Parti Québécois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Parti Québécois
Abbreviation	PQ
Leader	Paul St-Pierre Plamondon
President	Catherine Gentilcore
Founders	René Lévesque Gilles Grégoire
Founded	11 October 1968 (1968-10-11)
Merger of	Mouvement Souveraineté-Association, Ralliement national, Rassemblement pour l'Indépendance Nationale
Headquarters	1200, avenue Papineau Suite 150 Montreal, Quebec H2K 4R5
Membership (March 9, 2022)	42,665
Ideology	Quebec nationalism Quebec sovereigntism Social democracy Republicanism Economic nationalism
Political position	Centre-left
Regional affiliation	COPPPAL (observer)
Colours	Blue
Seats in the National Assembly	4 / 125

The Parti Québécois (often called the PQ) is a political party in Quebec, Canada. It wants Quebec to become an independent country, separate from Canada. This idea is called sovereignty. The PQ also believes in social democracy, which means the government should help people and make society fairer.

The party has also suggested a "sovereignty-association." This means Quebec would be independent but still have close political and economic ties with Canada. The PQ often gets support from workers and unions. People who support the PQ are called péquistes.

The Parti Québécois is connected to the Bloc Québécois. The Bloc Québécois is a federal party that also wants Quebec to separate from Canada. Even though they have similar goals, the two parties are not officially linked.

History of the Parti Québécois

How the Party Started

The Parti Québécois was formed in 1968. It was created when two groups joined together: the Mouvement Souveraineté-Association (led by René Lévesque) and the Ralliement national. Another group, the Rassemblement pour l'Indépendance Nationale, also decided to close down and asked its members to join the new PQ.

The main goals of the PQ from the start were to give Quebec more control over its politics, economy, and society. René Lévesque, a key founder, suggested using referendums (a public vote on a specific issue) to ask people if they wanted Quebec to become independent.

The PQ's First Government (1976-1985)

The PQ first ran in an election in 1970 and won seven seats. In 1973, they became the official opposition, meaning they were the main party against the government.

In 1976, the Parti Québécois won the election and formed the government for the first time. They won 71 out of 110 seats. René Lévesque became the Premier of Quebec, which is like the leader of the province. Many French-speaking Quebecers celebrated this victory.

The first PQ government had many scholars and professors in its team. They were the first government to recognize the rights of Indigenous peoples to make their own decisions, as long as it didn't change Quebec's borders.

One of the most important things the PQ did was pass the Charter of the French Language (also known as Bill 101). This law made French the main public language in Quebec. It helped French-speaking people get more management jobs, which were often held by English speakers before. Some people criticized this law because it limited where immigrants and French-speaking Quebecers could go to English-language schools.

In 1980, the PQ held a referendum to ask Quebecers if they wanted to start talks about sovereignty-association. However, 60% of voters said no.

The party won the election again in 1981. But in 1984, they faced a big internal problem. René Lévesque wanted to focus more on governing Quebec and be less strict about sovereignty. This made some strong supporters of independence unhappy, and Lévesque had to resign. Pierre-Marc Johnson became the new leader in 1985.

Losing Power and Returning (1985-2003)

The PQ lost the 1985 election to the Quebec Liberal Party. The Liberals tried to make a deal with the rest of Canada about Quebec's place in the country. But these deals, like the Meech Lake Accord, failed. This brought the idea of Quebec independence back into focus.

The PQ returned to power in 1994 under a new leader, Jacques Parizeau. He promised to hold another independence referendum within a year. In 1995, the second referendum was held. This time, the "no" side won by a very small margin, with 49.42% voting for sovereignty talks. After the loss, Premier Parizeau resigned.

Lucien Bouchard, who had founded the federal Bloc Québécois party, became the new PQ leader and Premier. He decided not to hold another referendum because he felt the conditions weren't right to win. His government focused on balancing Quebec's budget by cutting government spending. The PQ won the 1998 election again.

