolidated its stronghold in the “450” region that rings Montreal in Monday’s 2022 provincial election with wins in Soulanges and Beauharnois.

But in a key battle for the Vaudreuil riding west of Montreal, Liberal incumbent Marie-Claude Nichols was leading the CAQ’s Eve Bélec by more than 600 votes at 11 p.m. in a seesaw battle that saw Nichols rally after trailing early in the evening.

Read our full story, by John Meagher.

Midnight

Four more years of the CAQ: Here’s what the party has promised

Following a campaign characterized by controversial statements and subsequent apologies, François Legault and his Coalition Avenir Québec party will lead the province for the next four years. Legault made a number of promises to Quebecers during the campaign, ranging from ways to combat inflation to plans to alleviate stress on the health-care system.

Here are some of the CAQ’s main promises.

Read our full story.

‘I will be the premier of all Quebecers,’ Legault says

“Quebecers sent a clear, strong message,” Premier François Legault told supporters at a Quebec City celebration. “Quebecers said: let’s continue.”

He said education will be one of his key priorities during his second mandate.

Legault added: “In the short term, the most important challenge, the most pressing challenge, is the economic situation.”

He said many Quebecers are suffering due to inflation and high interest rates.

Legault said the CAQ government will follow through on its promise to issue one-time cheques to Quebecers in December to help them deal with the economic crisis.

He said he wants Quebec to be a world leader when it comes to the green economy as it works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Legault said elections are divisive.

“But there are more things that bring us together than divide us,” he said.

Legault said Quebecers are “a great people.”

He said he was talking about “all Quebecers, from all regions, of all ages, of all origins. I will be premier of all Quebecers.”

In a rare move during a speech, Legault switched to English and repeated the phrase.

Legault, who felt compelled to apologize after linking immigration with violence and extremism early in the campaign, noted in his speech that all political parties in Quebec favour immigration.

“Immigration is an asset and integration into our beautiful nation is a mutual gift.”

He said the most important duty for a premier of Quebec is to protect and promote the French language.

“We have to promote French, it’s our duty as a nation. Whether we like it or not, the future of French relies heavily on our capacity to integrate into French those who recently decided to build their future.”

Conservatives to seek recount in Beauce-Sud: report

Photo: Nadeau-Dubois addresses crowd

Drive for independence will continue, St-Pierre Plamondon says

The PQ appears set to win only three seats and it will not have official status in the National Assembly, but tonight is a victory of sorts for Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.

At the start of the campaign, some observers thought the party might not win a single riding.

“As a society, we have regained our taste for politics, we have revived our love for Quebec,” he told supporters at an election-night event in Boucherville, south of Montreal.

He said the election campaign showed that for many Quebecers, the dream of independence is very much alive.

The cheering crowd responded, chanting “On veut un pays!”

Video: ‘We will represent all Quebecers,’ Anglade says

Video: ‘We built the foundation for Bloc Montréal,’ Holness says

Photo: Standish greets supporters

Québec solidaire is the only opposition party that ‘resisted the CAQ wave,’ Nadeau-Dubois says

Québec solidaire hoped to gain seats and become the official opposition. In the end, it didn’t make the breakthrough it was hoping for.

It’s currently leading or elected in 11 ridings – one more than it won in 2018.

“I gave everything I could, the QS team gave everything it could,” Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, co-spokesperson of Québec solidaire, told supporters in Montreal. “I’m proud of us.”

He said QS is the only opposition party that “resisted the CAQ wave.”

Nadeau-Dubois appealed to Premier François Legault to “listen to the youth” and take climate change more seriously.

Photo: Anglade remains leader of the official opposition

11 p.m.

Liberals and CAQ go toe to toe in election races on Montreal’s South Shore

Montreal may be Quebec’s last bastion of resistance to François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec, but as evidenced from provincial election results on the South Shore, things change quickly once you cross the bridge.

Read our full story, by T’Cha Dunlevy.

St-Pierre Plamondon elected in Camille-Laurin riding

PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has been declared the winner in Camille-Laurin riding.

St-Pierre Plamondon was in a three-way race in Camille-Laurin, an east-end Montreal riding, until his Québec solidaire opponent dropped out last week after getting caught removing a PQ flyer from a mailbox.

With 130 of 173 polling stations reporting tonight, St-Pierre Plamondon had 42.7 per cent of the vote, compared to 31.6 per cent for the incumbent CAQ MNA, Richard Campeau.

‘Québec solidaire is more than a political party, it is a movement’: Manon Massé

The mood at the Québec solidaire election night party in downtown Montreal was upbeat and energized from the moment the polls closed and it stayed that way, despite the early call that the Coalition Avenir Québec had achieved a decisive majority.

Read our full story, by Michelle Lalonde.

