Skip to content
Surf Wiki
Save to docs
politics

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

1981 Quebec general election

Canadian provincial election


Canadian provincial election

FieldValue
election_name1981 Quebec general election
countryQuebec
typeparliamentary
ongoingno
party_colourno
party_nameno
previous_election1976 Quebec general election
previous_year1976
previous_mps31st National Assembly of Quebec
next_election1985 Quebec general election
next_year1985
elected_mps32nd National Assembly of Quebec
seats_for_election122 seats in the [32nd National Assembly of Quebec](32nd-national-assembly-of-quebec)
62 seats were needed for a majority
turnout82.52% (2.75%)
election_dateApril 13, 1981
image1[[File:René Lévesque 1980 (3x4).jpg130x150px]]
colour1
leader1René Lévesque
leader_since1October 14, 1968
party1
leaders_seat1Taillon
last_election171 seats, 41.37%
seats1**80**
seat_change19
popular_vote1**1,773,237**
percentage1**49.26%**
swing17.89%
image2[[File: Claude Ryan 1978 (cropped).jpg130x150px]]
colour2
leader2Claude Ryan
leader_since2April 15, 1978
party2
leaders_seat2Argenteuil
last_election226 seats, 33.78%
seats242
seat_change216
popular_vote21,658,753
percentage246.07%
swing212.29%
image3**UN**
colour3
leader3Roch La Salle
leader_since3January 9, 1981
party3
leaders_seat3*Ran in Berthier (lost)*
last_election311 seats, 18.20%
seats30
seat_change311
popular_vote3144,070
percentage34.00%
swing314.20%
map_image1981 Quebec general election.svg
map_captionPopular 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.
titlePremier
before_electionRené Lévesque
before_party
after_electionRené Lévesque
posttitlePremier after election
after_party

62 seats were needed for a majority The 1981 Quebec general election was held on April 13, 1981, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by Premier René Lévesque, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Claude Ryan.

The PQ won re-election despite having lost the 1980 Quebec referendum on sovereignty-association, the party's proposal for political independence for Quebec in an economic union with the rest of Canada. To some extent, they were helped by Claude Ryan's old-fashioned campaign style: he refused to tailor sound bites for the evening news and ran a campaign generally unsuited for television coverage. Despite finishing only three percent behind the PQ, the Liberals still finished a distant second, with 42 seats to the PQ's 80. Historically, provincial elections in Quebec produce large disparities between the popular vote and the actual seat count.

The Union Nationale, which had won 11 seats in a modest comeback in the 1976 general election, was reduced to five seats at dissolution by numerous floor crossings, retirements and resignations. Among the departures was that of its leader in the 1976 election, Rodrigue Biron, who crossed the floor to the PQ. The once-proud party lost all of its remaining seats, never to return. The party essentially ended at this point, though it lingered in desultory fashion until 1989.

Parti Québécois received its highest ever result with 49.26% of the vote.

Redistribution of ridings

A 1979 Act provided for the creation of the Commission de la représentation électorale, charged with the task of the redistribution of riding boundaries for elections to the National Assembly. For its initial work, it had to create a sufficient number of ridings that would have an average of 34,000 electors. In April 1980, the Commission increased the number of electoral districts from 110 to 122, effective with the next election:

Abolished ridingsNew ridings*Drawn from parts of other ridings**Reorganization of ridings**Division of ridings**Renaming of ridings*

Campaign

The Liberals and péquistes fielded full slates, while the Unionists decided not to run a candidate in the new riding of Ungava. The Parti national populaire ceased operations after its co-founder and only MNA Fabien Roy decided to leave the Legislature in 1979 for the federal level to lead the Social Credit Party of Canada.

The Ralliement créditiste dissolved in 1978 when its leader Camil Samson created Les Démocrates, but that party failed to secure enough nominations for the coming election and thus dissolved in 1980. Samson would later join the Liberals, and would run as a candidate for that party in Rouyn-Noranda–Témiscamingue.

Other disaffected créditistes opted to join the United Social Credit which had been revived by Jean-Paul Poulin.

