Portneuf - Jacques-Cartier

This riding spreads north and west of Quebec City with the St. Lawrence River as its southern boundary. It contains the regional county municipalities of Portneuf and La Jacques-Cartier as well as the former municipality of St-Augustin-de-Desmaures. The Val Cartier military base is in the riding.

Manufacturing is the main industry in the riding, followed by government services and retail trade. The average family income is $77,281 and unemployment is 4.5 per cent.

Over 96 per cent of residents claimed French as their mother tongue in the 2006 census, while just under two per cent cited English. The total immigrant population is under two per cent.

In the redistribution of 2004, 77 per cent of the riding was retained and 16 per cent of Charlesbourg-Jacques-Cartier added in the north. The riding was established in 1867. The 1996 redistribution kept 96 per cent of the riding.

Population: 93,526 (2006 census; an increase of 7.3% since 2001)

Political History

Independent Andre Arthur roared ahead of all the major parties in 2006, taking almost 40 per cent of the vote and capturing the riding. Arthur, a former radio host known as "King Arthur," ran an unsuccessful campaign in the Louis-Hébert riding in 1994.

Liberal incumbent Claude Duplain lost in 2004 to Bloc Québécois candidate Guy Côté by 6,608 votes. In 2000, Duplain was elected with 2,433 more votes than the BQ's Patrice Dallaire.

Liberal Pierre Bussières was elected in 1974 and ran in Charlesbourg in 1979. Liberal Rolland Dion won in 1979 and 1980, but was defeated in 1984. Progressive Conservative Marc Ferland won in 1984 and 1988. In 1993 and 1997, Pierre de Savoye won for the BQ.

• 1872, 1874 - LIB
• 1878 - LIB
• 1882-1957 inclusive - LIB
• 1958 - PC
• 1962-72 inclusive - SC/R des C
• 1974, 1979, 1980 - LIB
• 1984, 1988 - PC
• 1993, 1997 - BQ
• 2000 - LIB
• 2004 - BQ
• 2006 - IND