If Action Démocratique du Québec Leader Mario Dumont was the star in this provincial election campaign, his stage was the greater Quebec City region, where he found fertile ground for his right-wing policies.
It was in that region that the ADQ's fortunes were to be made, and results on Monday night prove the groundswell of support for the right-wing party was rooted in more than just passing complaints among voters.
At the outset of the campaign, the ADQ had just one seat in the Quebec City region, with the other 11 divided among the Parti Québécois and the Liberals.
On Monday night, the ADQ clinched eight of the 12 seats in the area, elbowing aside incumbent Liberal ministers and sitting PQ MNAs.
In the Charlesbourg riding, Catherine Morissette was declared the winner Monday, taking 46.4 per cent of the vote.
She defeated incumbent Liberal MNA Eric Mercier, who came third with 24 per cent of the vote. PQ candidate Richard Marceau, who left the Bloc Québécois to run in this election, came second with 24.6 per cent of the vote.
In Chute-de-la-Chaudières, ADQ's Marc Picard swept with 59.2 per cent of the popular vote, while the PQ's Yvan Loubier and Liberal France Proulx divided the remains, taking 18.4 and 17.3 per cent, respectively.
In Vanier, ADQ candidate Sylvain Légaré clinched more than half of the popular vote, grabbing 52.4 per cent, against Liberal Jean-Claude L'Abbée, who earned 22.8 per cent, and the PQ's Sylvain Lévesque, who garnered 19.1 per cent.
In Charlevoix, PQ candidate Bertrand Rosaire was declared the winner with 37.4 per cent of the popular vote, edging past the ADQ's Harvey Conrad, who earned 31.7 per cent of the vote.
In Chauveau, ADQ star candidate Gilles Taillon cruised to a comfortable victory, winning 56.3 per cent of the popular vote, well ahead of Liberal candidate Sarah Perreault, who earned 21.5 per cent.
Liberal cabinet ministers ousted
In Louis-Hébert, Liberal incumbent Sam Hamad squeaked by the ADQ's Jean Nobert, while in La Peltrie, ADQ candidate Éric Caire defeated Liberal France Hamel with more than 50 per cent of the popular vote. In Montmorency, the ADQ's Hubert Benoît clinched more than half of the popular vote, well ahead of Liberal Raymond Bernier.
Liberal Philippe Couillard, the outgoing health minister, bucked the ADQ wave, winning the Jean-Talon riding with 37 per cent of the popular vote, ahead of the PQ's Véronique Hivon, with 32.3 per cent.
Other Liberal cabinet ministers didn't fare so well. In Jean-Lesage, former transport minister Michel Després was ousted by the ADQ's Jean-Francois Gosselin, while Family Minister Carole Théberge came third in Lévis, trailing behind the PQ's Linda Goupil and ADQ winner Christian Lévesque.
In Taschereau, PQ incumbent Agnès Maltais managed to hold on to her seat, defeating ADQ candidate Caroline Pageau.
Along with its gains in the Chaudière-Appalaches region, east of Quebec City, the ADQ's performance in Quebec City means Dumont's political movement now enjoys formal recognition as a political party in the national assembly, which grants them the right to speak in session and a research budget.
| 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.