Overview
- The Parti Québécois surged to 59 seats in the provincial election that concluded on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, leaving it five seats short of a legislative majority and placing Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon as premier‑designate.
- As a minority government the PQ must win support or abstentions from other parties to pass budgets and major bills which means its platform promises will face negotiation in the National Assembly.
- St‑Pierre Plamondon reaffirmed a pledge to hold a referendum on Quebec independence during his first term but said it will not be called while U.S. President Donald Trump remains in office and is not an immediate priority.
- His immediate agenda centers on a summit and new measures to reduce homelessness, a secretariat to review government spending, frozen salaries for some officials and moves to curtail the lieutenant‑governor’s role for symbolic and budgetary reasons.
- The PQ’s platform includes practical changes that would affect everyday life—estimated CA$130 million of referendum preparatory spending, cuts to fuel and sales taxes on used goods, housing credits and tighter immigration caps—set against public polling that places support for independence near 30%.