Quebec party leaders fanned across the province Wednesday night, holding inaugural rallies to officially launch their electoral campaigns.
Liberal Leader Jean Charest kicked off his campaign in his hometown riding of Sherbrooke, where students protesting tuition deregulation tried to block his bus as it pulled into a community hall.
There were empty seats among the 200-odd supporters who showed up for Charest's evening rally, where he tried to distinguish himself as the better man to represent Quebec in federal provincial relations than PQ Leader André Boisclair.
The Parti Québécois leader was greeted by about 300 supporters in a high school gym in his east-end Montreal riding of Pointe-aux-Trembles.
Boisclair, flanked by Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe, talked up sovereignty and attacked Jean Charest in his speech to supporters.
ADQ Leader Mario Dumont launched his campaign in Lévis, near Quebec City on Wednesday night, where he said he wants to make reasonable accommodation of cultural and religious minorities a campaign issue.
Dumont accused the Charest Liberal government of sweeping the issue under the carpet by appointing a commission to study the issue.
Related
| 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.