2003 Quebec general election

2003 Quebec general election
← outgoing members
125 seats in the 37th Quebec Legislature; 63 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	70.42% (7.9%)
	Popular vote by riding. As this is an FPTP election, seat totals are not determined by popular vote, but instead via results by each riding. Click the map for more details.
Premier before election; Bernard Landry; Parti Québécois	Premier after election ; Jean Charest; Liberal

The 2003 Quebec general election was held on April 14, 2003, to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec (Canada). The Parti libéral du Québec (PLQ), led by Jean Charest, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by Premier Bernard Landry, in a landslide.

In Champlain there was a tie between PQ candidate Noëlla Champagne and Liberal candidate Pierre-A. Brouillette; although the initial tally was 11,867 to 11,859,^[1] a judicial recount produced a tally of 11,852 each.^[2] A new election was held on May 20 and was won by Champagne by a margin of 642 votes.^[3]^[4]

Unfolding

In January 2001, Lucien Bouchard announced that he would resign from public life, citing that the results of his work were not very convincing. In March 2001, the Parti Québécois selected Bernard Landry as leader by acclamation, thus becoming premier of Quebec. In 2002, the Parti Québécois (PQ) government had been in power for two mandates. It was seen as worn-out by some, and its poll numbers fell sharply. It placed third at its lowest point. An important part of its support was going to the Action Démocratique du Québec (ADQ) and its young leader, Mario Dumont. Some PQ supporters had left for the Liberal party.

Landry, leader of the PQ, undertook a revitalization of the party and its image. As the ideas of the conservative nature of ADQ's platform became more apparent, that party's popularity declined. Social democratic measures taken by the PQ government, like the passing of the "Law against poverty" helped improve the PQ's standing in the public opinion polls. PLQ leader Jean Charest initially continued to be unpopular with voters.

The 2003 election happened against the backdrop of the war in Iraq. The battles of that war took place during the first half of the campaign, diverting the attention of the media and the population. Landry became known for his custom of wearing the white ribbon (which in 2003 was worn by people in favour of peace). This custom was shortly followed by the two other main party leaders, Charest and Dumont. Landry was the most outspoken critic of the war. The other two were more discreet on the matter. Charest once stated that it was an opportunity to reaffirm his "belief in peace". Dumont acted in a similar way, while also addressing criticism to Landry, saying that Quebecers should refrain from criticizing Americans too harshly since Americans were historical friends of Quebecers.

The desire for change was considered an important factor of the campaign (see "Change", below). However, while reminding voters that the fundamental change was at the core of its primary ideal, sovereignty, the PQ focused its message and publicity not on change, but on stability. Its campaign slogan emphasized this (see the Campaign slogans below). Landry also tried to portray the vote as being a choice between the left wing PQ and two parties of the right. The PLQ portrayed itself as centrist. The PLQ produced dynamic ads and material, and released a new, younger logo. The ADQ put forward its young, underdog leader, and denied being too much to the right. It first broadcast a negative advertisement (a bleak television spot speaking of deaths in the hospitals) that backfired substantially, with criticism from opponents and citizens. It shortly released a brighter, more positive advertising.

Despite the PQ's recovery of support, Charest appeared as a viable alternative for people in desire of change, especially during the Leaders' Debate. Also, the Parizeau Affair sparked by Charest is said to have harmed Landry's campaign up to election day. The PQ lead in the public opinion polls vanished by mid-campaign.

The Parti Libéral won the election, while Parti Québécois won a respectable number of seats. The ADQ won four seats, which was a considerable improvement from previous general elections. It was nonetheless a disappointment for the party since it had five sitting members as a result of by-election victories in the previous year. It had also had a high standing in the polls of that same year. This was the first general election for the new left-wing Union des forces progressistes.

A documentary about Bernard Landry's point of view of the campaign was released in 2003 called À Hauteur d'homme. It was directed by Jean-Claude Labrecque.

Issues

Health care

Jean Charest and the PLQ focused their campaign upon the issue of health care and reducing waiting lists. The other major parties criticized Charest for planning to invest only in health care and education, while freezing other budgets. Landry argued that money for health care would be available when the fiscal imbalance was solved by sovereignty. He vowed to fight for money from Ottawa until then, as he had done earlier that year (see the "Fiscal Imbalance", below). Charest portrayed Landry as putting sovereignty ahead of health care, and presented his party as the one that would make health care its first priority. He also accused Landry's government of using waiting lists as an administration procedure for hospitals.

Change

The desire for change was considered by the media to be a major deciding factor of the vote. The media were criticized by the PQ and some citizens as "wanting change for the sake of change", since the government had ended its term with an economy doing well and high satisfaction polls for an outgoing administration. Landry reminded voters that, while voting for his party did not change the government right away, the first ideal of the PQ, sovereignty, was "the greatest of changes". At the Leaders' Debate, Charest told viewers that those wanting change should vote for the PLQ since "A vote for the ADQ is a vote for the PQ". At the time, the ADQ was considered to be too low in the polls to be a potential victor. Charest's reminder of the spoiler effect is said to have been partly responsible for his victory on election day. The results on election day appear to have demonstrated the voters' desire for change.

