With the Quebec provincial election fast approaching, a new poll is giving some indication of where Quebecers and the parties stand.
The Léger voter intention poll for Le journal-TVA Nouvelles shows the Parti Québécois of Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is still in the lead with 30 per cent.
Now tied for second at 23 per cent are the Quebec Liberals and the CAQ. That represents a one-point drop for Charles Milliard’s Liberals and a three-point jump for Christine Fréchette’s governing CAQ.
“Parti Québécois remains at 30 per cent,” said political analyst Daniel Tran. “So what we’re seeing is like a consolidation of where the voters are targeting their votes.
“However, for the Liberal Party of Quebec and the Coalition Avenir Québec, we’re starting to see that there’s a neck-and-neck. They’re both at 23 per cent, which was at the detriment of the Québec solidaire party.”
READ: Half of Quebecers say their choice not final ahead of fall elections: Léger poll
Political leaders reacted to the latest poll on Tuesday.
“We stayed put this morning,” said St-Pierre Plamondon. “Many things might happen with polls given a context that we don’t control. What we control is the quality of what we’re offering in terms of people and in terms of really down to earth and genuine rigorous proposals, in terms of what we could do better in Quebec.”
“It’s one of the polls,” said Milliard. “The one that I want to win is the one on October 5. And this is why I’m surrounded by key people from my economic team because we want to propose something different to Quebecers. They’ve been listening to Mrs. Fréchette for the past few weeks proposing certain plans, but we have a better plan.”
When asked by a reporter if she was becoming “Captain Canada” – a reference to trade negotiations with the U.S. – Premier Fréchette replied that she’s “Captain Quebec.”
“You can count on me to steer the ship, or the ocean liner, of Quebec, because I will be there,” Fréchette said. “In fact, it aligns perfectly with the expertise I have developed and also with my ambition to protect Quebecers and to work to propel Quebec businesses forward.”
Former Quebec Liberal leader cleared
Also on Tuesday, it appears the leadership of the Quebec Liberals and its former leader Pablo Rodriguez could be cleared of the allegations of using $100 bills – referred to as brownies – during the party’s 2025 leadership race.
La Presse reported, citing sources, that the Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec and Quebec’s Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit (UPAC) have no evidence that demonstrates a vote-buying scheme that supported Rodriguez.
The Elections Quebec confirmed to CityNews the Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec’s investigation was over, and a report was in the process of being prepared.
“A prosecutor will then analyze the evidence presented in the investigation report to determine whether any violations of the Election Act have occurred,” a spokesperson said. “Further investigation may be required. These steps can take several months, and we will only be able to confirm our findings once this process is complete.”
UPAC says it has submitted an investigation file to Crown prosecutors. “It is possible that the prosecutors reviewing the evidence may request further investigation,” and UPAC spokesperson told CityNews.
Current Liberal Leader Milliard says he read the article Tuesday morning.
“I’m still waiting for the official conclusions of all those inquiries,” Milliard said. “But if what was mentioned is accurate, I think there’s a collective reflection on what has happened in the past year. And I’m happy to read that neither myself or the Parti Libéral du Québéc is involved in any way.”
“Well, I think the same article says that the UPAC inquiry is not closed nor finished,” cautioned St-Pierre Plamondon. “So let them do their work and let them express what they have found or not found. In any case, what we know for sure is that there was events of political financing during which people contributed a certain amount and got reimbursed right away in cash. And there’s no chance that behavior is normal nor legal.”
Add CityNews Montreal as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.
