Quebec General Election 2012 (4th September)

[lilTommy]

Quebec City was also the federal Tories' mini-fortress until Orange Crush. A relatively small city, wealthy and fiscally conservative. Somewhat snobbish too. They see themselves as aristocrats to Montreal's bourgeoisie.

really? well i suppose outside the core (like most cities) the Core looks to have been held by the Bloc, then provincially the PQ... has to have some left-working class... unless they go PQ because of the sovereignty issue?
QC isn't that small, its what 800-900K about the size of Winnipeg and Ottawa (excluding Hull-Gatineau) but compared to MTL i see your point.
interesting to see though, most capitals tend to be more left... even when there not the largest cities (Victoria, Edmonton) but won't pay to generalize i suppose

[DL]

PLQ/CAQ battle around Quebec City.

http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/actualites/politique/201207/30/01-4560814-lutte-electorale-plq-caq-a-quebec.php

Why is the QC area so rather right-wing? 07 a large number of seats went ADQ, now its CAQ who is gaining traction? most prov. capitals tend to have a centre-left tilt to them. Interesting, anyone know?

That is usually the case - since rightwing parties tend to go to war against public sector unions and civil servants - who in turn tend to be a large part of the population of capital cities. However, Quebec city is an odd exception. Ottawa is a also a bit of an exception - once you get past the NDP fortress of Ottawa Centre and the Liberals fortresses of Ottawa-vanier and Ottawa South - all the other ridings in Ottawa and its 'burbs are very conservative.

[Poirot]

A radio station in Quebec City is backing an independent candidate to represent the silent majority, people who wake up early and work hard. They chose the riding of Vanier and let people chose the candidate among people interested in running. A former ADQ MNA was chosen.

 

[lilTommy]

So not really an independent candidate then eh?

So i figured this would happen: Francoise David to represent QS in the debates, smart move and i called it

http://tvanouvelles.ca/lcn/infos/national/archives/2012/07/20120731-205902.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[RogueBeaver]

The dissolution announcement will be in 30-odd minutes.

[MaxQue]

So not really an independent candidate then eh?

So i figured this would happen: Francoise David to represent QS in the debates, smart move and i called it

http://tvanouvelles.ca/lcn/infos/national/archives/2012/07/20120731-205902.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Strange. To the last news, TVA wanted 3 debates, with Libs, PQ and CAQ only.
The other channels aren't agreeing, through.

[RogueBeaver]

Charest is speaking with Duschene right now.

[RogueBeaver]

The Assemblée has been dissolved. Campaign has STARTED.

[RogueBeaver]

Charest appealing to the silent majority.

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/elections-quebec-2012/201208/01/01-4561398-a-la-majorite-silencieuse-de-trancher-dit-charest.php

Marois: More debates the better. Also LOL @ Legault of all people proposing town halls.

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/elections-quebec-2012/201208/01/01-4561440-marois-pour-de-nombreux-debats-televises-mais-contre-les-forums-de-legault.php?

Both Legault and Marois want corruption to be the issue.

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/elections-quebec-2012/201208/01/01-4561424-legault-veut-dabord-sattaquer-a-la-corruption.php

http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/elections-2012/355815/marois-n-attend-pas-l-annonce-officielle-pour-lancer-sa-campagne

Khadir will have tough competition in Mercier, so Marois is the only leader who won't have to watch their own seat.

http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/elections-2012/355801/jean-poirier-tentera-de-deloger-khadir


Charest said the media consortium has proposed 4 (!) debates but while he and Marois have accepted Legault hasn't yet. Unsurprising because Legault's a crap communicator.

My favourite part of Charest's press conference this morning was when a Le Devoir reporter asked him about the Liberal depiction of Marois as "haute bourgeoise." (Or as I like to call her, La Reine d'Ile Bizard) Charest pwned him for putting words in his mouth.

[You kip if you want to...]

If I was Quebecois, i'd vomit in the voting booth if my real choice was between QLP, PQ and the CAQ. Horrible party system, horrible.

(Of course, i'd hold my breath and vote QLP out of sheer hatred of separatist movements in places like Quebec.)

[Hash]

If I was Quebecois, i'd vomit in the voting booth if my real choice was between QLP, PQ and the CAQ. Horrible party system, horrible.

(Of course, i'd hold my breath and vote QLP out of sheer hatred of separatist movements in places like Quebec.)

That's no reason to vote for the PLQ, which is an extremely corrupt outfit in cahoots with the worst personalities of Quebec's mafia of sorts, and whose tenure has oscillated between sheer incompetence, disgusting opportunistic posturing, lies and recently a total disregard for fundamental civil liberties. I fail to see one really positive thing which has come out of 9 years of Liberal governance.

I have little respect for anybody who can still vote for the PLQ after all this, regardless of Marois being an incompetent doofus and Legault being a moron. It's not like I disagree with your assessment of the choices, I certainly wouldn't be enthused about voting for any of the three parties (but I'd hold my nose and vote PQ, as the least-worst, despite being a federalist) but there's no excuse to support the PLQ, especially if you're left-of-centre. And, no, your weird and bizarre rabid hatred of "separatism" isn't even a remotely good excuse.

[RogueBeaver]

I mostly agree with Hash except for me the PLQ is the least worst option. And I'm on record here as having zero time for the PQ-as-Satan crap despite being a staunch federalist. There will be no referendum, no CLF extension in CEGEPs or anything like that. The reason Marois occasionally throws red meat to her base on language is because she is NOT an orthodoxe. Her record is that of an administrator (having served in every major Cabinet slot except Justice), not a rabble-rouser. Just like the other 2.