Income tax

Charest presented a plan of major reduction of income tax, which Landry opposed. Quebec's income taxes are the highest in North America, but its social programs are also relatively generous, and the gap between rich and poor is the lowest of the North American continent. The ADQ presented a flat tax plan in 2002. This proved to be highly unpopular, and contributed to the image of the party as being too conservative. This plan, in its pure form, was dropped in the beginning of 2003. The ADQ claimed that, after further examination, the Quebec government did not have the resources to implement it. This, again, hurt the party further by giving it the image of flip flopping.

State size and intervention

The PQ government was criticized by the two other major parties for being too interventionist, maintaining an overly large government, and for practising statism. Dumont spoke of Landry and the PQ's "Social bureaucracy", a pun on the Social democracy the PQ defends. Landry responded to Charest and Dumont that "Quebecers do not want less state, they want better state". Dumont had previously proposed a drastic reduction in the size of the civil service, but this was also softened before the campaign.

Family-work conciliation

The conciliation famille-travail became an important issue of the campaign as a result of Landry's "Four day work-week" plan. This proposal would have required Quebec employers to offer the option of a four-day work week to parents. This was presented by the PQ as a way to enhance family life, lower the stress on parents, and of counteracting the fall in Quebec's birthrate since the Quiet Revolution. The plan was attacked by the PLQ and ADQ as being "improvised" since it was only presented near the beginning of the election. It attracted some interest and support from voters, enough for Charest to declare, days before voting day, that he could consider implementing a four-day week, although the PLQ has not mentioned this since the election.

Fiscal imbalance

The theory of a fiscal imbalance between Ottawa and Quebec City was maintained and denounced by all major parties. Charest argued that the co-operative approach of a federalist party like the PLQ would be more effective solving the problem. As proof that the PQ would be able to solve the fiscal imbalance, Landry pointed to his success of early 2003, when he, along with the English Canadian Premiers, managed to come to an agreement with Prime Minister of Canada Jean Chrétien for more money to finance health care. He promised to continue the "battle" to solve the imbalance until independence is achieved.

City mergers

The PQ government, during the premiership of Landry's predecessor Lucien Bouchard, had merged the major cities of Quebec. The government argued that the mergers would allow a better division of the wealth and responsibilities between richer suburban communities and poorer parts of the main cities. The mergers occurred despite widespread opposition in some municipalities. Many Quebecers were still disgruntled, especially in wealthier and anglophone communities. The PLQ proposed to allow referendums on de-amalgamation in communities where there was sufficient support. The PQ and the ADQ strongly opposed the idea.

Sovereignty and autonomy

While the PQ continued to promote sovereignty for Quebec with its usual arguments (dignity, culture, globalization, etc.), it was also presented by the PQ as a way to solve the fiscal imbalance problem. The ADQ made great efforts to avoid taking a position on the subject of independence in order to attract both sides of the National Question spectrum. The ADQ positioned itself as a "third way" to Quebecers between what Dumont called "radical separation" and "knelt down federalism". The ADQ had worked in favour of sovereignty during the 1995 Quebec referendum, but had been equivocal on the subject since then.

The PLQ criticized the PQ for using the politics of confrontation because of its sovereignty position, and argued that a PLQ government would restore Quebec's "leadership role" in the federation. Landry promised a third referendum on independence "in 1000 days", confirming the plan he had set out in the Declaration of Gatineau, with support for independence running very low and support for a referendum running even lower in opinion polls; this did not prove to be a popular position. An argument of Landry for this timetable was that he wanted Quebec to be present at the Summit of the Americas in Buenos Aires in 2005. Representation for Quebec had been denied by Ottawa at the previous summit held in Quebec City, an act that angered many Quebecers. At the same time, Landry kept the door opened to federalist support for the PQ and stated that he would only hold a referendum if he had the "moral assurance" of winning it. This lead Charest to accuse him of having a "hidden agenda", during the Leaders' Debate.

Parizeau Affair

On the day of the leaders' debate, Charest's advisors gave him an article from the website of the Trois-Rivières newspaper Le Nouvelliste that spoke of past PQ leader Jacques Parizeau restating his controversial remarks about "money and the ethnic vote" which he had made in his 1995 referendum concession speech. The truth of the article was later disputed, yet despite the uncertainty surrounding this article, Charest surprised Landry with it during the leaders' debate on live television. This created a new controversy that ran for some days following the debate, and was said to have hurt Landry's campaign. The PQ denounced Charest for launching an "immoral attack" on Parizeau's reputation and dignity, saying that the article was incorrect in concluding that he had repeated his comments, but this method of response was not enough to defuse the controversy. The aftermath of the leaders' debate is thoroughly treated in the À Hauteur d'homme documentary, and became known as the Parizeau Affair.

Day care

The "five dollar-a-day child care" program implemented by the PQ government of Lucien Bouchard was one of the most appreciated achievements of the recent PQ administration. Some parents still did not have access to it, however, because of a lack of sufficient places. Landry, who had been Minister of Finance when the plan was implemented, vowed to continue creating more spaces. Charest presented his team as the most capable for this task. He also vowed to keep the price at $5 a day. He broke this promise later that year. See Opposition to the Charest government.

