COALITION MAJORITY
COALITION PARTY SHATTERS TWO-PARTY RULE IN QUE.
Francois Legault urged Quebecers to support him as candidate for change —
The Coalition Avenir Quebec shattered nearly a half-century of two-party political rule in Quebec on Monday by winning a majority government that will redraw the province's electoral map.
The party was elected or leading in nearly 75 of the province's 125 ridings, compared with about 30 for the incumbent Liberals.
Coalition Leader Francois Legault guided his rightleaning, seven-year-old party to victory following a 39-day campaign, during which he urged Quebecers to support him as the candidate for change.
The win delivered something Quebec hasn't seen in 48 years - a provincial government headed by a party other than the Liberals or the Parti Quebecois.
Legault's party surged out to a strong start shortly after polls closed, leaving the Liberals in second and the PQ in a distant third, barely ahead of Quebec solidaire.
With support for independence sliding, the PQ is now facing an existential crisis. The party has steadily watched its support slide after spending about 20 of the last 48 years in office.
In fact, the PQ and Quebec solidaire were both leading or were elected in 10 ridings, two short of the number required to be recognized as an official party.
The numbers began flowing in following a tightly fought campaign that many had predicted would shake up the political landscape.
It was more like an earthquake.
Legault won his riding of L'Assomption, while Quebec solidaire co-spokespeople Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois and Manon Masse were both elected in their Montreal ridings.
Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard salvaged some pride by being elected in Roberval, about 250 kilometres north of Quebec City, while PQ Leader Jean-Francois Lisee suffered a double blow by also losing his Montreal riding.
In his concession speech, Couillard said he would take a few days to ponder his political future.
Legault, a former businessman and co-founder of Air Transat, ended nearly 15 years of continuous Liberal rule with the victory.
The Liberals held power since 2003, with the exception of a 19-month PQ minority government between 2012 and 2014.
The Coalition gathered significant support, even though the Liberals were in power as Quebec's economy surged in recent years.
Opinion polls, however, had suggested for months that voters were looking for a change.
As party history goes in Quebec, Legault's victory represented change.
The Union Nationale won the 1966 election and held power until 1970. Since then, however, it's been a two-party show headlined by the Liberals and the PQ.
The emergence of Legault's party, which won just 22 seats in 2014 to finish third, came in large part at the expense of the PQ.
The PQ's raison d'etre Quebec sovereignty - has lost its lustre with voters.
For the first time in decades, talk of a referendum on independence was not a ballot-box issue.
The federalist Liberals and the Coalition, even though it's led by former PQ cabinet minister Legault, have no interest in holding a referendum.