Jean Charest launched the Quebec election campaign Wednesday by warning the vote on March 26 will be a choice between unity and separation.
Charest said Quebecers were going to be asked to choose between a unified province or instability brought on by separation.
Supporting the Parti Québécois would set back the province economically, he said.
"[André] Boisclair and the PQ have made it their priority to hold a referendum as fast as possible," Charest told reporters at a press conference in the national assembly's foyer. "My priority is health care."
The premier said his government fulfilled the bulk of its promises made in the last election and is ready to carry on in that vein.
In his press conference, PQ leader André Boisclair said Quebecers are unsatisfied with Charest and are looking for hope. His party is offering a "contemporary social democracy to prepare a country that's better educated, more rich, greener, and just."
Sovereignty is key to that vision, Boisclair said, and he's committed to holding a referendum as quickly as possible.
Name-calling starts
Charest said he wants a campaign based on ideas, but also fired back at the PQ leader's pre-election offensive, in which Boisclair called the premier a liar on several occasions last week.
"I think it speaks to two things about André Boisclair: his lack of maturity and judgment, and his lack of substance," Charest said.
Boisclair said he also wants a campaign on issues, and his tone would not be "aggressive, but it will be firm."
The leader of l'Action Démocratique du Québec, Mario Dumont, said his party has finished rebuilding and is ready to campaign without apologies for its right-wing values and visions.
"We've taken positions people understand, responsible positions, and we are able to unite Quebecers," Dumont said at his press conference. Quebecers are eager to judge the Charest government on what he called a series of broken promises and they will look for pragmatic alternatives, the ADQ leader predicted.
Dumont called Boisclair all style and no substance, with a platform resembling an "awkward collage that doesn't replace a coherent vision for Quebec."
Dumont, who has been criticized for recruiting mostly white francophone male candidates, said he's working to bring more women and visible minorities on board.
Newest party offers socialist platform
Québec Solidaire, the province's newest political party, also launched its campaign Wednesday. Spokeswoman Françoise David said she's confident Quebecers will find her party's democratic socialist platform appealing.
"I think [our] votes will come from all parties, more than just the Parti Québécois," she told Radio-Canada.
David said she hopes to recruit voters who may normally be too cynical about politics to cast a ballot.
"We try to tell people who didn't vote last time to vote this time for us."
The Green Party of Quebec is still recruiting candidates but leader Scott MacKay said the Green vote is growing stronger in the province.
"Voting Green is a clear message to Mr. Charest and Mr. Boisclair that we can't stand their misunderstanding anymore, we can't stand their manipulation of words and numbers," he said in a television interview.
The three main parties were on the road Wednesday afternoon, with Charest heading to his hometown riding of Sherbrooke, Boisclair travelling to his Pointe-aux-Trembles riding for a rally, while Dumont will campaign in the Quebec City region for the rest of the day.
Related
Internal Links
Audio
- CBC Radio's Tim Duboyce reports from the Liberal campaign bus (Runs: 1:09)
- Play: Real Media »
- CBC Radio's Steve Rukavina reports from the Parti Québécois bus (Runs: 0:55)
- Play: Real Media »
- CBC Radio's Catou MacKinnon reports from the ADQ campaign bus (Runs: 1:02)
- Play: Real Media »
| Party | Elected | Leading | Total | Vote Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIB | 48 | 0 | 48 | 33.08% |
| ADQ | 41 | 0 | 41 | 30.80% |
| PQ | 36 | 0 | 36 | 28.32% |
| QS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.65% |
| GRN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.89% |
| OTH | 0 | 0 | 0 | .26% |
| Last Update:March 27, 12:52:21 AM EDT | ||||
Quebec Votes 2007 Headlines »
- Que. Liberals take minority win with grain of salt
- Quebec Premier Jean Charest said he'll build bridges with the Parti Québécois and the Action Démocratique du Québec to ensure a stable minority government.
- Dumont will work with Quebec Premier Charest
- Quebec's new Opposition Leader Mario Dumont said he wants stability at the national assembly and pledged to work with the Liberal minority government on a case-by-case basis.
- Boisclair remains at helm after PQ finishes 3rd
- André Boisclair is staying on as leader of the Parti Québécois and vowed to help rebuild the fractured party after it suffered major losses in Monday's provincial election.
- Quebec election result 'good news' for Canada: PM
- Stephen Harper says voters in the Quebec election have used their ballots to reject calls for another referendum in a "great result" for Canada.
- Charest keeps seat as Liberals cling to power in Quebec
- Quebecers are waking up to a minority Liberal government — the first minority in the province in 130 years — and a new official Opposition.