Public debt

The Action Démocratique insisted that the Government of Quebec should pay down the public debt. The other major leaders did not see it as a priority.

Contenders

Major parties

Action démocratique du Québec

Quebec Liberal Party

Parti Québécois

Minor parties

Bloc Pot

Union des forces progressistes

Campaign slogans

Action démocratique du Québec: L'avenir autrement (The future differently)
Quebec Liberal Party: Nous sommes prêts (We are ready)
Parti Québécois: Restons forts (Let us stay strong)

Incumbent MNAs not running for re-election

Péquistes

Liberals

Independents

Redistribution of ridings

The Commission de la représentation électorale performed a redistribution in 2001, which maintained the number of seats in the National Assembly at 125 for the next general election, making the following alterations:^[5]

Abolished ridings	New ridings
Renaming of districts
Limoilou	Jean-Lesage
Saguenay	Réne-Lévesque
Drawn from other districts
	Mirabel^{[a 1]}
Merger of districts
Bourassa Sauvé	Bourassa-Sauvé
Jeanne-Mance Viger	Jeanne-Mance–Viger
Reorganization of districts
Salaberry-Soulanges Beauharnois-Huntingdon	Beauharnois Huntingdon Soulanges

^ Parts from Argenteuil and Deux-Montagnes.

Results

Summary of the April 14, 2003 National Assembly of Quebec election results^[6]
Party		Leader	Candidates	Votes					Seats
Party		Leader	Candidates	#	±	%	Change (pp)		1998	2003	±
	Liberal	Jean Charest	125	1,755,863	15,995	45.99	2.44	2.44	48	76 / 125	28
	Parti Québécois	Bernard Landry	125	1,269,183	475,057	33.24%	-9.63		76	45 / 125	31
	Action démocratique	Mario Dumont	125	694,122	213,486	18.18	6.37	6.37	1	4 / 125	3
	UFP^{[a 1]}	(leading council)	74	40,422	16,325	1.06	0.47
	Bloc Pot	Hugô St-Onge	56	22,904	12,960	0.60	0.36
	Green	Richard Savignac	37	16,975	16,975	0.44	New
	Independent		35	8,269	4,172	0.22	-0.09
	Equality	Keith Henderson	21	4,051	8,492	0.11	-0.20
	Christian Democracy	Gilles Noël	25	3,226	3,226	0.08	New
	Marxist–Leninist	Claude Brunelle	23	2,749	2	0.07	–
Total			646	3,817,764		100.00%
Rejected ballots				48,484	1,493
Turnout				3,866,248	248,915	70.42%	7.90
Registered voters				5,490,551	236,069

^ Compared to 1998 PDS total.

Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 2003 Quebec general election^[6]^[7]^[8]
Riding	Winning party												Turnout ^{[a 1]}	Votes^{[a 2]}
Name	1998		1st place		Votes	Share	Margin #	Margin %	2nd place		3rd place			Lib	PQ	ADQ	UFP	Grn	Ind	Oth	Total
Name	1998		1st place		Votes	Share	Margin #	Margin %	2nd place		3rd place										Total

