Quebec’s main political leaders are ruling out alliances with their rivals even as new polls point to the possibility of a minority government with just two weeks remaining in the provincial election campaign.
Fresh surveys released Monday put the Parti Québécois in first place at 29 per cent support, followed by the Coalition Avenir Québec at 22 per cent, the Liberals at 19 per cent and the Conservatives at 18 per cent. Poll aggregator Qc125 suggests a minority government remains the most likely outcome heading into the final stretch of the campaign.
Despite the prospect of a legislature in which no party wins a majority, party leaders said they remain focused on forming government on their own.
“We’re aiming for a majority government and we think we have the support on the ground right now,” PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon told reporters Monday.
Asked whether he would consider working with other parties after the election, St-Pierre Plamondon dismissed the idea. “Allying with anyone else is absolutely out of the question,” he said.
The PQ continues to lead voting intentions, though St-Pierre Plamondon said his party would not alter its campaign approach. “You just have to be consistent, to be yourself and you have to trust the good judgment of the population,” he said.
As the campaign entered Day 26, opponents continued trying to link the PQ and Éric Duhaime’s Conservatives, particularly on economic issues. CAQ Leader Christine Fréchette accused both parties of proposing deep reductions to government spending that would affect public services.
“What I can see from the Parti Québécois and the Conservative Party is that they will cut services tremendously in a very short time period,” she said. Fréchette later described St-Pierre Plamondon as the leader of a “Quebec Conservative Parti Québécois,” arguing that cuts to public services have become a common theme for both parties.
Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal agreed with that criticism, saying she sees growing ideological compatibility between the PQ and Conservatives.
St-Pierre Plamondon rejected those characterizations, accusing his opponents of trying to distract from a lack of policy ideas. “What worries me is that parties are already into negative campaigns, when we’re two weeks from the vote,” he said.
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The Conservatives, meanwhile, have overtaken Québec solidaire in some polling and are campaigning on promises to cut taxes and reduce government spending by $47 billion.
Liberal Leader Charles Milliard dismissed the Conservatives’ fiscal plan as unrealistic. “It’s totally impossible to lay off that many public servants without having an impact on services,” he said.
Fréchette also attacked the Conservative economic platform, criticizing proposals to eliminate certain forms of financial support for businesses. “They want to abolish the help that is offered to businesses. I mean, what a response,” she said.
Duhaime, whose party continues to poll strongly in the Quebec City region, argued younger voters are increasingly receptive to his message. “For too long Quebec politicians have been buying the upcoming election by indebting the next generation,” he said.
Unlike his rivals, Duhaime signalled some openness to co-operating with other parties in the event of a minority government, though he ruled out a formal coalition. “We want to collaborate with all the other parties who want to have conservative policies,” he said, noting that several parties have adopted proposals initially championed by the Conservatives.
He said Quebecers expect elected representatives to work together when no party has a majority. “Quebecers don’t send a government to be dysfunctional. They send them there so there’s collaboration.”
Fréchette said she is not considering potential alliances, insisting her campaign remains focused on voters’ priorities. “What matters to me is to be on track with Quebecers’ priorities,” she said. Later, she clarified that she does not foresee an alliance with the Liberals or any other party.
Milliard was similarly dismissive of post-election scenarios, saying his goal remains to win government. “I’m in this campaign to win the election,” he said.
On the campaign trail Monday, the PQ pledged improvements to public transit in Montreal’s east end, while the CAQ promoted plans to transform Quebec’s economy in response to the trade war. Québec solidaire promised to create 50,000 social housing units.
Both St-Pierre Plamondon and Ghazal also visited a housing project designed to support young people leaving Quebec’s youth protection system. Milliard and Fréchette made stops highlighting their economic platforms, while Duhaime campaigned in Montreal ahead of Wednesday’s third and final leaders’ debate.
With election day set for Oct. 5 and the PQ maintaining its lead in the polls, attention is increasingly turning to whether any party can secure a majority mandate or whether Quebec voters will deliver a minority legislature that forces political rivals to find common ground after the campaign ends.
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