(Quebec) François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec has fallen to third place, behind the Parti Québécois and the Liberal Party, according to a survey by the firm Pallas Data. But a survey by Léger published the same day rather shows that it slowed its fall. Who’s telling the truth?
A little over two years before the general election is called, the lights are red for François Legault according to an assessment of popular mood from the Toronto polling house, carried out for Qc125 and News. She places her party at 20%, behind the PLQ, up sharply to 23%, and the Parti Québécois, which is in the lead with 33% of voting intentions.
Compared to the month of February, this is a jump of two points for the Parti Québécois, within the margin of error, a jump of eight points for the PLQ, and a fall three points for the CAQ. Québec solidaire is the other loser in this poll, and sees its support drop by four points.
At the end of the afternoon, the Léger firm, on behalf of the Quebecor media, showed instead that the Parti Québécois peaked at 34%, while the CAQ took two points, a variation within the margin of error. The Quebec pollster also observed a marked drop in voting intentions at Québec solidaire, to 14% (a drop of four points).
The big difference between the two houses: the place given to the Liberal Party of Quebec. In the Lightweight, its downforce is estimated at 14%, a slight increase of one point, within the margin of error.
The Caquistes are not “discouraged”
In the corridors of the National Assembly, before the release of the Léger poll, CAQ members who agreed to respond to journalists claimed not to be demoralized by the Pallas firm’s survey. “It takes a lot more for me to be discouraged,” said Minister Martine Biron at the end of question period.
Her colleague Sonia Bélanger is of the same opinion: “I am not discouraged. We work for Quebecers. We keep the focus on our objectives,” she said. The Minister for Health indicated that the drop in her training can be explained by “a context” that she did not want to define. “I am very happy with what is happening now. I love the role I have and I am happy with my party,” she said.
Pierre Fitzgibbon, for his part, believes that the CAQ still has time to redress the situation between now and the next election. “If we deliver the goods, I think so,” underlined the government superminister.
Despite the attacks
PQ MP Pascal Bérubé was delighted with the news. “We surveyed last week where several people said [des] interventions by Paul St-Pierre Plamondon that his speech will have an impact. In fact, we realize that those who made the most noise were already the adversaries of the Parti Québécois, and that among the population, there is an increase in voting intentions for the Parti Québécois,” he said.
Last week, the PQ leader affirmed that Ottawa was “openly and explicitly planning” the decline of Quebec, and reiterated his promise to hold a referendum if he came to power. He also highlighted at a press briefing the “work” of Pierre Elliott Trudeau as well as “the deportations, the executions and the ban on having education in French”.
“All week, each party attacked Paul St-Pierre Plamondon in Quebec, then all those in Ottawa as well, then many people who are not in politics, but who have microphones or who have pens. I think it’s admirable, the way Paul responded to that, and it said something about his strength of character,” he added.
The alternative
Liberal MP Monsef Derraji affirmed for his part that he did not comment on the polls, to say in the same breath that he was convinced “that we are going to be the alternative to François Legault in 2026”. “Quebecers want a party that will take care of public finances, that will manage public finances well and take care of the essential missions of the State,” he indicated.
Mr. Derraji emphasizes that the PLQ is not trying to ride on the referendum fear aroused by the rise in the polls of the Parti Québécois. “Ask Mr. PSPP. It is he who brings the referendum back to the public square almost everywhere. Listen, what have we been talking about since the beginning? Have you seen a no or yes camp? We talk to you […] what ? The economy, SMEs, public finances, housing, the essential missions of the State,” he said.
The parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, stressed that “the elections are still more than two years away.” “We will see in due time. Last time, I was asked about a poll where QS had advanced by a few points. At that time, I found it important to say that we, the basis of our commitment […] It’s not the polls, and we don’t make our decisions based on that. Today, we have a poll that is of a different nature, but it’s the same thing,” he said.