Abitibi-Est		PQ		Lib	9,056	42.86%	1,946	9.21%		PQ		ADQ	66.41%	9,056	7,110	4,477	–	–	202	286	21,131
Abitibi-Ouest		PQ		PQ	9,677	45.44%	1,717	8.06%		Lib		ADQ	66.77%	7,960	9,677	3,661	–	–	–	–	21,298
Acadie		Lib		Lib	23,211	70.39%	16,509	50.07%		PQ		ADQ	65.66%	23,211	6,702	2,253	–	–	161	646	32,973
Anjou		Lib		Lib	17,572	53.69%	6,999	21.38%		PQ		ADQ	73.30%	17,572	10,573	4,319	–	–	–	266	32,730
Argenteuil		Lib		Lib	12,645	53.33%	6,739	28.42%		PQ		ADQ	66.46%	12,645	5,906	4,372	–	496	–	292	23,711
Arthabaska		PQ		Lib	12,663	36.77%	1,274	3.70%		ADQ		PQ	73.62%	12,663	9,657	11,389	–	379	–	353	34,441
Beauce-Nord		Lib		ADQ	13,275	45.88%	2,171	7.50%		Lib		PQ	75.96%	11,104	4,160	13,275	175	–	–	223	28,937
Beauce-Sud		Lib		Lib	14,170	43.80%	1,318	4.07%		ADQ		PQ	72.45%	14,170	5,115	12,852	216	–	–	–	32,353
Beauharnois	New			PQ	13,904	44.83%	639	2.06%		Lib		ADQ	74.32%	13,265	13,904	3,338	–	506	–	–	31,013
Bellechasse		PQ		Lib	9,658	37.58%	1,151	4.48%		ADQ		PQ	76.10%	9,658	7,084	8,507	134	314	–	–	25,697
Berthier		PQ		PQ	12,101	35.00%	1,087	3.14%		ADQ		Lib	69.37%	10,828	12,101	11,014	632	–	–	–	34,575
Bertrand		PQ		PQ	14,704	43.33%	1,202	3.54%		Lib		ADQ	70.37%	13,502	14,704	4,834	–	664	41	190	33,935
Blainville		PQ		PQ	15,288	42.73%	2,599	7.26%		Lib		ADQ	74.72%	12,689	15,288	7,407	394	–	–	–	35,778
Bonaventure		Lib		Lib	11,975	60.08%	5,662	28.41%		PQ		ADQ	70.40%	11,975	6,313	1,101	–	542	–	–	19,931
Borduas		PQ		PQ	13,840	46.82%	3,859	13.05%		Lib		ADQ	77.84%	9,981	13,840	5,282	–	–	–	459	29,562
Bourassa-Sauvé	New			Lib	20,175	61.07%	11,932	36.12%		PQ		ADQ	64.22%	20,175	8,243	3,771	–	327	261	257	33,034
Bourget		PQ		PQ	15,074	45.42%	3,784	11.40%		Lib		ADQ	71.33%	11,290	15,074	5,747	418	–	–	662	33,191
Brome-Missisquoi		Lib		Lib	18,546	55.64%	10,453	31.36%		PQ		ADQ	70.44%	18,546	8,093	6,018	509	–	–	167	33,333
Chambly		PQ		Lib	17,656	41.85%	799	1.89%		PQ		ADQ	78.45%	17,656	16,857	6,935	–	–	–	744	42,192
Champlain^[a]		PQ		PQ	10,073	38.35%	642	2.44%		Lib		ADQ	57.70%	9,431	10,073	6,459	103	126	–	73	26,265
Chapleau		Lib		Lib	18,774	62.39%	12,262	40.75%		PQ		ADQ	58.70%	18,774	6,512	3,949	331	–	–	524	30,090
Charlesbourg		PQ		Lib	17,169	44.46%	6,233	16.14%		ADQ		PQ	79.06%	17,169	9,741	10,936	329	438	–	–	38,613
Charlevoix		PQ		PQ	10,131	43.63%	1,373	5.91%		Lib		ADQ	71.69%	8,758	10,131	3,998	168	–	105	62	23,222
Châteauguay		Lib		Lib	20,434	51.80%	6,683	16.94%		PQ		ADQ	74.33%	20,434	13,751	4,399	222	–	–	640	39,446
Chauveau		PQ		Lib	14,774	40.10%	2,219	6.02%		ADQ		PQ	76.87%	14,774	8,506	12,555	387	–	624	–	36,846
Chicoutimi		PQ		PQ	14,471	43.71%	2,657	8.02%		Lib		ADQ	71.89%	11,814	14,471	5,841	670	–	–	314	33,110
Chomedey		Lib		Lib	25,363	71.10%	18,795	52.69%		PQ		ADQ	66.86%	25,363	6,568	3,384	–	–	–	358	35,673
Chutes-de-la-Chaudière		PQ		ADQ	14,759	38.82%	2,158	5.68%		Lib		PQ	80.39%	12,601	10,007	14,759	649	–	–	–	38,016
Crémazie		PQ		Lib	15,498	44.26%	1,519	4.34%		PQ		ADQ	73.43%	15,498	13,979	4,057	686	399	–	396	35,015
D'Arcy-McGee		Lib		Lib	23,968	91.29%	22,881	87.15%		PQ		ADQ	61.64%	23,968	1,087	520	–	–	–	680^{[a 3]}	26,255
Deux-Montagnes		PQ		PQ	12,432	39.04%	333	1.05%		Lib		ADQ	74.37%	12,099	12,432	6,907	408	–	–	–	31,846
Drummond		PQ		PQ	15,200	40.92%	1,721	4.63%		Lib		ADQ	70.49%	13,479	15,200	7,577	301	–	393	199	37,149
