A Léger survey found 67% of Quebec respondents opposed Parti Québécois (PQ) leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon holding an independence referendum during a first term in government, after the party missed a majority.
The PQ won 59 of the 127 seats in Quebec’s Oct. 5 election, according to Élections Québec. That left it five short of the 64 needed for a majority. It received 28.02% of valid votes.
In a separate question, 35% of decided respondents said they would have voted for the PQ if it had ruled out a referendum during its first term. That answer was given after the election. Léger provided no constituency-level seat projection, so the survey cannot establish whether dropping the pledge would have won the party a majority.
Léger surveyed 1,014 eligible Quebec voters online from Oct. 9-12 and weighted the results by demographic factors. Among respondents who said they voted, 16% identified the referendum as the main issue behind their choice, compared with 17% who named the cost of living and purchasing power.
In an Aug. 18 party statement, St-Pierre Plamondon said a PQ government would consult Quebecers on independence during its first term but would not hold a referendum while U.S. President Donald Trump remained in office. The party identified Jan. 20, 2029, as the earliest date for a vote. Quebec rejected sovereignty-related proposals in referendums in 1980 and 1995, according to Élections Québec.
The debate follows Alberta’s Oct. 19 referendum, where an unofficial count favored remaining in Canada. The nonbinding separation question offered voters a choice between remaining a Canadian province and initiating legal steps toward a later binding referendum.
Global News reported that St-Pierre Plamondon viewed Alberta’s result as a sign of dissatisfaction with Canada’s federal system, while Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard urged him to abandon the referendum pledge. In a prepared text for her Oct. 20 address, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she would not hold another referendum on the issue.
Elections Alberta plans to announce official results Oct. 29 at noon ET (10 a.m. MDT).
