Votes vs. seats: Quebec party leaders point to 'broken,' 'distorted' electoral system
As predicted, it was a landslide victory for the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) Monday night, with 40.97 per cent of the vote going towards the party that had 90 candidates elected.
Quebec's other major parties trailed far, far behind the CAQ, each receiving between 12 and 16 per cent of the vote. In all, they received similar results between them in terms of popular support.
But the same can't be said for the number of seats they won.
The Liberal party (PLQ), for example, received fewer votes (14.37 per cent) than Québec solidaire (15.42 per cent), but nearly double the seats.
It's a reality that did not go unmentioned by QS parliamentary leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
Addressing his supporters on Monday night, Nadeau-Dubois referred to what he called a "broken" electoral system in Quebec.
"Our political system is broken, our democracy is sick. The electoral map tonight does not reflect the political will of Quebecers -- it must be said," Nadeau-Dubois stated.
Quebec 2022 provincial election results. (Elections Quebec) Conservative leader Éric Duhaime expressed similar frustration.
Despite winning 12.92 per cent of the vote, no candidates will represent his party in the National Assembly.
"We are, in a way, caught in the democratic distortion of the century," he said during his post-election speech.
The PQ, meanwhile, received 14.0 per cent of the vote -- just 9,507 fewer than the Liberals -- but only won three seats.
TIME FOR REFORM?
Nadeau-Dubois called on Quebec's re-elected premier to address the issue of vote counts and how they are (or aren't) reflected in the National Assembly.
"We need François Legault to recognize the problem, and we need him to work with us and all the other parties to solve this democratic problem in Quebec," he said.
The CAQ was among numerous parties to sign an agreement ahead of the 2018 election promising to reform the electoral system in Quebec.
Evidently, the premier has changed his tune since then.
Legault expressed opposition to reform during his campaign, stating that it's a concern for "intellectuals" rather than Quebecers in general.
"It's not a priority for Quebecers, but we'll see how they vote on Oct. 3," Legault told reporters.
Speaking to CJAD 800 radio on Tuesday morning, political analyst and former NDP leader Tom Mulcair criticized the current system used in Quebec.
"This is undemocratic," he said. "There's no other way to say it."
He acknowledged that the current system offers relative governmental stability -- opposed to Italy, for example, which adopted a proportional representation model following the Second World War.
"But you don't have to go full proportional," Mulcair said. "There's something that they call a mixed member [representation]."
Under this system, a proportion of seats -- a dozen, Mulcair offered -- would be determined by the percentage of votes a party receives.
"There are ways to avoid the distortions that we saw last night."
- Listen on CJAD 800: Mulcair: Breaking down the results the morning after the Quebec election
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Former Air Canada employees among suspects identified in gold heist at Pearson airport: police
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
'$6.66 per day': Advocacy groups disheartened by funding in budget for disability benefit
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
MPs summon ArriveCan contractor to the House to be admonished in rare parliamentary display
Enacting an extraordinarily rarely used parliamentary power, MPs have summoned an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon to be admonished publicly for failing to answer their questions.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archeological site in southwest France.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s sons have released a single together
A new Lennon and McCartney collaboration is the last thing anybody expected.