Quebecers favour electoral system reform, poll suggests

In the wake of an election where the Quebec Liberals won 21 National Assembly seats with 14.3 per cent of the popular vote, the Parti Québécois won three seats with 14.6 per cent and the Coalition Avenir Québec won 72 per cent of the legislature's seats with only 41 per cent of the vote, a new poll suggest most Quebecers think it's time the electoral system was reformed.

A Léger survey conducted for the Journal de Montréal Oct. 7-10 of 1,040 Quebec adults asked respondents whether they wanted “a reform of the current electoral system.” A total of 53 per cent of respondents said “yes”, while 27 per cent said “no” and 20 per cent were undecided.

Quebec Premier François Legault has said the issue of electoral reform is a matter of concern only to “a few intellectuals” and of no importance to most Quebecers.

The survey found that enthusiasm for a change to the electoral system was split along political affiliations.

Less than a third (30 per cent) of respondents who identified as CAQ supporters and saw their party win 90 of the legislature's 125 seats supported a reform of the system.

Meanwhile, 79 per cent of those who support the Conservative Party of Quebec (zero seats, 12.9 per cent of the vote) were in favour of an overhaul, followed by Québec solidaire (11 seats, 15.4 per cent of the vote) at 75 per cent, the PQ (73 per cent) and the Quebec Liberals (60 per cent).

While the distortion in the results of the Oct. 3 election have been seen in earlier provincial votes and are a reflection of Quebec (and Canada's) first-past-thepost electoral system, that distortion has become the focus of a debate over which parties should be granted official status in the National Assembly and enjoy the additional funding and speaking time that status includes.

Under National Assembly rules, official status is granted to a party that succeeded in winning 12 seats (about 10 per cent of the legislature's 125 total) or 20 per cent of the popular vote.

Québec solidaire and the PQ, which did not meet either criteria, are hoping to reach an agreement whereby they will be allowed official status.

The Quebec Liberals have become the official opposition, having won 21 seats despite garnering less in the popular vote than Québec solidaire or the PQ.