CandidatesTotal
align="center"**PQ**align="center"**Lib**
21
348
435
514
611
76
84
91
102
Total122

Results

All seats were won by either the PQ or the Liberals, and no other party received better than a third-place result. The UN was once more shut out of the National Assembly. The election was notable for a large number of fringe parties, none of which received as much as 0.2% of the popular vote.

|- ! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Political party ! rowspan=2 | Party leader ! colspan=4 | MNAs ! colspan=4 | Votes |- ! Candidates 1976 !1981 !± !# ! ± !% ! ± (pp) | 122 || 71 || 80 || 9 || 1,773,237 || 382,886 || 49.26% || 7.89 | 122 || 26 || 42 || 16 || 1,658,753 || 523,697 || 46.08% || 12.30 | 121 || 11 || – || 11 || 144,070 || 467,596 || 4.00% || 14.20 | || 27 || – || – || – || 4,372 || 8,612 || 0.12% || 0.27 | 33 || – || – || – || 4,956 || 4,956 || 0.14% ||New | 12 || – || – || – || 4,955 || 4,955 || 0.14% ||New | 10 || – || – || – || 3,299 || 3,299 || 0.09% ||New | 40 || – || – || – || 3,178 || 3,178 || 0.09% ||New successor to the Ralliement créditiste | 16 || – || – || – || 1,284 || 154,167 || 0.04% || 4.59 | || 10 || – || – || – || 1,027 || 222 || 0.03% || 0.01 | 10 || – || – || – || 768 || 1,008 || 0.02% || 0.03 | || 2 || – || – || – || 198 || 110 || 0.01% || 0.01 |- ! colspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | Total |525||110 ! " colspan="2"|122 ! " colspan="2"|3,600,097 ! " colspan="2"| 100.00% |- | 38,523

31,923
3,638,620
207,668
82.52
2.75
-
4,409,276
385,533
}

Vote and seat summaries

|File:Ternary QC1976.svg |1976 |File:Ternary QC1981.svg |1981

PartySeatsVotesChange (pp)
{{bartable7.89
{{bartable12.03
{{bartable-14.20
{{bartable-4.59
{{bartable-0.92
{{bartable-0.27
{{bartable0.06

