A Quebec Election Poll Shows Québec Solidaire Surpassing The Libs & The CAQ Squashing All

Less than a week before the Quebec election, the CAQ is still on track to crush its opponents even though its support is slipping, according to the latest poll by Léger and Québecor (Léger/Journal/TVA/QUB).

The poll reached 1,023 people between September 23 to 25, that is, after the second and final leaders' debate on Radio-Canada.

According to data collected, 37% of respondents said they intended to vote for the CAQ, still more than twice as much support as each of the opposing parties but down from 38% on September 20 and 15, and from 42% at the end of August.

But the biggest news from the Léger/Journal/TVA/QUB poll might be that support for Québec solidaire (QS) has surpassed that of the Liberal Party (PLQ) — though just barely: 17% to the Liberals' 16%. It remains to be seen if that additional 1% will translate into enough additional seats in the National Assembly to catapult QS to official opposition status.

The popularity of QS co-spokesperson and aspiring premier Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois might be a boon. 27% of respondents said Nadeau-Dubois, affectionately known as GND, would make the best opposition leader, compared to 15% who said the same of PLQ leader Dominique Anglade.

Also on the upswing is the Parti Québécois. Despite its still abysmal outlook (poll aggregator QC125 projects the once mighty party could claim as few as one National Assembly seat), its support is up six points since an August 27 poll and now tied with the Parti conservateur at 15%.

PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon (whose name his supporters mercifully reduce to PSPP) might be the driving force. A plurality (21%) of poll respondents said he won the Radio-Canada debate. GND was a distant runner-up (12%). On the question of the opposition leader, PSPP only trails GND by two percentage points (25%).

The Quebec provincial election is on October 3.

This article's left-hand cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.