Minority government

[mousme]

So the Liberals squeaked by, Charest squeaking the loudest of all.

Looks like the ADQ is the official opposition.

The PQ hasn't had numbers this low since 1989, which is saying something.

The Greens got significant numbers of votes in many of their ridings, as did Québec Solidaire (with Françoise David scoring an impressive 25% in her riding, although it wasn't enough to see her into a seat).

However, Québec has without a doubt swung massively to the right in the last ten years. Fiscally, that doesn't worry me all that much. While I'm not a fan of conservative economics, I know that that sort of system can (sort of) work. What worries me more is, well, the ADQ. The most polite term I've seen for them is "right-wing nationalists," which by itself says a lot.

Ironically, Hérouxville is what gave the ADQ their first and significant boost during this election. The ADQ's support has always come primarily from rural Québec, because neither of the other two parties has any notion how to address the concerns of rural Québec in a meaningful way. Now they've paid for it and the ADQ has stepped in to fill that void. While the PQ and the PLQ were laughing and dismissing Hérouxville, the ADQ stepped up to the plate as their defenders and saviours, lamenting the other parties' lack of sensitivity and understanding. Charest is universally despised in the countryside, and Boisclair was ridiculed as a cocaine-addicted faggot ("pédale" in French) who represented uniquely urban concerns.

You know what? They're half-right. Boisclair was a lousy choice from the start, and I think everyone knew it.

What likely tipped the balance, apart from that, was the sheer number of protest votes against the two established parties. I would very much like to believe that most Quebeckers aren't ethnocentric nationalists, but that they were simply trying to send a message that they no longer are satisfied with the status quo. Sadly, their message is being delivered by some pretty unsavoury types. I really don't want them in any kind of position of power.

There was no good outcome to this election. That's the sad part. No matter who got into power, I would have been disappointed.

Now we have a minority government. I give it six months, tops.

Comments

[sorceror.livejournal.com]

Well, I find it hard to see how the ADQ could be worse than the PQ in that respect. I haven't heard Mario Dumont talk about 'the white race of Quebec' or curse 'money and the ethnic vote' or refer to 'slanted eyes' recently. And at least he did actually dismiss two of his candidates and upbraid a third for such asinine remarks, whereas the PQ ran a bona fide denier of the Rwandan genocide.

I'm hoping the results really do indicate a sea-change in Quebec politics, but there is unfortunately a lot of traction to the idea that the regions were just rejecting the tapette druggy Boisclair in favour of a nice young xenophobic pure-laine fellow with a young family.

Well, at least Pauline Marois should be happy with the results. I think I can hear her sharpening her knife...

[thothmeister.livejournal.com]

I'm happy we won't have another refer-rear-endum soon... but I suspect the populace will soon learn how the ADQ isn't competent either. Mind you to quote the Simon and Garfunkle song: "Any way you look at it, you lose."

[swestrup]

I voted for the Green party as a protest vote, although I know all I did was give them another $.50 per year to campaign with. My riding has been overwhelmingly liberal since time immemorial.

Had I thought that the Greens (or anyone other than the liberals) had a snowballs chance in hell in my riding, I would have had to spend far more time considering the options and the party platforms than I did.

Now I should go and try to find a breakdown by riding of how the voting went.

[sorceror.livejournal.com]

Well. No sooner do I post my earlier comment than fearsclave posts a link to this example of an Adequiste.

Still, it's no worse than similar elements of the PQ.

[toughlovemuse.livejournal.com]

I could be wrong on this, but I'm pretty sure they don't actually get $.50 from the province for the elections. That's strictly for federal elections.

That said, if the Green vote goes up, the more "mainstream" parties do start to take a closer look at why people are voting for them -- they have some really interesting policies that might get adopted, even if the Green party never forms a government.

[karine.livejournal.com]

Where is it stated that the guy was an Adéquiste? Also, the guy was a moron, and there are morons like him of every political affiliation.

If he had any inclination to actually get involved in politics, however... he'd be shot down at first occasion.

[sorceror.livejournal.com]

Hey, you're right. It was actually fearsclave who said it was an Adequiste (I stole the link from him, you see). It's only sort of implied at the end of penelope_j_'s entry, and in the comments.

And yes, I agree that the rantings of one insane volunteer should not be misconstrued as typical of all the party's members. It's a shame people didn't seem to recognize this when it came to the Reform party, since they've been proven completely right on so many issues. But it just takes a few crackpots to make people worry...

[ai731.livejournal.com]

Yup, exactly. This is why I was very pleased to see that the Green Party candidate ended up with a little over 7% of the popular vote in my riding.

[swestrup]

According to my Green Party candidate, Quebec gives money as well.

[toughlovemuse.livejournal.com]

I stand corrected.

The Nightmare will last at least a year...

[blackbuffet.livejournal.com]

It will be most difficult to predict how long it will last, but I suspect that if Jean Charest wants to keep his job very long and André Boisclair somehow retains his own, they are going to become friends long enough to keep the nightmare awake in Québec for at least a year. Let's face it... the ADQ whopped the PQ's Ass and until they have time to lick their wounds and heal the sores, let's add salt into their wounds: "Jean Charest is the PQ's best firend."

In my own riding, Crémazie, it was a see-saw battle all night long and the Liberals lost. The PQ rode them out... but they have stolen Laurier-Dorion so they ended up evening out on the Montreal Island. It's pretty ironic that our Prime Minister has not made much progress in the last four years and he is now going to have to count on his worst critic if he wants to last four more. Which he won't... Strange Bedfellows, if you ask me.

But, knowing Quebec politics... it will stagnate for a while. A LONG WHILE. He can hold for 18 months. After that, we could be looking at an even more radical mood swing if Mario Dumont doesn't make too many mistakes: the next Majority government of Quebec could be ADQ.

DON'T YOU DARE LAUGH. I AM DEAD SERIOUS. IT COULD HAPPEN.