Dubuc		PQ		PQ	9,767	38.90%	44	0.18%		Lib		ADQ	68.07%	9,723	9,767	5,162	457	–	–	–	25,109
Duplessis		PQ		PQ	10,926	47.90%	2,908	12.75%		Lib		ADQ	63.46%	8,018	10,926	2,530	–	–	1,334	–	22,808
Fabre		PQ		Lib	18,689	46.85%	4,261	10.68%		PQ		ADQ	75.49%	18,689	14,428	6,370	–	–	402	–	39,889
Frontenac		PQ		Lib	11,251	43.65%	3,970	15.40%		PQ		ADQ	77.77%	11,251	7,281	6,888	125	231	–	–	25,776
Gaspé		PQ		PQ	9,033	47.40%	981	5.15%		Lib		ADQ	68.72%	8,052	9,033	1,743	–	227	–	–	19,055
Gatineau		Lib		Lib	16,481	60.69%	9,818	36.15%		PQ		ADQ	60.58%	16,481	6,663	3,494	423	–	–	95	27,156
Gouin		PQ		PQ	15,890	53.34%	6,894	23.14%		Lib		ADQ	68.02%	8,996	15,890	2,456	1,397	584	–	465	29,788
Groulx		PQ		Lib	13,763	39.54%	303	0.87%		PQ		ADQ	73.52%	13,763	13,460	6,746	436	–	–	402	34,807
Hochelaga-Maisonneuve		PQ		PQ	13,138	55.77%	6,928	29.41%		Lib		ADQ	60.09%	6,210	13,138	2,449	788	367	–	607	23,559
Hull		Lib		Lib	16,262	57.25%	9,028	31.78%		PQ		ADQ	58.46%	16,262	7,234	3,663	677	–	192	377	28,405
Huntingdon	New			Lib	15,512	52.53%	7,210	24.42%		PQ		ADQ	72.35%	15,512	8,302	5,261	–	–	–	452	29,527
Iberville		PQ		Lib	12,106	39.15%	921	2.98%		PQ		ADQ	73.75%	12,106	11,185	6,731	229	298	–	376	30,925
Îles-de-la-Madeleine		PQ		PQ	4,606	58.69%	1,456	18.55%		Lib		ADQ	77.43%	3,150	4,606	92	–	–	–	–	7,848
Jacques-Cartier		Lib		Lib	30,035	86.79%	28,141	81.31%		PQ		ADQ	70.24%	30,035	1,894	1,253	–	727	49	650	34,608
Jean-Lesage		Lib		Lib	15,547	44.22%	6,139	17.46%		PQ		ADQ	72.24%	15,547	9,408	8,912	–	–	714	575	35,156
Jeanne-Mance–Viger	New			Lib	26,801	79.89%	22,498	67.06%		PQ		ADQ	67.70%	26,801	4,303	2,080	–	–	–	365	33,549
Jean-Talon		Lib		Lib	15,475	45.60%	3,476	10.24%		PQ		ADQ	80.45%	15,475	11,999	5,149	515	477	126	197	33,938
Johnson		PQ		PQ	12,232	40.62%	1,532	5.09%		Lib		ADQ	72.74%	10,700	12,232	6,612	343	–	–	224	30,111
Joliette		PQ		PQ	13,104	39.48%	1,943	5.85%		Lib		ADQ	71.43%	11,161	13,104	7,114	1,149	–	–	667	33,195
Jonquière		PQ		Lib	13,826	44.42%	2,440	7.84%		PQ		ADQ	70.68%	13,826	11,386	5,216	330	–	–	368	31,126
Kamouraska-Témiscouata		Lib		Lib	11,266	45.75%	4,762	19.34%		ADQ		PQ	70.90%	11,266	6,326	6,504	–	293	238	–	24,627
Labelle		PQ		PQ	13,530	46.57%	3,029	10.42%		Lib		ADQ	68.68%	10,501	13,530	4,283	–	468	–	274	29,056
Lac-Saint-Jean		PQ		PQ	15,200	53.71%	7,795	27.55%		Lib		ADQ	69.58%	7,405	15,200	5,694	–	–	–	–	28,299
LaFontaine		Lib		Lib	18,164	69.53%	13,225	50.63%		PQ		ADQ	70.82%	18,164	4,939	2,697	–	–	–	323	26,123
La Peltrie		PQ		Lib	16,462	41.47%	3,041	7.66%		ADQ		PQ	79.01%	16,462	8,711	13,421	515	–	586	–	39,695
La Pinière		Lib		Lib	22,474	64.36%	14,540	41.64%		PQ		ADQ	69.96%	22,474	7,934	4,026	–	–	–	487	34,921
Laporte		Lib		Lib	18,673	55.22%	8,495	25.12%		PQ		ADQ	71.80%	18,673	10,178	3,885	489	–	–	593	33,818
La Prairie		PQ		Lib	15,805	41.58%	937	2.47%		PQ		ADQ	75.91%	15,805	14,868	6,478	229	–	–	631	38,011
L'Assomption		PQ		PQ	16,965	43.40%	2,854	7.30%		Lib		ADQ	75.16%	14,111	16,965	7,053	356	602	–	–	39,087
Laurier-Dorion		Lib		Lib	16,052	53.14%	6,277	20.78%		PQ		ADQ	64.36%	16,052	9,775	1,996	922	595	248	621	30,209
Laval-des-Rapides		PQ		Lib	15,190	44.73%	1,981	5.83%		PQ		ADQ	69.82%	15,190	13,209	4,693	–	366	–	501	33,959