Synopsis of results

RidingWinning partyTurnout
including spoilt ballotsVotesName**[1976](1976-quebec-general-election)**PartyVotesShareMargin
#Margin
%PQLibUNIndOthTotal
Abitibi-EstPQPQ13,79062.57%7,19832.66%74.62%13,7906,5921,65822,040
Abitibi-OuestPQPQ16,03365.14%8,38434.06%79.41%16,0337,64993224,614
AnjouPQPQ20,35556.81%5,42015.13%85.54%20,35514,93554335,833
ArgenteuilLibLib15,89557.23%4,99617.99%81.92%10,89915,89577820027,772
ArthabaskaPQPQ18,42453.64%5,30415.44%85.50%18,42413,1202,62318034,347
Beauce-NordPQPQ18,85853.39%4,82813.67%85.25%18,85814,0302,43335,321
Beauce-SudPNPLib13,39346.89%970.34%82.95%13,29613,3931,51935728,565
BeauharnoisPQPQ18,74154.01%4,12011.87%86.95%18,74114,62197037034,702
BellechasseUNPQ9,19437.58%3641.49%82.56%9,1948,8306,44024,464
BerthierPQLib10,67637.34%1,2224.27%85.41%9,45410,6768,46128,591
Bertrand*New*PQ19,09160.44%7,40523.44%88.74%19,09111,68681031,587
BonaventureLibLib11,60953.95%2,1339.91%79.39%9,47611,60943221,517
BourassaPQPQ15,59750.37%9232.98%83.81%15,59714,67457112430,966
BourgetPQPQ15,81056.07%4,25415.09%84.82%15,81011,5565884520028,199
Brome-MissisquoiUNLib15,83262.57%7,82730.93%81.32%8,00515,8321,17828925,304
ChamblyPQPQ15,18951.39%1,6455.57%87.93%15,18913,5447527029,555
ChamplainPQPQ17,78953.57%4,93714.87%84.64%17,78912,8522,46210133,204
Chapleau*New*Lib15,36453.44%2,4848.64%76.41%12,88015,3644139528,752
CharlesbourgPQPQ19,88457.32%5,99817.29%85.98%19,88413,88676215534,687
CharlevoixLibLib12,71250.65%7993.18%84.32%11,91312,71247325,098
ChâteauguayPQPQ18,85551.45%1,7784.85%86.68%18,85517,07757414036,646
ChauveauPQPQ18,99155.97%4,91814.49%82.93%18,99114,07386633,930
ChicoutimiPQPQ24,45673.91%16,63250.26%80.13%24,4567,82481133,091
Chomedey*New*Lib20,93366.24%10,80834.20%83.72%10,12520,93354331,601
CrémaziePQPQ16,93851.46%1,5834.81%85.85%16,93815,3555458032,918
D'Arcy-McGeeLibLib26,06491.96%24,53286.56%78.53%1,53226,06411163528,342
Deux-MontagnesPQPQ16,14953.00%2,8309.29%85.83%16,14913,31976710413330,472
DorionPQPQ14,55151.54%1,8946.71%82.58%14,55112,6575247442928,235
DrummondPQPQ19,35955.31%5,91116.89%84.44%19,35913,4482,0999535,001
DubucPQPQ16,63064.64%8,29632.25%82.30%16,6308,33476225,726
DuplessisPQPQ19,96265.30%10,04132.85%73.70%19,9629,92151417330,570
FabrePQPQ15,36152.78%2,2657.78%87.25%15,36113,09664829,105
FrontenacPQPQ16,54953.29%7,09822.86%85.70%16,5499,4514,90315231,055
GaspéUNPQ12,13647.08%1,2324.78%81.08%12,13610,9042,73925,779
GatineauLibLib12,24454.56%2,41610.77%81.71%9,82812,24436922,441
GouinPQPQ15,56357.76%5,20919.33%80.64%15,56310,3546076635226,942
Groulx*New*PQ20,31757.20%6,07417.10%84.78%20,31714,24386110135,522
HullPQLib15,57249.76%4561.46%80.19%15,11615,5722639624731,294
HuntingdonUNLib13,45456.91%5,08821.52%81.79%8,36613,4541,82123,641
IbervillePQPQ16,82249.18%1,9395.67%85.63%16,82214,8832,49834,203
Îles-de-la-MadeleinePQPQ5,27863.79%2,42729.33%88.30%5,2782,85157888,274
Jacques-CartierLibLib25,89479.52%20,91164.22%83.04%4,98325,8942591,12230432,562
Jean-TalonLibLib17,29052.28%2,2466.79%85.96%15,04417,29052621533,075
Jeanne-MancePQLib19,65258.65%6,18018.44%84.46%13,47219,65238533,509
JohnsonUNPQ13,13147.90%8062.94%85.31%13,13112,3251,95927,415
Joliette*New*PQ16,34351.95%5,20016.53%86.46%16,34311,1433,97131,457
JonquièrePQPQ23,56265.99%12,23534.27%83.63%23,56211,32758223535,706
