Quebec election: Parti Québécois to form next provincial government, CBC News projects

Quebec election: Parti Québécois will form minority government in Quebec, CBC News projects

CBC projects a PQ minority government in Quebec | Election Night Special

The PQ is projected to form the next government with 59 seats, just five short of a majority.

The Liberals are currently in second, with 40 seats and the Conservatives round out the top three with 19 seats.

Québec Solidaire is projected to win in nine ridings, while the CAQ has none.

Among a wave of red in the Outaouais, the PQ is projected to take the riding of Papineau. Loud roars of applause erupted in the room as Isabelle Millette’s name appeared on the screen.

People were cheering "Isa! Isa! Isa!"

It’s the first time the Parti Québécois has held a seat in the region in 50 years, when the 1976 election brought René Lévesque to power.

Paulina Abarca Cantin represents English-speaking seniors in the province and hopes the PQ will listen to them.

She said many seniors aren’t bilingual, and it’s difficult for them to learn French.

However, she said, the largest problem seniors face is housing.

"The rising cost of living is leading to problems with housing and living conditions, causing huge homelessness for seniors."

Abarca Cantin said the number of seniors will only continue to rise, and the next government needs to be "transparent" and collaborate with Anglo seniors.

St-Pierre Plamondon is speaking to his supporters in Montreal. He says it's an "enormous privilege" to be the next premier of Quebec and that he wants to work with all parties.

He addressed Prime Minister Mark Carney, telling him he will be "direct and transparent" in his relationship with Ottawa.

He also briefly spoke in English, speaking directly to his "English-speaking friends in Quebec."

"I just want to let you know very clearly that I'll be the premier of everyone in Quebec," he said, adding "we share the same future."

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham was among several leaders who congratulated St-Pierre Plamondon and the PQ on their projected victory.

In a post on social media, Wakeham said he was looking forward to working with St-Pierre-Plamondon and his new government in the coming days "to finalize the definitive agreements for our new and better deal for Churchill Falls."

The deal was announced while Fréchette was premier, less than two weeks before the election was called and was touted as the largest clean energy investment in North American history.

St-Pierre Plamondon told reporters in September he wouldn't axe the deal, but his party is committed to doing a due diligence review.

With the PQ projected to form a minority government, St-Pierre Plamondon's path to a third sovereignty referendum just got much steeper.

At the National Assembly, the PQ would now need the backing of QS, the only other sovereigntist party in the National Assembly, to push forward with a referendum.

St-Pierre Plamondon has pledged to delay a referendum until 2029 or 2030, after U.S. President Donald Trump leaves office. But minority governments in Quebec typically last less than two years.

In addition, polls suggest roughly 70 per cent of Quebecers consistently oppose a referendum. With the PQ capturing less than 30 per cent of the popular vote tonight, a short-term push for independence appears highly unlikely at this point.

Right now, the PQ has less than 30 per cent of the popular vote, yet it has secured enough seats to form a minority government, CBC News projects.

That makes the PQ the party with the lowest percentage of the popular vote to form government in Quebec history.

Milliard is, in fact, waiting to speak on stage. Traditionally, the winner waits until all the other party leaders have spoken.

In a potential sign of things to come, St-Pierre Plamondon and Milliard are both getting ready to speak — at the same time.

The PQ leader is projected to form a minority government, while the Liberals, as of 11 p.m. ET, are projected to have 40 seats and to form the Official Opposition, a stronger showing than many thought possible at the start of the campaign.

Duhaime told an elated crowd that he started the campaign with a party that had very little support.

Looking back, his first event attracted only one supporter, he said with a laugh.

“But I didn’t give up,” he said.

From there, support grew as he travelled from region to region to spread his party’s message for two years as a volunteer. Then after the 2022 election, political commentators said his party was going to die, but “we showed the naysayers that they were wrong.”

“Tonight, hope has returned to Quebec,” Duhaime said. “We have just written a page in history tonight.”

For the first time in 100 years, Quebecers decided to send a large Conservative caucus to the National Assembly, he said, predicting nearly 20 Conservative MNAs will go to the National Assembly.

“Tonight, thanks to you, we are going to be stronger than ever,” Duhaime said.