Laviolette		PQ		Lib	12,806	52.67%	5,076	20.88%		PQ		ADQ	72.18%	12,806	7,730	3,453	182	–	–	144	24,315
Lévis		PQ		Lib	12,891	35.12%	406	1.11%		PQ		ADQ	77.56%	12,891	12,485	10,670	442	–	220	–	36,708
Lotbinière		PQ		ADQ	9,522	37.45%	749	2.95%		Lib		PQ	77.57%	8,773	6,502	9,522	175	306	–	150	25,428
Louis-Hébert		PQ		Lib	17,938	44.53%	6,270	15.56%		PQ		ADQ	81.12%	17,938	11,668	9,505	402	493	–	281	40,287
Marguerite-Bourgeoys		Lib		Lib	22,807	70.44%	16,480	50.90%		PQ		ADQ	68.14%	22,807	6,327	2,524	–	415	–	304	32,377
Marguerite-D'Youville		PQ		Lib	16,368	41.38%	867	2.19%		PQ		ADQ	81.93%	16,368	15,501	6,596	536	–	–	550	39,551
Marie-Victorin		PQ		PQ	12,736	45.39%	2,937	10.47%		Lib		ADQ	67.05%	9,799	12,736	4,374	452	–	134	566	28,061
Marquette		Lib		Lib	21,232	65.06%	13,560	41.55%		PQ		ADQ	66.11%	21,232	7,672	3,260	–	–	–	468	32,632
Maskinongé		PQ		Lib	13,240	38.16%	906	2.61%		PQ		ADQ	74.62%	13,240	12,334	9,118	–	–	–	–	34,692
Masson		PQ		PQ	15,445	44.83%	4,074	11.82%		Lib		ADQ	70.86%	11,371	15,445	7,637	–	–	–	–	34,453
Matane		PQ		Lib	7,602	40.84%	33	0.18%		PQ		ADQ	67.56%	7,602	7,569	3,005	–	124	313	–	18,613
Matapédia		PQ		PQ	9,197	45.48%	2,858	14.13%		Lib		ADQ	68.97%	6,339	9,197	4,686	–	–	–	–	20,222
Mégantic-Compton		Lib		Lib	11,135	47.09%	3,788	16.02%		PQ		ADQ	72.38%	11,135	7,347	4,901	193	–	–	71	23,647
Mercier		PQ		PQ	13,334	45.26%	4,920	16.70%		Lib		UFP	69.56%	8,414	13,334	1,855	5,278	–	–	579	29,460
Mille-Îles		PQ		Lib	19,924	50.18%	5,591	14.08%		PQ		ADQ	76.14%	19,924	14,333	5,093	–	–	244	113	39,707
Mirabel	New			PQ	10,577	38.33%	1,091	3.95%		ADQ		Lib	72.02%	7,529	10,577	9,486	–	–	–	–	27,592
Montmagny-L'Islet		Lib		Lib	9,518	41.17%	1,005	4.35%		ADQ		PQ	72.34%	9,518	4,863	8,513	225	–	–	–	23,119
Montmorency		PQ		Lib	13,708	36.78%	1,887	5.06%		ADQ		PQ	77.09%	13,708	11,226	11,821	517	–	–	–	37,272
Mont-Royal		Lib		Lib	21,021	80.91%	17,556	67.57%		PQ		ADQ	59.60%	21,021	3,465	1,240	–	–	–	256	25,982
Nelligan		Lib		Lib	27,934	77.60%	23,323	64.79%		PQ		ADQ	69.65%	27,934	4,611	2,680	–	541	–	233	35,999
Nicolet-Yamaska		PQ		PQ	10,783	41.21%	1,856	7.09%		Lib		ADQ	77.82%	8,927	10,783	5,899	–	–	141	417	26,167
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce		Lib		Lib	18,911	74.59%	15,451	60.94%		PQ		ADQ	61.80%	18,911	3,460	1,225	–	1,084	–	674	25,354
Orford		Lib		Lib	17,314	49.48%	6,277	17.94%		PQ		ADQ	71.42%	17,314	11,037	6,145	498	–	–	–	34,994
Outremont		Lib		Lib	14,278	53.90%	6,060	22.88%		PQ		UFP	62.81%	14,278	8,218	1,712	1,818	–	–	464	26,490
Papineau		Lib		Lib	17,933	58.02%	9,654	31.24%		PQ		ADQ	61.03%	17,933	8,279	3,833	286	576	–	–	30,907
Pointe-aux-Trembles		PQ		PQ	14,261	50.19%	4,834	17.01%		Lib		ADQ	72.30%	9,427	14,261	4,050	–	457	–	217	28,412
Pontiac		Lib		Lib	17,885	76.52%	14,752	63.12%		PQ		ADQ	55.44%	17,885	3,133	1,830	392	–	–	132	23,372
Portneuf		PQ		Lib	12,729	39.44%	1,948	6.04%		ADQ		PQ	77.07%	12,729	8,352	10,781	413	–	–	–	32,275
Prévost		PQ		PQ	16,159	45.16%	4,304	12.03%		Lib		ADQ	69.30%	11,855	16,159	7,087	–	–	–	678	35,779
Réne-Lévesque		PQ		PQ	8,997	40.86%	1,641	7.45%		ADQ		Lib	63.07%	5,215	8,997	7,356	–	–	449	–	22,017
Richelieu		PQ		PQ	13,286	46.36%	2,359	8.23%		Lib		ADQ	72.93%	10,927	13,286	3,756	–	–	209	481	28,659