Kamouraska-TémiscouataPQPQ14,70254.95%4,18915.66%77.88%14,70210,5131,53926,754
L'AcadieLibLib22,78468.16%12,63037.79%83.92%10,15422,78436911833,425
L'AssomptionPQPQ22,60561.61%10,45528.50%87.04%22,60512,1501,93436,689
La Peltrie*New*PQ17,97557.31%5,33717.02%86.78%17,97512,63874931,362
Labelleformerly Laurentides-LabellePQPQ17,59657.70%5,77418.93%79.93%17,59611,8221,07930,497
Lac-Saint-JeanPQPQ19,60262.32%8,95428.47%86.29%19,60210,6481,20531,455
LaFontainePQPQ20,02862.08%8,53426.45%83.85%20,02811,49460713132,260
LaportePQLib19,31660.09%7,09722.08%84.02%12,21919,31650910332,147
La PrairiePQLib19,07049.26%3280.85%85.49%18,74219,0708139138,716
LaurierLibLib16,71957.99%6,84823.75%80.21%9,87116,7196753361,22928,830
Laval-des-Rapides*New*PQ18,66757.93%5,84018.12%85.14%18,66712,8276587032,222
LaviolettePQPQ16,40356.44%5,06717.43%82.81%16,40311,3361,324029,063
LévisPQPQ24,44459.42%8,80421.40%85.74%24,44415,6409728241,138
LimoilouPQPQ17,31754.43%3,88112.20%81.01%17,31713,43685121331,817
LotbinièreUNPQ11,65348.94%1,3655.73%85.12%11,65310,2881,87223,813
Louis-HébertPQPQ20,34561.36%8,12724.51%84.34%20,34512,21847312133,157
MaisonneuvePQPQ16,93057.82%5,52318.86%80.23%16,93011,40751342929,279
Marguerite-BourgeoysLibLib19,51167.51%10,54136.47%82.74%8,97019,5113556428,900
Marie-Victorin*New*PQ19,47265.49%10,26434.52%81.83%19,4729,20877228229,734
Marquette*New*Lib13,14650.54%9373.60%82.04%12,20913,14636529326,013
MaskinongéLibLib13,24846.89%2330.82%85.27%13,01513,2481,99328,256
MatanePQPQ13,98057.08%4,36717.83%79.98%13,9809,61370419724,494
MatapédiaPQPQ10,44552.49%3,26716.42%79.59%10,4457,1782,27619,899
Mégantic-ComptonUNLib11,79551.73%2,32710.21%82.04%9,46811,7951,53922,802
MercierPQPQ16,25254.53%3,91913.15%79.92%16,25212,33349511660829,804
Mille-ÎlesPQPQ16,82553.97%3,19610.25%88.37%16,82513,62972031,174
Mont-RoyalLibLib21,87580.69%17,50064.55%78.60%4,37521,87518867127,109
Montmagny-L'IsletLibPQ11,79745.50%2310.89%80.14%11,79711,5662,56625,929
MontmorencyPQPQ21,79162.48%9,55327.39%83.53%21,79112,23871014034,879
Nelliganformerly Pointe-ClaireUNLib23,16873.85%16,05551.18%82.46%7,11323,16837571631,372
Nicoletformerly Nicolet-YamaskaUNPQ9,31834.86%3621.35%86.13%9,3188,9568,45326,727
Notre-Dame-de-GrâceLibLib24,82181.96%20,54067.82%78.53%4,28124,8211741,00830,284
OrfordLibLib15,82854.40%3,64212.52%82.13%12,18615,8281,08329,097
OutremontLibLib15,31055.12%3,40312.25%81.80%11,90715,3102156827527,775
PapineauPQLib11,71753.31%1,9768.99%82.07%9,74111,71741211021,980
Pontiac*New*Lib15,15767.83%10,46646.84%76.80%4,69115,1577041,79322,345
PortneufLibLib14,12051.14%1,5135.48%86.96%12,60714,12088427,611
PrévostPQPQ16,13753.15%3,05410.06%82.10%16,13713,08395518930,364
RichelieuPQPQ18,19856.06%5,17315.94%85.85%18,19813,0251,0377712232,459
RichmondUNLib10,15847.43%2531.18%86.14%9,90510,1581,35421,417
RimouskiPQPQ20,10661.04%8,96327.21%83.89%20,10611,1431,52516332,937
Rivière-du-LoupPQPQ12,87155.32%3,62915.60%80.70%12,8719,2421,15423,267
Robert-BaldwinLibLib26,86577.84%20,21458.57%82.49%6,65126,86526073534,511
RobervalLibPQ19,30157.85%6,54119.61%83.58%19,30112,7601,30233,363
RosemontPQPQ17,13752.69%2,7038.31%82.69%17,13714,43458836532,524
Rousseau*New*PQ14,95048.50%2,2887.42%80.74%14,95012,6623,10710630,825
