CHAREST SWEEPS QUEBEC Introduction
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CHAREST SWEEPS QUEBEC YV Introduction On April 14, 2003, Jean Charest took to 1998. At that time, the electorate saw Focus the podium to address the Liberal him as a lost man on the Quebec politi- This News in Re- faithful gathered in Sherbrooke as well cal landscape. He didn’t seem to really view feature fo- cuses on the Que- as television viewers across Quebec. understand the main issues affecting bec election of The results were in and his party had Quebecers. Charest was not going to 2003. From the won 76 of 125 seats in the Quebec make the same mistake twice. He outset it looked National Assembly. Premier-elect introduced a clear platform focusing like another victory Charest declared, “It’s not only Quebec primarily on health care, education, and for the ruling Parti that is starting to change tonight, it is tax cuts. Meanwhile, Mario Dumont Québécois. How- ever, over the Canada” (Source: montreal.cbc.ca). announced that his l’Action course of the Although it had seemed unlikely just démocratique du Québec (ADQ) was campaign, Jean weeks earlier, the people of Quebec had the only choice if the voters wanted Charest’s Liberals elected the federalist Liberal Party to a change. At his initial news conference fed on Quebecers’ majority government. Charest told Dumont suggested that Quebecers thirst for change and came out cheering Liberals on election night, wanted to see some fresh faces in victorious on “Quebecers have given us their confi- government. The ADQ introduced an election day. This dence . we will live up to it.” ambitious right-wing platform. It in- story takes a look It began as a campaign that many felt cluded school vouchers for parents at the major events would go unnoticed. Premier Bernard seeking education alternatives for their during the election, the final results, Landry called the election on March 12, children and private health-care user- and what lies the day after introducing a budget fees for people seeking to fast-track ahead in Quebec calling for a dramatic increase in gov- non-essential medical procedures. politics. ernment spending. Within a week, the Despite Dumont’s best efforts, it soon United States and Britain had invaded became clear that the election battle Iraq, and the news was dominated by would be waged between the Liberals YV Sections the war. The usual election hot topics of and the PQ. Dumont’s ADQ was forced marked with this Quebec sovereignty and language were to backtrack on several issues, includ- symbol indicate content suitable for off the political radar. It almost looked ing a proposed flat tax rate. By mid- younger viewers. like the election was going to amount to campaign, most voters were either a non-event. undecided or had shifted their attention However, all three parties rushed to to the Liberals and the PQ. present their platforms to the electorate. The turning point in the election came The Parti Québécois (PQ) presented from some shrewd political itself as the party of good government. manoeuvring by Charest and the Liber- PQ leader Bernard Landry claimed that als. First, while the ADQ stumbled, his party would run on its record of Charest was able to impress upon stable and effective governance. He Quebecers that the Liberals were the cited the state of the economy and only party representing change; effec- popular social initiatives like the $5-a- tively stealing Dumont’s original elec- day fee for daycare as examples of the tion message. Second, Charest per- PQ’s political vision. The Liberals formed extremely well at the leaders’ entered the race with a renewed sense debate on March 31. Early in the de- of purpose. Jean Charest was fresh out bate, Charest defused his opponent’s of federal politics when he first ran in attacks on the issue of municipal merg- CBC News in Review • May 2003 • Page 31 ers by spelling out how his government rest of the campaign. Charest had Definition would deal with restoring more local- effectively staged a political coup. He Sovereignty is a ized government to municipalities. stole the “party of change” message loaded term in Quebec politics. Later, he went on the offensive. Charest from Dumont and the ADQ, while According to the confronted Landry with evidence that putting Landry and the PQ on the Canadian Oxford Jacques Parizeau, Landry’s predecessor defensive regarding sovereignty. It was Paperback Diction- as premier, had opened some old a political one-two punch from which ary, it refers to “the wounds in a PQ campaign speech in neither party recovered. absolute and Shawinigan the previous evening. The Liberal campaign steadily in- independent authority of a According to Charest, Parizeau repeated creased in momentum after the leaders’ community, na- his infamous claim that the “yes” side