[RogueBeaver]

Dion and Trudeau are willing to help their MLAs if asked, but those seats are safely Liberal so they probably won't be needed.

http://o.canada.com/2012/08/01/stephen-harpers-tories-to-steer-clear-of-quebec-election/

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/justin-trudeau-among-few-federal-politicians-weighing-into-quebec-election-164500036.html

[MaxQue]

It's not like I disagree with your assessment of the choices, I certainly wouldn't be enthused about voting for any of the three parties (but I'd hold my nose and vote PQ, as the least-worst, despite being a federalist)

That's exactly my position.

[Poirot]

We will get one than more debate this time. One with 4 leaders (the fourth is QS Françoise David) on August 19th on Radio-Canada and Télé-Québec.

TVA is doing a new debate format. One on one on three consecutive nights. On the 20th Marois-Charest, 21th Legault-Charest, 22th Legault-Marois.

The first Léger marketing poll of the campaign (done pre-campaign) shows a tight two-way race. 33% PQ, 31% PLQ, 21% CAQ, 7% QS.
PLQ is leading in Quebec City area with 37 % to 26 for CAQ. 44% of people in that region also believe the Liberals will form next government. Results to all the questions can be found at their webpage.

http://www.legermarketing.com/admin/upload/publi_pdf/ElectionQuebec2012_sondage%20QMI%201_final.pdf

 

[Zioneer]

Hey, can I have a quick overview of Quebec politics, and this year's election more specifically? I'm apparently distantly French-Canadian (from at least slightly before the Lower Canada Rebellion), so I'd like to know more about it.

[Hash]

Hey, can I have a quick overview of Quebec politics, and this year's election more specifically? I'm apparently distantly French-Canadian (from at least slightly before the Lower Canada Rebellion), so I'd like to know more about it.

My blog will eventually (before September 4) have a full preview/profile post with each party explained and stuff on the political culture, if you - and others - can wait a few weeks for a complete answer.

[lilTommy]

The political situation in Quebec being what it is, is why i didn't move there after High school (grew up a meer 20-30minustes from the Quebec border). With a choice between PLQ (corrupt, right-wing uses federalism as a wedge) PQ (the ravenous french above all else, seperatist thing) i'd vote more for the PQ. They are social democrats (or at least much more progressive then the PLQ), now they ain't what they used to be, and i'd have voted Levesque and 76 PQ in a heart beat... BUT the choices ain't that limited anymore... so as y'all know i'd go QS (soft, very soft sovereigntist; socialist)... There is also UCQ (Union Citoyenne du Quebec, basically a Social Democratic federalist newish party)... CAQ is a joke so far, its trying to be a less-corrupt PLQ without the federalist podium

[MaxQue]

CAQ promised to delete all waiting in hospitals in two years, without giving any details.
They really think people will be that dumb to believe that?

[RogueBeaver]

He wants corruption to be the issue.

http://www.radio-canada.ca/sujet/elections-quebec-2012/2012/08/02/004-legault-integrite-cohen.shtml

13 ridings to watch.

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/elections-quebec-2012/201208/02/01-4561564-les-13-circonscriptions-qui-feront-les-elections.php

Lisee is running in Rosemont.

http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/elections-2012/355895/lisee-confirme-qu-il-sera-candidat-dans-rosemont

Marois won't commit one way or the other on daycare fees.

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/elections-quebec-2012/201208/02/01-4561813-marois-refuse-de-sengager-a-geler-les-garderies-a-7.php

CLASSE: No truce. If there's any violence during the campaign that helps Charest, so wonder what they'll do.

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/elections-quebec-2012/201208/02/01-4561703-treve-electorale-la-classe-rejette-lappel-de-bureau-blouin.php

[Poirot]

Hey, can I have a quick overview of Quebec politics, and this year's election more specifically?

The Quebec Liberal party has been in power since 2003. For the last year or two, polls show two thirds of the population not satisfied with the government. There has been ethic issues. Jean Charest is a good campaigner.

So there is a desire for change. The opposition's PQ leader Pauline Marois has not been able to capitalize on this. She probably doesn't connect much with voters and has had to fight party infighting.

The Coalition Avenir Québec is a new party started by a former PQ minister. He pledged no   referendum on independence for 10 years. The third party was the ADQ, a centre right party, and it merged with the CAQ. A few (I think it's three) sitting MNA's also joined CAQ. They represent change more.

The has been a student strike because of tutiton fees hike since last Spring and street protests against the law. The Liberals want to make the ballot issue about the student conflict rather than their record.

There is no great love for any of the three main leaders right now. It's who you dislike the least or who you don't want to win. There are also smaller parties.

[Hatman 🍁]

First Quebec prediction: http://canadianelectionatlas.blogspot.ca/2012/08/quebec-2012-election-prediction-map.html (Warning: based solely on regional uniform swings!)  I will skew the numbers over time to reflect the real goings-on.

[RogueBeaver]

Comedy gold: Duceppe accuses Khadir of not being a real separatist because he voted NDP federally.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1237078--quebec-election-2012-duceppe-lashes-out-at-quebec-solidaire-leader

[You kip if you want to...]

Comedy gold: Duceppe accuses Khadir of not being a real separatist because he voted NDP federally.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1237078--quebec-election-2012-duceppe-lashes-out-at-quebec-solidaire-leader

Former leader, current nobody Duceppe's opinion matters?

[RogueBeaver]

Duceppe can still make news when he wants to despite his involuntary retirement. And yes he still has a (diminished) goodwill reservoir within the movement.