Bouchard resigned in 2001, and Bernard Landry became the leader and Premier. However, the party lost the 2003 election to the Liberals.

Back in Opposition (2003-2012)

After the 2003 loss, Bernard Landry's leadership was questioned. He resigned in 2005. André Boisclair was elected as the new leader. At first, polls showed the PQ doing very well.

However, the party started to face challenges from both sides. On the left, a new party called Québec solidaire formed in 2006. Many left-leaning supporters of independence joined this new party. On the right, the Action démocratique du Québec (ADQ) and later the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) attracted voters who were less focused on independence. This meant the PQ was losing support to other parties.

In the 2007 election, the PQ fell to third place, which was the first time since 1973 they were not the government or the official opposition. André Boisclair resigned as leader.

Pauline Marois became the new leader of the PQ in 2007. In 2011, some members of the party left because they disagreed with certain decisions or felt the party was too focused on sovereignty.

Former PQ leader Pauline Marois greets voters in Quebec City on the eve of the 2012 general election.

Marois' Minority Government (2012-2014)

In the 2012 provincial election, the PQ, led by Pauline Marois, won a minority government. This means they won the most seats (54 out of 125) but not enough to have full control.

Her government focused on balancing the budget, increasing the use of French, and developing Northern Quebec. A key part of their plan was the Quebec Charter of Values. This proposed law would have banned government employees from wearing religious symbols like turbans, veils, or kippahs.

Losing Power Again (2014)

Because the Charter of Values was popular with many French-speaking Quebecers, Marois called an early election in 2014 to try and win a majority. However, the campaign did not go well. New candidate Pierre Karl Péladeau made sovereignty a main topic, and other incidents hurt the party.

The PQ lost the 2014 election to the Liberals. They won only 30 seats and 25% of the vote, which was their worst result since 1970. Pauline Marois also lost her own seat and resigned as leader.

New Leaders and Challenges (2015-Present)

Pierre Karl Péladeau was elected as the new leader of the PQ in 2015. However, he resigned in 2016 to spend more time with his family.

Jean-François Lisée became the leader in 2016. For the 2018 election, the PQ said they would not hold a referendum on sovereignty until at least 2022. This was a big change.

In the 2018 election, the PQ had its worst result in history. They won only 10 seats and 17% of the vote. This meant they lost their "official party status" in the legislature, which requires a certain number of seats. The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) won the election. Many PQ supporters moved to the CAQ or to Québec Solidaire. Jean-François Lisée lost his seat and resigned.

In 2019, Catherine Fournier, a young PQ member, left the party to sit as an independent. This further reduced the PQ's numbers.

In 2020, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon was elected as the new leader of the Parti Québécois.

Recent Elections and Status (2022-Present)

The 2022 Quebec general election was another difficult election for the PQ. They won only 3 seats, their lowest number ever. They also got only 14.61% of the popular vote, a new record low. This meant they again lost their official party status.

In December 2022, the three newly elected PQ members were not allowed into the Quebec legislature at first. This was because they refused to swear an oath to the King, as required by law. However, a new bill was passed in December 2022 to remove this requirement, allowing them to enter in early 2023.

After the 2022 election, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon received strong support from party members in a confidence vote. The PQ has seen an increase in support in recent polls. In October 2023, the PQ won a fourth seat in a special election.

Relationship with the Bloc Québécois

The Bloc Québécois (BQ) is a federal political party that was started in 1990. It has always had close ties to the Parti Québécois. Both parties share the main goal of Quebec becoming an independent country.

The two parties often share political candidates and help each other during election campaigns. They have similar members and voters. Important members from both parties often attend each other's public events. For example, Gilles Duceppe, a former leader of the Bloc, is the son of Jean Duceppe, who helped start the PQ.

Party Logo

Logo of the party from 1985 to 2007

Logo of the party from 2007 to 2021

The unique logo of the Parti Québécois was designed in 1968 by an artist named Roland Giguère. It looks like a stylish letter "Q." It's a blue circle with a red arrow breaking through it.

