The Parti Québécois (PQ) is heading into the provincial election as the Official Opposition, with 68 of the National Assembly’s 125 seats.
The party briefly held power from 2012 to 2014, but lost to the Liberals when then-leader Pauline Marois called a snap election in the hopes of forming a majority government. Quebecor mogul Pierre-Karl-Péladeau took over the reigns in 2015, but resigned less than a year in, citing family matters.
Current leader Jean-François Lisée was elected to head the party in 2016, coming from behind to win it all.
Lisée, whom pollsters had trailing behind both the Coaltion Avenir Québec and the Liberals leading up to the official election kick-off, said he’s relishing being an underdog and isn’t worried about the polls.
The party also comes into the campaign with strong support from the Quebec labour movement, with union leaders having launched attack ads against the CAQ and Liberals, arguing the parties are anti-worker.
Slogan
The PQ opted for a one-word slogan this election campaign.
It is ”Sérieusement” or “Seriously.” Despite launching a series of pre-election ads poking fun at itself, the party is urging voters to take the PQ seriously.
WATCH: Parti Québécois unveils campaign bus, asks voters to take them ‘seriously’
Party leader
Jean-François Lisée, who has been the party leader since Oct. 7, 2016, is hoping to bring the PQ back to the helm of the province.
The Thetford Mines native was born on Feb. 13, 1958.
Lisée obtained his law degree in Montreal in the late 1970s, before pursuing journalism in Paris.
He subsequently worked as a journalist and international correspondent and authoured several books with a political slant.
In 1994, he became a political advisor to then-premier Jacques Parizeau, and later to Lucien Bouchard, both prominent sovereigntists.
He was first elected to office in 2012 as the MNA for Rosemont and served as minister of international relations and the minister responsible for the Montreal region within Pauline Marois’ government.
The father of five was re-elected in Rosemont in 2014.
In an American-style move, Lisée picked Véronique Hivon as his running mate, appointing her vice-chief of the party in January 2018.