CAQ candidate Kateri Champagne Jourdain is the first Innu woman elected to the National Assembly

Photo: Holness greets supporters

Dominique Anglade says she’ll stay on as Liberal leader

The Liberals saw their share of the popular vote fall precipitously, and the party will win fewer seats than in the last election.

But, in a speech to supporters in Montreal, party leader Dominique Anglade made clear that she would like to stay on as the leader.

She vowed to rebuild the party, saying the Liberals will ensure that all Quebecers’ voices are heard.

“The work has just begun,” Anglade said.

“Together, we can accomplish big things for a Quebec that represents all Quebecers.”

Photo: Manon Massé addresses Québec solidaire supporters

Photo: Éric Duhaime concedes

PQ supporters are crossing their fingers for Paul St-Pierre Plamondon in Camille-Laurin riding

Dominique Anglade has been re-elected in St-Henri–Ste-Anne

10 p.m.

Conservatives are here to stay, Duhaime says

It appears Conservatives will win no seats tonight. Leader Éric Duhaime lost his own bid to enter the National Assembly.

But Duhaime says he’s proud of the fact that the Conservatives are the only opposition party that gained ground in this election.

Speaking to supporters in Quebec City, he noted that his party garnered about the same number of votes as the Liberals, which could end up with 20 ridings.

Conservatives came second in several ridings in Quebec City and the Beauce region.

Duhaime said his party isn’t going anywhere.

“We came second in several regions, in several ridings, tonight,” he noted. “We have organizations in every riding. We’ll have the same level of funding as the other opposition parties.”

He said the party will use the next few years to rebuild.

Duhaime promised his supporters that he’ll be the leader in the next Quebec election.

Caroline St-Hilaire loses bid to enter National Assembly

Caroline St-Hilaire, the former Longueuil mayor and Bloc Québecois MP, has lost in Sherbrooke where she hoped to unseat Québec Solidaire’s Christine Labrie.

Aislin’s take

Quebec Liberal supporters consoled by likely opposition status

Liberal supporters who gathered at the Corona Theatre Monday night in St-Henri took solace in the fact their party would become the official opposition, even if they were far from coming into power.

Read our full story, by René Bruemmer.

CAQ on track to win at least four seats in Laval in reversal from 2018

François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec is on track to capture at least four of six Laval seats in Monday’s provincial election and complete a stunning reversal from 2018 as the party marches toward a majority government.

Read our full story, by Frédéric Tomesco.

Conservatives are hoping to win at least one seat tonight

Dominique Anglade re-elected in St-Henri–Ste-Anne

La Presse Canadienne is projecting that Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade has been re-elected in St-Henri–Ste-Anne riding.

A look at Francois Legault, the re-elected premier of Quebec

From The Canadian Press:

A former airline executive and Parti Quebecois cabinet minister who came to power promising to move Quebec past the sovereignty debate has won a second term as provincial premier.

Francois Legault and his Coalition Avenir Quebec cruised to a majority government Monday, with the outcome clear less than half an hour after polls closed.

Legault, 65, campaigned on a promise of continuity — casting himself as a defender of the French language, highlighting the province’s strong economic performance in recent years and promising to put money back in Quebecers’ pockets.

His party took power in 2018, becoming the first party other than the PQ or the Quebec Liberals to govern the province in more than 50 years.

Born in the Montreal suburb of Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Legault worked as an accountant before co-founding Air Transat in 1986. He would stay at the company until 1997, entering politics the next year as a member of the sovereigntist Parti Quebecois.

Appointed industry minister by then-premier Lucien Bouchard two months before the 1998 election, Legault would later go on to hold the key education and health portfolios.

He retired from politics in 2009, less than six months after being re-elected, but two years later he was back, heading a party he co-founded, the Coalition Avenir Quebec.

The CAQ sought to bring together former Liberal and PQ supporters with a focus on building the province’s economy and public services — while promising not to hold a referendum on sovereignty.

In a Facebook message to voters on the eve of the vote, Legault talked of his “passion” for Quebec and concern for “the future of our nation, of our language, of our culture and of our shared values.” His party, he said, is the only one that can bring together Quebec nationalists.

“It’s important to have a nationalist government in Quebec City,” he said.

Conservative Leader Eric Duhaime defeated in riding

The Canadian Press is projecting that Conservative Party of Quebec Leader Eric Duhaime has been defeated in the Quebec City-area riding of Chauveau.

Duhaime and his party rose in the polls by harnessing the public’s anger toward COVID-19 restrictions, but it’s unclear whether that anger will translate into seats.

Trudeau congratulates Legault

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has congratulated Premier François Legault on his re-election.

“I look forward to continuing to work with Premier Legault and the government of Quebec to address issues of importance to Quebecers and all Canadians,” Trudeau said in a statement.