The artist said the logo means the Parti Québécois is breaking free from Canada's control over Quebec. It shows Quebec opening up to the world and the future. The PQ has changed its logo only a few times over the years.

In 2007, the party revealed a new, more modern version of the "Q" logo. The tail of the "Q" was colored green. In 2021, they changed the logo again. The newest logo includes the Fleur de lys, which is a symbol of Quebec, within the letter "Q."

Party Policy and Beliefs

The main focus of the Parti Québécois is to protect the French-speaking identity of Quebec. Their ultimate goal is for Quebec to become a sovereign (independent) country. This goal is the very first point in their party program.

The PQ believes in strengthening the French language in Quebec. They have supported laws that aim to make French the common public language.

As of 2014, the PQ's election plan stated that their main promise is to achieve Quebec's sovereignty. They plan to do this after asking the people through a referendum, when the government thinks it's the right time.

The PQ also supported the Quebec ban on face covering, which limits wearing face coverings in public services.

Party Slogans

Here are some slogans the Parti Québécois has used in their election campaigns:

• 1970: OUI – Yes
• 1973: J'ai le goût du Québec – I have a taste for Quebec
• 1976: On a besoin d'un vrai gouvernement – We need a real government
• 1981: Faut rester forts au Québec – We must remain strong in Quebec
• 1985: Le Québec avec Johnson – Québec with Johnson
• 1989: Je prends le parti du Québec – I'm choosing Quebec's party / I'm taking Quebec's side
• 1994: L'autre façon de gouverner – The other way of governing
• 1998: J'ai confiance – I am confident / I trust
• 2003: Restons forts – Let us stay strong
• 2007: Reconstruisons notre Québec – Let us rebuild our Quebec
• 2008: Québec gagnant avec Pauline – Quebec winning with Pauline
• 2012: À nous de choisir – The choice is ours
• 2014: Plus prospère, plus fort, plus indépendant, plus accueillant – More prosperous, stronger, more independent, more welcoming
• 2018: Sérieusement – Seriously
• 2022: Le Québec qui s'assume. Pour vrai. – A Quebec that accepts itself. For real

Party Leaders

The leader of the Parti Québécois was called the President until 2005.

Leaders in the Legislature

Sometimes, the main party leader does not have a seat in the National Assembly. In these cases, another member leads the party in the legislature.

Party Presidents

Until 2005, this role was known as First Vice-president.

Leadership Elections

The Parti Québécois has held several elections to choose its leader:

• 1985 Parti Québécois leadership election
• 2005 Parti Québécois leadership election
• 2007 Parti Québécois leadership election
• 2015 Parti Québécois leadership election
• 2016 Parti Québécois leadership election
• 2020 Parti Québécois leadership election

General Election Results

This table shows how the Parti Québécois has done in provincial elections.

General election	Leader	# of seats won	Change +/-	% of popular vote	Result
1970	René Lévesque	7 / 108	7	23.06%	No status
1973		6 / 110	1	30.22%	Official Opposition
1976		71 / 110	65	41.37%	Majority government
1981		80 / 122	9	49.26%	Majority government
1985	Pierre-Marc Johnson	23 / 122	57	38.69%	Official Opposition
1989	Jacques Parizeau	29 / 125	6	40.16%	Official Opposition
1994		77 / 125	48	44.75%	Majority government
1998	Lucien Bouchard	76 / 125	1	42.87%	Majority government
2003	Bernard Landry	45 / 125	29	33.24%	Official Opposition
2007	André Boisclair	36 / 125	9	28.35%	Third Party
2008	Pauline Marois	51 / 125	15	35.17%	Official Opposition
2012		54 / 125	3	31.95%	Minority government
2014		30 / 125	24	25.38%	Official Opposition
2018	Jean-François Lisée	10 / 125	20	17.06%	Third Party
2022	Paul St-Pierre Plamondon	3 / 125	7	14.61%	No status