Richmond		Lib		Lib	14,767	57.20%	8,618	33.38%		PQ		ADQ	73.80%	14,767	6,149	4,899	–	–	–	–	25,815
Rimouski		PQ		PQ	14,177	47.71%	3,360	11.31%		Lib		ADQ	71.07%	10,817	14,177	4,719	–	–	–	–	29,713
Rivière-du-Loup		ADQ		ADQ	13,452	57.23%	7,867	33.47%		Lib		PQ	72.66%	5,585	4,155	13,452	–	312	–	–	23,504
Robert-Baldwin		Lib		Lib	28,892	85.87%	26,255	78.04%		PQ		ADQ	65.26%	28,892	2,637	1,705	–	–	–	411	33,645
Roberval		PQ		Lib	11,930	39.17%	244	0.80%		PQ		ADQ	68.45%	11,930	11,686	6,388	453	–	–	–	30,457
Rosemont		PQ		PQ	16,143	43.77%	1,422	3.86%		Lib		ADQ	71.32%	14,721	16,143	4,248	1,132	–	–	640	36,884
Rousseau		PQ		PQ	14,079	47.85%	4,952	16.83%		Lib		ADQ	64.97%	9,127	14,079	5,645	324	–	–	249	29,424
Rouyn-Noranda–Témiscamingue		PQ		Lib	10,347	36.46%	674	2.38%		PQ		ADQ	67.42%	10,347	9,673	7,849	507	–	–	–	28,376
Sainte-Marie–Saint-Jacques		PQ		PQ	13,066	49.84%	5,077	19.37%		Lib		ADQ	61.51%	7,989	13,066	2,183	1,699	690	–	590	26,217
Saint-François		Lib		Lib	16,562	52.32%	6,636	20.96%		PQ		ADQ	71.67%	16,562	9,926	4,541	314	–	–	310	31,653
Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne		Lib		Lib	16,004	52.91%	6,174	20.41%		PQ		ADQ	61.04%	16,004	9,830	2,645	595	439	–	734	30,247
Saint-Hyacinthe		PQ		PQ	13,870	39.33%	733	2.08%		Lib		ADQ	74.72%	13,137	13,870	7,855	401	–	–	–	35,263
Saint-Jean		PQ		Lib	14,758	40.75%	1,335	3.69%		PQ		ADQ	72.34%	14,758	13,423	6,856	535	–	185	462	36,219
Saint-Laurent		Lib		Lib	24,745	77.66%	20,189	63.36%		PQ		ADQ	63.61%	24,745	4,556	1,834	325	–	–	405	31,865
Saint-Maurice		PQ		PQ	8,860	34.72%	628	2.46%		Lib		ADQ	72.67%	8,232	8,860	8,201	225	–	–	–	25,518
Shefford		Lib		Lib	16,391	46.28%	6,318	17.84%		PQ		ADQ	69.91%	16,391	10,073	8,114	334	–	–	502	35,414
Sherbrooke		Lib		Lib	16,403	46.95%	2,597	7.43%		PQ		ADQ	73.49%	16,403	13,806	4,169	496	–	–	64	34,938
Soulanges	New			Lib	13,473	50.99%	4,720	17.86%		PQ		ADQ	74.19%	13,473	8,753	3,549	–	320	–	327	26,422
Taillon		PQ		PQ	17,603	45.85%	4,483	11.68%		Lib		ADQ	71.02%	13,120	17,603	6,353	545	–	216	556	38,393
Taschereau		PQ		PQ	12,930	38.95%	1,690	5.09%		Lib		ADQ	69.37%	11,240	12,930	6,537	1,176	731	197	389	33,200
Terrebonne		PQ		PQ	17,327	48.69%	5,974	16.79%		Lib		ADQ	73.31%	11,353	17,327	6,463	440	–	–	–	35,583
Trois-Rivières		PQ		Lib	11,034	40.80%	880	3.25%		PQ		ADQ	72.51%	11,034	10,154	5,181	214	–	110	350	27,043
Ungava		PQ		PQ	5,744	50.11%	1,486	12.96%		Lib		ADQ	50.52%	4,258	5,744	1,460	–	–	–	–	11,462
Vachon		PQ		PQ	12,960	40.45%	219	0.68%		Lib		ADQ	73.91%	12,741	12,960	5,540	279	–	–	519	32,039
Vanier		PQ		Lib	16,182	42.83%	4,536	12.00%		ADQ		PQ	76.75%	16,182	9,385	11,646	573	–	–	–	37,786
Vaudreuil		Lib		Lib	18,490	57.67%	9,016	28.12%		PQ		ADQ	74.03%	18,490	9,474	3,487	–	–	–	608	32,059
Verchères		PQ		PQ	16,963	54.78%	8,243	26.62%		Lib		ADQ	77.70%	8,720	16,963	4,585	195	–	–	505	30,968
Verdun		Lib		Lib	15,185	52.52%	6,403	22.15%		PQ		ADQ	63.01%	15,185	8,782	3,269	368	658	54	595	28,911
Viau		Lib		Lib	17,703	65.13%	11,561	42.53%		PQ		ADQ	62.81%	17,703	6,142	2,406	384	–	121	426	27,182
Vimont		PQ		Lib	17,908	46.31%	5,043	13.04%		PQ		ADQ	76.04%	17,908	12,865	7,227	269	403	–	–	38,672
Westmount-Saint-Louis		Lib		Lib	18,330	80.23%	15,958	69.84%		PQ		ADQ	52.86%	18,330	2,372	959	718	–	–	469	22,848

