1970 Quebec general election

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Quebec general election, 1970

← 1966 April 29, 1970 1973 →

110 seats in the 31st National Assembly of Quebec
56 seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party
  Robert-Bourassa.jpg
Leader Robert Bourassa Jean-Jacques Bertrand
Party Liberal Union Nationale
Leader since January 17, 1970 October 2, 1968
Leader's seat Mercier Missisquoi
Last election 50 seats, 47.29% 56 seats, 40.82%
Seats won 72 17
Seat change +22 -39
Popular vote 1,304,341 564,544
Percentage 45.40% 19.65%
Swing −1.9% -21.17%

  Third party Fourth party
  PC 130x150px
Leader Camil Samson René Lévesque
Party Parti créditiste Parti Québécois
Leader since March 22, 1970 October 14, 1968
Leader's seat Rouyn-Noranda Laurier (lost re-election)
Last election pre-creation pre-creation
Seats won 12 7
Seat change +12 +7
Popular vote 321,370 662,404
Percentage 11.19% 23.06%
Swing +11.19% +23.06

Premier before election

Jean-Jacques Bertrand
Union Nationale (Quebec)

Premier-designate

Robert Bourassa
Quebec Liberal Party

The Quebec general election of 1970 was held on April 29, 1970, to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The former Legislative Assembly had been renamed the "National Assembly" in 1968. The Quebec Liberal Party, led by Robert Bourassa, defeated the incumbent Union Nationale, led by Jean-Jacques Bertrand.

This election marked the first appearance by a new party, the sovereigntist Parti Québécois, led by former Liberal cabinet minister René Lévesque. The PQ won a modest seven seats, although Lévesque was defeated in his own riding.

Only a few months after the election, Quebec faced a severe test with the October Crisis, in which Liberal cabinet minister Pierre Laporte was kidnapped and assassinated by the Front de libération du Québec, a violent pro-independence group.

The Union Nationale, which had governed Quebec through most of the 1940s and 1950s, would never come close to winning power again. This was partly because a significant number of the Union Nationale's younger supporters shifted their support to the PQ.

Results

Party Party leader Seats Popular vote
1966 Elected % Change # % % Change
Liberal Robert Bourassa 50 72 +44.0% 1,304,341 45.40% −1.9%
Union Nationale Jean-Jacques Bertrand 56 17 -69.6% 564,544 19.65% -21.2%
     Ralliement creditiste Camil Samson * 12 * 321,370 11.19% *
Parti Québécois René Lévesque * 7 * 662,404 23.06% *
     Other1 2 - -100% 20,311 0.70% −11.2%
Total 108 108 - 2,872,970 100%  

Note:

* Party did not nominate candidates in the previous election.

1 including results of Rassemblement pour l'indépendance nationale and Ralliement national from previous election.

Vote share
PLQ
  
45.40%
PQ
  
23.06%
Union Nationale
  
19.65%
Ralliement créditiste
  
11.19%
Others
  
0.70%

See also

External links