André Boisclair is taking credit for the federal government's about-face on the outcome of Quebec's election Monday.
The Conservative government would not have said anything had it not been for Parti Québécois leadership on the issue, Boisclair said.
Quebec lieutenant Lawrence Cannon told the House of Commons Thursday the Conservative government will respect voters' wishes, regardless of their choice of government in the next provincial election.Parti Québécois Leader André Boisclair is greeted by supporters in Trois-Rivières Friday.
(Jacques Boissinot/Canadian Press)
His comments were meant to qualify Prime Minister Stephen Harper's contentious promise Wednesday to negotiate limits on federal spending power as long as there's a federalist government in Quebec City.
Boisclair said it was his influence that forced the federal government's hand.
"Finished the blackmail, my friends. We've claimed our first victory," the PQ leader bragged to supporters gathered in an Abitibi church basement Thursday night.
Boisclair is using Ottawa's incursion into the provincial election campaign as an opportunity to claim the title as best defender of Quebec's interests.
His attack on the Conservative government was the most acidic of Quebec's three main leaders, with the Action Démocratique du Québec's Mario Dumont and Liberal Jean Charest politely asking Harper to stay out of the campaign.
Liberals say majority is theirs
All three leaders are on a whirlwind tour of key ridings Friday in the hopes of shoring up last-minute support in areas where close three-way races are expected in Monday's election.
Charest has campaigned in recent days on the firm conviction his Liberals will form a "strong majority government" on Monday, despite a steady stream of polls suggesting the ADQ is still riding a crest of popularity that has steadily built throughout the campaign.Quebec Liberal Leader Jean Charest speaks to supporters on Friday in his home riding of Sherbrooke, Que.
(Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)
The Liberal leader made a slip of the tongue Thursday night while addressing supporters at a rally.
"I know we'll form a mino...ah, majority government," he said, setting off polite laughter in the room.
Charest won't make any bets on the number of seats the Liberals can win — but said he's "very confident" he'll lead the party to a majority victory.
"I'm going to continue to do what we have done from the beginning of the campaign: talk about what our agenda is, and how we intend to govern, and what our priorities are in health care."
A former Liberal cabinet minister who worked for Charest told CBC Charest's predictions are unrealistic.
Marc Bellemare, who served in Charest's cabinet in 2003, said he expects voters to punish the Quebec premier for failing to fulfil his election promises on health care and tax cuts.
"He didn't respect his program. He didn't respect what he promised in 2003."
ADQ says it will quadruple seats
The Liberals said they have an army of volunteers ready to guide voters to the polls on Monday — a strategy the ADQ said will backfire because traditional Liberal supporters are flocking to their fold.
Party leader Dumont said he expects to win more than 15 seats in Monday's vote, after running a campaign he said drew on his experience from the last election.ADQ Leader Mario Dumont talks to reporters in Quebec City.
(Clément Allard/Canadian Press)
This campaign has offered him ups and downs, but overall it was marked by "more up," Dumont told Radio-Canada Thursday night in a one-on-one interview with Bernard Dérome on the flagship news program Téléjournal.
"If I compare it to the whipping we got four years ago, we're in a better zone now," he said, referring to the modest four seats won by the ADQ in 2003 after its campaign soared then sputtered.
He said both federalist and sovereigntist voters are ready for his brand of autonomy, in which Quebec would fight to reopen constitutional negotiations to seek guarantees for greater spending control in certain areas, without asking for separation from Canada's federation.
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| 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.