^ including spoilt ballots
^ All parties with more than 1% of the vote, or which had a candidate that polled at least 1,000 votes, are shown individually. Independent candidates and other minor parties are aggregated separately.
^ William Shaw was previously elected as a Union Nationale MPP in 1976. He campaigned in this election for the Equality Party and received 406 votes.

= open seat

= turnout is above provincial average

= winning candidate was in previous Legislature

= incumbent had switched allegiance

= previously incumbent in another riding

= not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature

= incumbency arose from byelection gain

= other incumbents renominated

= previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada

= multiple candidates

Summary analysis

Party candidates in 2nd place^[6]
Party in 1st place		Party in 2nd place			Total
Party in 1st place		Lib	PQ	ADQ	Total
	Liberal		65	11	76
	Parti Québécois	42		3	45
	Action démocratique	4			4
Total		46	65	14	125

Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party^[6]
Parties	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
█ Liberal	76	46	3
█ Parti Québécois	45	65	15
█ Action démocratique	4	14	105	2
█ UFP			2	44	27
█ Bloc Pot				28	19
█ Green				26	9
█ Independent				9	9
█ Equality				4	7
█ Marxist–Leninist				2	5
█ Christian Democracy					7

Resulting composition of the National Assembly (2003)^[8]
Source		Party
Source		Lib	PQ	ADQ	Total
Seats retained	Incumbents returned	33	35	1	69
	Open seats held	8	4		12
	Byelection losses reversed		4		4
Seats changing hands	Incumbents defeated	15		2	17
	Open seats gained	11		1	12
	Open - taken by previous incumbent from another riding	1			1
	Byelection gains held	2			2
New seats	Previously incumbent in another riding	3	1		4
New seats	New MNAs	1	1		2
Total		76	45	4	125

Notes

^ Election resulted in a tie for first place. It was held again on May 20, 2003.

References

^ "Riding Profiles: Champlain". Quebec Votes 2003. CBC. Archived from the original on August 25, 2007. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
^ "Les électeurs de Champlain retournent aux urnes" (in French). Radio-Canada. May 20, 2003. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
^ "PQ wins revote in Champlain". CBC News. May 21, 2003. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
^ "Champlain (New election – May 20, 2003)". Elections Quebec. Archived from the original on January 12, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
^ "Historique des circonscriptions du Québec" [History of Quebec's electoral districts]. electionsquebec.qc.ca (in French). Retrieved December 26, 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Drouilly, Pierre (December 4, 2017). "Élections québécoises de 2003" [2003 Quebec elections]. donneesquebec.ca (in French). Atlas des élections au Québec.
^ "Les membres de l'Assemblée nationale par circonscription" [National Assembly members by riding] (in French). National Assembly of Quebec. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Les résultats électoraux depuis 1867" [Electoral results since 1867] (in French). National Assembly of Quebec. Retrieved May 12, 2024.

External links

[6] Parts from Argenteuil and Deux-Montagnes.

[8] Compared to 1998 PDS total.

[11] uding spoilt ballots

[12] All parties with more than 1% of the vote, or which had a candidate that polled at least 1,000 votes, are shown individually. Independent candidates and other minor parties are aggregated separately.

[14] William Shaw was previously elected as a Union Nationale MPP in 1976. He campaigned in this election for the Equality Party and received 406 votes.

[13] Election resulted in a tie for first place. It was held again on May 20, 2003.

[1] "Riding Profiles: Champlain". Quebec Votes 2003. CBC. Archived from the original on August 25, 2007. Retrieved March 18, 2012.

[2] "Les électeurs de Champlain retournent aux urnes" (in French). Radio-Canada. May 20, 2003. Retrieved March 18, 2012.

[3] "PQ wins revote in Champlain". CBC News. May 21, 2003. Retrieved March 18, 2012.

[4] "Champlain (New election – May 20, 2003)". Elections Quebec. Archived from the original on January 12, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2012.

[5] "Historique des circonscriptions du Québec" [History of Quebec's electoral districts]. electionsquebec.qc.ca (in French). Retrieved December 26, 2023.

[EQdata-7] Drouilly, Pierre (December 4, 2017). "Élections québécoises de 2003" [2003 Quebec elections]. donneesquebec.ca (in French). Atlas des élections au Québec.

[MNAdata-9] "Les membres de l'Assemblée nationale par circonscription" [National Assembly members by riding] (in French). National Assembly of Quebec. Retrieved May 12, 2024.

[NAQdata-10] "Les résultats électoraux depuis 1867" [Electoral results since 1867] (in French). National Assembly of Quebec. Retrieved May 12, 2024.

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v t e Elections and referendums in Quebec
General elections	1867 1871 1875 1878 1881 1886 1890 1892 1897 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1919 1923 1927 1931 1935 1936 1939 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1962 1966 1970 1973 1976 1981 1985 1989 1994 1998 2003 2007 2008 2012 2014 2018 2022 44th
Municipal elections	1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1983 1985 1986 1987 1989 1990 1993 1994 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2009 2013 2017 2021
Referendums	1919 1980 1992 1995 2004
See also: List of Quebec by-elections