Quebec election was bad news for Carney, good for Poilievre

Quebec Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime makes a speech at an election watch party in Lévis, Que., on Monday. Photo by Pascal Ratthé/Montreal Gazette

The 2026 Quebec election has completely transformed the province’s political landscape. The Coalition Avenir Quebec, in power since 2018, was demolished, going from 90 seats in 2022 to zero. The separatist Parti Quebecois (PQ) took its place in government, rising from the ashes of the three seats to 59, just five shy of a majority. The formerly moribund Liberal party delivered a respectable showing with 40 seats to claim official Opposition status. The socialist Quebec solidaire (QS) garnered the lowest percentage of the vote at 12 per cent and dropped from 11 seats to nine, losing party status altogether, but could hold the balance of power as the only other separatist party in the national assembly. Read more