“This includes fostering the growth of the green economy, fighting climate change, finding solutions to labour shortages, making life more affordable, helping create new affordable housing, investing in infrastructure, and building a clean and prosperous future.

“Together, we will make Quebec, which we are so proud of, an even better place to live.”

9 p.m.

In early results, St-Pierre Plamondon is trailing in Camille-Laurin riding

Among the leaders, Liberal Dominique Anglade is leading in St-Henri–Ste-Anne and Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, the co-spokesperson of Québec solidaire, is leading in Gouin.

But PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is currently far behind his CAQ opponent in Camille-Laurin riding.

And Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime is trailing behind a CAQ candidate in Chauveau.

Gouin:

Chauveau:

9 p.m.

Background: Here’s how the parties did in 2018

Here are the results of the Oct. 1, 2018 election:

And these were the National Assembly standings when the election was called:

All but three Liberal ridings are on Montreal Island

The Liberals are leading or elected in 19 ridings, all but three of them are on Montreal Island.

The exceptions are two ridings in Laval (Chomedey and Vimont), and one in the Outaouais (Pontiac).

Plante congratulates Legault

Early results show Quebec solidaire tied with Conservatives in fourth place

Some notable races

Here are some notable races:

CAQ supporters are starting their celebration early

François Legault’s CAQ to form another majority government

François Legault is keeping his job.

The Coalition Avenir Québec leader has won a second term.

Early results indicate it could be another crushing victory.

Legault easily won his own riding – L’Assomption.

First results are trickling in

The CAQ is taking a big lead as the first election results start trickling in.

These are ballots cast in advance voting.

The Liberals booked a small room

Blackout in N.D.G. temporarily closes three polling stations: report

Radio-Canada is reporting that a power outage in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce has forced Elections Quebec to suspend voting in three polling stations.

The scene at PQ HQ in Boucherville

CAQ could win even more seats than it did in 2018, projection suggests

There are 125 seats in the National Assembly. To win a majority, a party must win at least 63 of them.

Qc125.com, which uses polling data and previous election results to project seat totals, did one final projection yesterday.

The projection forecasts the percentage vote and total seats for each party:

Here are the results of the Oct. 1, 2018 election — percentage of popular vote and seats won:

The PQ gained the most ground during the campaign, polls suggest

The last Léger poll, published yesterday, suggests François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec ended the campaign firmly in the lead, with about the same level of support that gave it a big majority in 2018.

The rest of the pack is bunched up in second place.

Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s Parti Québecois made the biggest gains during the five-week campaign. The latest poll pegged its support at 15 per cent, a jump of six percentage points compared to the beginning of the campaign.

Go back further and you’ll see that Éric Duhaime’s Conservatives have come the furthest over the past 14 months.

In May 2021, the party was supported by six per cent of respondents. Today, the level is 14 per cent, Léger said.

CAQ hoping for a second act

Some very young Quebecers have voted in this election

7 p.m.

Polls close at 8 p.m.

That means the province will do better than Ontario.

In June, Ontario (the last province to hold a general election), recorded the lowest voter turnout in its history — 43.5 per cent — as incumbent Doug Ford was re-elected premier.

Turnouts in recent Quebec elections:

7 p.m.

Follow our live coverage tonight

Throughout the night, I’ll be live blogging breaking news, results and reactions.

We’ll also have coverage at montrealgazette.com by:

We’ll also have reporters covering various races:

7 p.m.

Election night: What to watch for

Here’s a look at what to watch for tonight.

Coalition Avenir Québec

Despite being on the defensive for much of the campaign, François Legault appears set to win another overwhelming majority, according to polls and projections.

Legault ran a lacklustre campaign marked by controversy and apologies over inflammatory statements about immigration and Indigenous people. In the dying days of the campaign, his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic came under scrutiny.

During the campaign, he promised to send cheques to Quebecers suffering due to inflation, even as the CAQ promised the “biggest tax reduction in the history of Quebec.”

Legault appears to have written off non-francophone voters. He rejected an invitation to an English-language debate (after taking part in one last election) and has turned down some requests for interviews in English.

The CAQ leader went so far as to erase much of the English from the CAQ’s website during the campaign. (Three of the four other parties don’t have a problem with English platforms, the only exception being the Parti Québécois).

Liberals

Dominique Anglade was uninspiring in the early days of the campaign but seemed to come to life as the CAQ repeatedly made provocative statements about immigrants.

Labelling Legault and the CAQ as intolerant, close-minded and arrogant, she presented herself as a kinder, gentler leader – a consensus seeker and unifier.

But the Quebec Liberal Party, which has given province 13 premiers since 1878, is a shadow of its former self.

Anglade faces an uphill battle as polls suggest most francophone voters have abandoned the party, and new federalist parties try to siphon off the non-francophone vote.

