Quebec General Election 2012 (4th September)

[mileslunn]

More PQ circular firing squads.

E) Dislike of conservatism (or anything smacking of it) generally.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/can-quebecs-new-party-win-over-non-francophones/article2251949/

I thought Anglos were generally more Conservative than the Francophone community.  After all many are fairly wealthy and while many went Liberal, they struck me as more your 905 type Liberals otherwise fiscally conservative and socially progressive as opposed to downtown Toronto types, left of centre favour activist government.

[mileslunn]

I think the massive student protests and the fact the public is generally on side with them could be the one thing holding Charest back.  Even though outside Quebec there is little sympathy for the students as even after the hikes, tuition will still be lower than most other provinces.  Still unlike English Canada, many believe post secondary education should ideally be free whereas in English Canada most accept students should bare some of the cost.  Off course corruption allegations could hurt more.  Likewise the fact the CAQ is out of the news is probably why they are sliding in the polls.  Another factor is also Harper's unpopularity in Quebec.  No doubt the PQ can use that as a reason to bolster their cause.

[mileslunn]

As for the PLQ doing as well as they are, lets remember Allophones and Anglophones make up close to 20% of the population and they usually vote PLQ pretty heavily as they are the only party that doesn't come across as hostile to them.  In addition, there will always be some Francophones who will vote for them too, although I doubt Charest is doing too well amongst them.  Never mind some still haven't forgotten Parizeau's money and ethnic vote comment from 1995, so I suspect many of them aren't going to ever go PQ.  After all, fair or not fair, this gave a strong impression the PQ is a party only for the Pur Laine.

[mileslunn]

Two questions.

1.  Anybody have a list of what papers have endorsed who.  The Globe and Mail was suppose to give their endorsement today, but hasn't and I cannot find the National Post endorsement either.  Toronto Star endorsed the PLQ

2.  How come Quebec City is more conservative than most of the province.  It went mostly ADQ in 2007, will probably go mostly CAQ on Tuesday and also went largely for the federal Conservatives in 2006 and 2008 (and even last election despite losing all seats to the NDP they averaged 10% more than their province wide average).

[mileslunn]

Chaudiere-Appalaches is even more conservative. Hashemite hinted towards why on his blog.

True enough and that interestingly enough was the only area in the last federal election that went Conservative.  However the areas to the west, Mauricie, or areas to the East, Charlevoix, are less Conservative and likewise on the south side of the St. Lawrence so is centre du Quebec and Bas Saint Laurent.  Chaudiere-Appalaches is without question Quebec's most right wing area.  And the suburb part makes some sense.  Ottawa sort of follows this pattern at least on the Ontario side.  In other capital cities the suburbs are obviously more conservative, but that is generally the case in pretty much every city.  For example Vancouver is the same and even Toronto (since despite being a capital the percentage who work for the government is not that high).