‘Makes Me Sad’: New Quebec Poll Sees Premier Legault Losing Ground to Parti Québécois

‘Makes Me Sad’: New Quebec Poll Sees Premier Legault Losing Ground to Parti Québécois
Quebec Premier François Legault responds to the Opposition during question period at the legislature in Quebec City on Nov. 1, 2023. The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot
The Canadian Press
Updated:
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Quebec Premier François Legault says he takes full responsibility for his party’s sagging poll numbers.

He told reporters that a new Leger poll published Nov. 1, conducted for the Journal de Montréal and Journal de Québec, makes him “sad.”

His Coalition Avenir Québec party collected 30 percent support, down four percentage points from September—and way off the highs of more than 40 percent it consistently received before the 2022 election.

The sovereigntist Parti Québécois—with only four seats in the legislature—is up four points from September to 26 percent, good for second place.

The PQ, led by Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, is fresh off an October byelection victory in Quebec City, during which it collected more than 44 percent of the vote and double what Mr. Legault’s party won.

Meanwhile, the Quebec Liberal Party and Québec solidaire are tied at 15 percent, and the Conservative party led by Éric Duhaime collected 12 percent support in the Leger poll.

Among main party leaders, respondents said Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon would make the best premier, up eight percentage points since September to 24 percent, one point ahead of Mr. Legault at 23 percent.

The poll was carried out among 1,026 Quebecers of voting age between Oct. 27 and Oct. 30 and cannot be assigned a margin of error because online polls do not collect random data samples.

The next Quebec election is scheduled for October 2026.

“It certainly makes me sad to see the drop in support from Quebecers,“ Mr. Legault told reporters ahead of question period. ”I take full responsibility for it. I know that Quebecers are currently suffering a lot from the increase in prices. And I will try to see how I can help them better.”