If she is re-elected in her own seat (it’s not a given), Anglade will have to rebuild. But it’s a tall order considering she made little headway in the two years she has been the leader.

Québec solidaire

Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois has won points with a disciplined campaign focused heavily on climate change.

Legault apparently sees him as a threat, constantly targetting Nadeau-Dubois and his left-wing party’s plan to increase taxes on SUVs and other gas-guzzling vehicles to try to reduce Quebec’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The two debates were at times a confrontation between leaders from two generations: Legault, the oldest of the leaders at 65, and Nadeau-Dubois, at 32 the youngest.

Voters seem to like what they see – polls indicate Nadeau-Dubois is a top choice as the best potential leader of the official opposition.

He tried to woo anglophones but they may be spooked by QS’s push for sovereignty. If elected, the party wants to spend $500 million to develop a constitution for an independent Quebec, which would then be put to a referendum.

Parti Québécois

Written off as dead when the election was called, the party of René Lévesque shows signs of life thanks to the campaigning of Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.

Polls suggest the party’s fortunes appear to be on the rise.

St-Pierre Plamondon’s calm demeanour and firm grasp of issues seem to have impressed voters. Viewers thought he won the debates, according to polls. The party is also out-performing rivals on the fundraising front.

An unexpected mid-campaign twist boosted the PQ leader’s chances of winning a National Assembly seat. He was in a three-way race in Camille-Laurin, an east-end Montreal riding, until his Québec solidaire opponent dropped out after getting caught removing a PQ flyer from a mailbox.

St-Pierre Plamondon now only faces one main rival – incumbent CAQ MNA Richard Campeau.

Conservatives

Thanks to anger and frustration over pandemic restrictions, Éric Duhaime has managed to revive a moribund party, with some polls placing it in second place.

Promising to slash taxes and the civil service, exploit oil and gas in the province and repeal parts of Bill 96, Duhaime has made waves during the campaign.

But Conservative support is thinly spread across the province and observers say it only has a chance of winning seats in and around Quebec City and in the Beauce.

If one of those seats is his – he’s running in Chauveau – expect fireworks in the National Assembly. A skilled communicator in both French and English, he has a way of getting under Legault’s skin, particularly on the topic of the pandemic.

Canadian Party of Quebec / Bloc Montréal

Both of the new federalist parties were born out of anger over Bill 96, the CAQ language law that further restricts the use of English in Quebec in the name of protecting the French language.

Both the Canadian Party of Quebec and Bloc Montréal also oppose Bill 21, an earlier CAQ law that bans many government employees from wearing religious symbols such as the Muslim hijab.

Both federalist parties have gone after the anglophone and allophone vote that has traditionally gone to the Liberals.

Seen by some as flash-in-the-pan protest parties, both struggled to gain media attention and political traction. But both have vowed to continue to fight for minority rights no matter what happens on Oct. 3.

The Canadian Party of Quebec presented a slate of 20 candidates, with leader Colin Standish running in Westmount–St-Louis riding.

Bloc Montréal put forward 13 candidates, including leader Balarama Holness in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce riding.

7 a.m.

Election night: Some key questions

Still popular after four years in office, François Legault of the Coalition Avenir Québec, appears unstoppable. And he may get a majority that’s even bigger than the one he won in 2018.

But that doesn’t mean it’s all over.

Some key questions that could be answered tonight:

Everything you need to know about the election

As Quebecers get set to vote in the provincial election, we’re diving into some of the hot-button issues, party promises and candidate profiles that will help you make an informed decision.

Read our full story.

Editorial: Why it’s important to vote in the Quebec election

“For English-speaking Quebecers, this has been an unusual election campaign. In past years, the Quebec Liberals were usually the only real choice for our overwhelmingly federalist community. This time, however, there are alternatives to consider and healthy competition for anglophone voters’ support. Suddenly, we’re popular!”

Read our full editorial.

Opinion: It’s Decision Day in Quebec

“The campaign is over, the speeches are done, and the only poll that matters now is the one that will be tabulated tonight, starting at 8 p.m. It’s voters’ turn to choose our government for the next four years. I’d never tell you how to vote, but I am going to tell you to go out and vote.

“It’s your right, after all. Do you really want to take it for granted?”

Read Allison Hanes’ latest column.

Scrutineers, poll workers hired at the last minute, Élections Québec says

Élections Québec was scrambling Sunday to fill dozens of vacancies in two Montreal ridings with large anglophone populations — D’Arcy-McGee and Mont-Royal—Outremont.

Read our full story, by Katherine Wilton.

ariga@postmedia.com

Read my previous live blogs here.

1. 

   Everything you need to know about Quebec's Oct. 3 election

2. 

   Editorial: Why it's important to vote in the Quebec election

3. 

   Allison Hanes: It's Decision Day in Quebec