(02/22/10) -

Bouchard Could Alter Status Quo in Quebec

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Former premier Lucien Bouchard is currently in a good position to launch a political comeback in the Canadian province of Quebec, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion published in La Presse. 31 per cent of respondents would vote for a new provincial political party led by Bouchard.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Former premier Lucien Bouchard is currently in a good position to launch a political comeback in the Canadian province of Quebec, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion published in La Presse. 31 per cent of respondents would vote for a new provincial political party led by Bouchard.

The governing Liberal Party of Quebec is second with 28 per cent, followed by the sovereignist Parti Québécois (PQ) with 24 per cent, the conservative Action démocratique du Québec (ADQ) with seven per cent, and Québec solidaire with five per cent.

Quebec voters renewed their National Assembly in December 2008. Final results gave the governing Liberals 66 seats, followed by the PQ with 51 mandates, and the conservative ADQ with seven seats. Liberal leader Jean Charest kept his post as premier, overseeing a majority government.

Bouchard was elected to Canada’s House of Commons as a Progressive Conservative in 1988. In 1990, following disagreements with the government over the Meech Lake Accord, Bouchard left the party and formed the federal Bloc Québécois. In 1996, Bouchard became leader of the provincial PQ, and went on to serve as premier until his retirement from politics in March 2001.

Earlier this month, Bouchard criticized the PQ, declaring, "I don’t like what I’m hearing from the Parti Québécois. There is a cultural majority in Quebec and that is us. But there are other people around us, about 10 or 11 per cent that have different religions and we need to make the necessary accommodations when it is needed."

Bouchard also discussed his views on sovereignty, saying, "I don’t know what will happen 50 years from now. But I do know that [PQ leader] Pauline Marois is not announcing a referendum, because it’s not possible to hold one. (…) There’s no referendum in sight and I don’t want to suffer another defeat. In the meantime, we have a lot to do."

The Canadian province has held two plebiscites on sovereignty. In May 1980, a motion to provide Quebec with "the exclusive power to make its laws, levy its taxes and establish relations abroad" and "maintain with Canada an economic association including a common currency" was rejected by 59.56 per cent of all voters.

In October 1995, a new referendum on whether Quebec should "become sovereign after having made a formal offer to Canada for a new economic and political partnership" was narrowly defeated by a 50.58 per cent to 49.42 per cent margin.

Polling Data

If Lucien Bouchard, former Premier of Quebec, were to become the head of a new political party in Quebec, which one of the following parties would you most likely to support in your constituency if an election was held tomorrow?

Complete Poll (PDF)