Rouyn-Noranda–Témiscamingue*New*PQ15,64954.94%3,91513.75%77.94%15,64911,73462921425728,483
SaguenayPQPQ17,06966.56%8,93034.82%75.43%17,0698,13943625,644
Saint-FrançoisPQPQ15,99052.08%2,1246.92%82.77%15,99013,86672212430,702
Saint-HenriPQLib14,49048.22%710.24%79.68%14,41914,49077836130,048
Saint-HyacintheUNPQ14,10943.64%2,5978.03%83.13%14,10911,5126,70832,329
Saint-JacquesPQPQ15,72763.44%7,58530.60%72.45%15,7278,1424436241724,791
Saint-JeanPQPQ17,68750.97%1,9505.62%83.59%17,68715,7371,27434,698
Saint-LaurentLibLib24,17672.21%15,30945.72%80.90%8,86724,17643933,482
Saint-LouisLibLib15,78169.12%9,58441.98%69.49%6,19715,78123412349522,830
Saint-MauricePQPQ15,98955.64%4,86316.92%84.70%15,98911,1261,505793928,738
Saint-AnnePQLib11,53750.89%1,1635.13%74.98%10,37411,53748627222,669
Sainte-MariePQPQ13,66761.35%6,06727.24%75.11%13,6677,60049313538122,276
SauvéPQPQ15,42052.98%2,3778.17%82.50%15,42013,0435509429,107
SheffordLibPQ15,63246.78%7272.18%85.71%15,63214,9052,72515633,418
SherbrookePQPQ16,19452.83%2,3097.53%83.00%16,19413,88545012530,654
TaillonPQPQ21,53567.59%12,03537.77%83.58%21,5359,50061920931,863
TaschereauPQPQ13,59156.98%4,20717.64%76.39%13,5919,38456631023,851
TerrebonnePQPQ19,34463.25%8,98129.36%84.00%19,34410,36387830,585
Trois-RivièresPQPQ16,07051.32%1,9506.23%81.51%16,07014,1209268311331,312
Ungava*New*PQ9,67961.53%3,62723.06%53.85%9,6796,05215,731
Vachon*New*PQ17,67157.85%5,69918.66%83.59%17,67111,97290130,544
VanierPQPQ20,49062.86%9,21728.27%81.84%20,49011,27365518032,598
Vaudreuil-SoulangesPQLib18,99251.56%1,9555.31%84.92%17,03718,9924912466636,832
VerchèresPQPQ19,27255.98%5,04514.65%87.34%19,27214,22793034,429
VerdunLibLib17,40661.40%7,21425.45%83.49%10,19217,40641533628,349
ViauPQLib16,65755.19%4,10313.60%81.58%12,55416,65757439430,179
Viger*New*Lib18,79459.37%6,52820.62%84.64%12,26618,79459831,658
Vimont*New*PQ16,72556.03%4,26014.27%87.90%16,72512,46566029,850
WestmountLibLib22,63679.87%17,86463.03%77.57%4,77222,63621610561328,342

: = 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

Analysis

Parties1st2nd3rd4th5th
8042
4280
11263
432
362
2114
236
62
23
16
11
SourcePartyTotal
align="center"**PQ**align="center"**Lib**
Seats retainedIncumbents returned49
Open seats held - new MNAs83
Open seats held - return of previous member1
Byelection loss reversed2
Seats changing handsIncumbents defeated - new MNAs6
Incumbents defeated - return of previous members2
Open seats gained14
Byelection gain held3
Incumbent changed allegiance11
Ouster of third-party byelection gain1
New ridingsNew MNAs6
Previous incumbent from other riding54
Former MNA elected1
**Total**8042

References

References

  1. {{Cite canlaw. (1979)
  2. 1979 Act, s. 3
  3. . (April 30, 1980). ["Avis de l'établissement de la liste des circonscriptions électorales"](https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/2360835). *Éditeur officiel du Québec*.
  4. Drouilly, Pierre. (November 7, 2017). "Élections québécoises de 1981". Atlas des élections au Québec.
  5. . ["Les membres de l'Assemblée nationale par circonscription"](https://www.assnat.qc.ca/fr/patrimoine/depcir/index.html). *[[National Assembly of Quebec]]*.
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about 1981 Quebec general election — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report