Éric Duhaime, the leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ), recently joined forces with Québec solidaire (QS) to advocate for crucial electoral reform. Their alliance marks a significant moment in Quebec politics, especially given the absence of the Parti québécois (PQ) during the press conference. Duhaime is concerned that the PQ may backtrack on their support for electoral reform as they gain momentum in the polls.
Context of Electoral Reform in Quebec
The call for reform emerges from longstanding frustrations with the current voting system, which is a single-member plurality model inherited from the British parliamentary tradition. Critics argue this system skews representation. In the 2022 elections, for instance, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) secured 72% of the seats with only 41% of the vote, while other parties like the Parti libéral du Québec (PLQ) and the PQ received a disproportionately low number of seats compared to their share of the vote.
Election Statistics Highlighting Systemic Issues
| Party | Percentage of Votes | Seats Won |
|---|---|---|
| Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) | 41% | 90 |
| Parti libéral du Québec (PLQ) | 14.4% | 21 |
| Parti québécois (PQ) | 14.6% | 3 |
| Québec solidaire (QS) | 15.4% | 11 |
| Parti conservateur du Québec (PCQ) | 12.9% | 0 |
The Proposed Electoral Reform
In response to these distortions, Duhaime and QS propose a mixed compensatory proportional representation system. This approach aims to ensure fairer representation by combining traditional majority voting with proportional seats.
- Reduces the number of electoral districts from 125 to 80.
- Maintains first-past-the-post elections for the 80 single-member districts.
- Introduces 49 additional regional seats allocated proportionally.
Voters would cast two votes: one for a candidate in their district and another for a party list in their region. A party’s number of seats would depend on the vote share it receives, requiring at least 4% of the total votes in Quebec to gain representation.
Political Challenges Ahead
Despite the collaborative efforts, the likelihood of the current CAQ government endorsing the proposed reforms appears slim. Historically, proposals for electoral changes have been tabled and stalled without adoption. On November 12, QS submitted a legislative proposal similar to previous ones that failed to advance.
As the political landscape shifts, Duhaime’s concerns echo a significant apprehension among reform advocates. The potential for the PQ to neglect their support for electoral reform creates uncertainty about the future of fair representation in Quebec’s political system.