debate. Knowing that the electorate was tion.” In Quebec had lost the 1995 sovereignty referen- looking for change and that they didn’t those in favour of dum because of “money and the ethnic want another referendum on sover- independence are vote.” Suddenly, the sovereignty issue eignty, Charest was able to comfortably usually called separatists or that the PQ had been keeping in the ride a growing wave of support right up sovereignists. Those background was thrust to the forefront. to election night. He had become the in favour of staying Landry appeared evasive on the issue voice of change for Quebecers and, on in Canada are during the debate and in the weeks that April 14, he led his party to a decisive usually termed followed, while Charest appeared victory by winning a convincing major- federalists. strong, confident, and focused for the ity in the National Assembly. To Consider Did you know . 1. Why did the Quebec provincial election go largely unnoticed in the Quebec is the only early weeks of the campaign? province to name its provincial legis- lature the National Assembly? What is the significance of this term? 2. What were the main ideas presented by each party at the start of the election campaign? ADQ: _____________________________________________________________ Liberals: __________________________________________________________ PQ: ______________________________________________________________ 3. What political moves did Charest make that led to a Liberal victory on April 14, 2003? 4. What do you think Liberal victory means for the rest of Canada? CBC News in Review • May 2003 • Page 32 CHAREST SWEEPS QUEBEC YV Video Review 1. Describe the feelings of the leaders on election night. What did the Review the video images of Charest, Landry, and Dumont say to you? with this sheet in front of you and answer the ques- tions on this page. “This is the cherry 2. a) What was the single most important event in the election campaign? on the sundae. A real cherry.” — Jean Chrétien (Toronto Star, April b) What impact did Charest’s performance in the debate have on the 16, 2003) election results? Did you know. Prior to Charest’s recent victory only 3. How did Prime Minister Chrétien feel about Charest’s victory? one other political leader, Robert Bourassa, had ever beaten the PQ? 4. Name three events that contributed to Jean Charest’s rise to leadership in politics. i) ________________________________________________________________ ii) ________________________________________________________________ iii) _______________________________________________________________ 5. What must Charest do to prove to Quebecers that he will fight for their interests? 6. Why is it likely that the issue of Quebec sovereignty will not go away? CBC News in Review • May 2003 • Page 33 CHAREST SWEEPS QUEBEC The Parties, the Leaders, the Issues The Parties in addition to winning four by-elec- Further Research From the outset, political experts were tions, provided the electorate with their To stay current on policy vision. The young and charis- politics in Quebec, calling the Quebec election a three- consider visiting horse race. The governing party, led by matic “Super Mario” Dumont had the official Web Bernard Landry, was the Parti hoped to build on his five seats in the sites of the ADQ Québécois. In power since 1994, the PQ National Assembly by giving Quebec- (www.adq.qc.ca), were hoping to be the first Quebec party ers a viable alternative to the PQ and Liberals since 1952 to win three straight man- the Liberals. The threat posed by (www.plp.org) and Dumont was evident the day Landry PQ (www.pq.org). dates. They hoped to improve their chances at victory with a pre-election called the election. The Premier said budget that included $1.7-billion dollars that the ADQ was the party of change Did you know . in new spending for health care. The because they “change their minds twice Quebec has faced PQ platform was founded on improve- a day.” Dumont had to find a way to get two referenda ments to health care and education, with the people of Quebec to put aside their (1980 and 1995) on the idea of Quebec sovereignty on the concerns regarding his youth and the issue of sover- back burner. Landry vowed not to hold inexperience and see him as the leader eignty? Both times who could help them build the Quebec Quebecers rejected a referendum on sovereignty unless the the idea. However, “Yes” side was guaranteed a victory. of the future. in 1995, the vote Since the Quebec electorate was clearly was very close, with tired of referenda, it looked like the The Leaders 50.6 per cent sovereignty issue was not going to play The following are skeletal timelines for voting “no” and 49.4 per cent a role in the election. the leaders of each of the major political voting “yes.” Initially, the PQ strategy seemed to parties in Quebec.