The redistribution of the electoral map must be reviewed to prevent Quebec from losing a seat in the House of Commons, according to Minister Sonia LeBel. The Legault government has the firm intention of making itself heard to avoid such a loss of influence.
“We have a nation to defend,” said the Minister responsible for Intergovernmental Affairs in the press scrum Tuesday. Ms. LeBel invoked the “specificity of Quebec” and recalled that Quebec is the only French-speaking province in Canada. “For us, it’s not just a mathematical formula. It is very important to take into account the real weight, the weight of the representativeness of Quebec within the House of Commons.
The federal electoral map is redistributed every ten years according to a formula based on the demographic weight of each province based on census data. Election Canada proposes to add four seats to the House of Commons, increasing their total number from 338 to 342. Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario would see their number of seats increase. Quebec would be the only province to lose with 77 members instead of 78.
Independent and non-partisan commissions will collect comments and analyze these changes in each of the ten provinces as of February 2022. Once approved, the new electoral map would come into effect no earlier than 2024.
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