1973 Quebec general election
October 29, 1973
110 seats in the 30th National Assembly of Quebec
56 seats were needed for a majority
Turnout80.39% (Decrease3.84%)
  First party Second party
 
Leader Robert Bourassa René Lévesque
Party Liberal Parti Québécois
Leader since January 17, 1970 October 14, 1968
Leader's seat Mercier Lost election in Dorion
Last election 72 seats, 45.40% 7 seats, 23.06%
Seats won 102 6
Seat change Increase30 Decrease1
Popular vote 1,623,734 897,809
Percentage 54.65% 30.22%
Swing Increase9.25% Increase7.16%
  Third party Fourth party
  PC
Leader Yvon Dupuis Gabriel Loubier
Party Parti créditiste Union Nationale
Leader since February 4, 1973 June 19, 1971
Leader's seat Lost election in Saint-Jean Bellechasse (lost re-election)
Last election 12 seats, 11.19% 17 seats, 19.65%
Seats won 2 0
Seat change Decrease10 Decrease17
Popular vote 294,706 146,209
Percentage 9.92% 4.92%
Swing Decrease1.27% Decrease14.73%
Premier before election

Robert Bourassa
Liberal

 Premier after election

Robert Bourassa
Liberal

The 1973 Quebec general election was held on October 29, 1973 to elect members to National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Premier Robert Bourassa, won re-election, defeating the Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, and the Union Nationale (UN).

The Liberals won the largest majority government in the province's history, with 102 seats. In the process, they reduced the opposition to just eight seats (six PQ, two créditistes) in total. The Parti Québécois held its own, losing only one seat, and despite having fewer seats, became the official Opposition, although PQ leader René Lévesque failed to win a seat in the Assembly.

The Union Nationale, which had held power until the previous 1970 general election, was wiped off the electoral map, losing all 17 of its seats. It would be the first time since the UN's founding in 1935 that the party was without representation in the legislature. However, UN candidate Maurice Bellemare later won a seat in a 1974 by-election.

The popular vote was not as lopsided as the seat count would indicate, even though the Liberals won 54 percent of the popular vote. The Parti Québécois, for instance, won 30% of the popular vote, a significant improvement over their previous showing of 23% in the 1970 election. However, their support was spread out across the entire province, and was not concentrated in enough areas to translate into more seats. Quebec elections have historically produced significant disparities in seat counts.

Legislative reforms (1970–1973)

Abolition of protected ridings

Upon Confederation in 1867, section 80 of the British North America Act, 1867 provided for the following ridings in the Legislative Assembly to be protected from having their boundaries altered without the consent of the majority of the members representing them:

Consent by a majority of the members of the 18 districts concerned was finally secured in December 1970, and the constitutional restrictions were accordingly revoked.[1] Work would then proceed on a comprehensive redistribution for the next ensuing election.

Redistribution of ridings

A 1972 Act [2] increased the number of MPPs from 108 to 110 through the following changes:

Abolished ridingsNew ridings
Drawn from parts of other ridings
Abolition of ridings
Reorganization of ridings
Merger of ridings
Division of ridings
Renaming of ridings
  1. ↑ from parts of Bourassa, Bourget and LaFontaine
  2. ↑ from parts of Chauveau and Montmorency
  3. ↑ from parts of Taillon and Chambly
  4. ↑ from parts of D'Arcy-McGee, Dorion and Outremont
  5. ↑ from parts of the existing Jacques-Cartier and Robert-Baldwin
  6. ↑ from parts of Montcalm and Terrebonne
  7. ↑ from parts of Gouin and Jeanne-Mance
  8. ↑ from parts of Compton, Richmond and Sherbrooke
  9. ↑ from parts of Jean-Talon and Saint-Sauveur
  10. ↑ from parts of Dorion, Gouin, Jeanne-Mance and Olier

Campaign

The Liberals, Unionists and péquistes all fielded full slates, while the créditistes failed to nominate a candidate only in Saint-Laurent (because a traffic accident prevented that candidate from presenting his nomination papers before the deadline),[3] so virtually all constituencies experienced at least four-way contests:

Riding contests, by number of candidates (1973)[4]
Candidates Lib PQ UN RC Ind M-L Comm Total
3 1113
4 76767676304
5 2929292916121145
6 222221112
7 1111217
8 11112118
Total 11011011010922153479

Results

[4]

Elections to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec (1973)
Political party Party leader MPPs Votes
Candidates 1970 1973 ± # ± % ± (pp)
Liberal Robert Bourassa 1107210230Increase1,623,734319,393Increase54.65%9.25Increase
Parti Québécois René Lévesque 110761Decrease897,809235,405Increase30.22%7.16Increase
Parti créditiste[a 1] Yvon Dupuis 10912210Decrease294,70626,664Decrease9.92%1.27Decrease
Union Nationale Gabriel Loubier 11017–17Decrease146,209418,335Decrease4.92%14.73Decrease
Independent 22–––6,9615,567Decrease0.23%0.21Decrease
Marxist–Leninist 15–––1,3951,395Increase0.05%New
Communist 3–––16449Decrease0.01%–
Total 479108 110 2,970,978 100.00%
Rejected ballots 54,760 2,269Decrease
Voter turnout 3,025,738 95,739Increase 80.38 3.85Decrease
Registered electors 3,764,611 286,033Increase
  1. ↑ 1973 results compared to 1970 Ralliement créditiste total
Seats and popular vote by party
PartySeatsVotesChange (pp)
█ Liberal
102 / 110
54.65%
9.25 9.25
 
█ Parti Québécois
6 / 110
30.22%
7.16 7.16
 
█ Parti créditiste
2 / 110
9.92%
-1.27
 
█ Union Nationale
0 / 110
4.92%
-14.73
 
█ Independent
0 / 110
0.23%
-0.21
 
█ Other
0 / 110
0.36%
-0.20
 

Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1973 Quebec general election[4][5]
Riding Winning party Turnout
[a 1]		 Votes
Name 1970 Party Votes Share Margin
#		 Margin
%		 Lib PQ Cr UN Ind ML Comm Total
 
Abitibi-Est RC Lib 12,69650.75%6,65726.61%65.38%12,6965,7266,039343212––25,016
Abitibi-Ouest RC Lib 9,96348.28%2,71213.14%74.96%9,9632,8047,251513106––20,637
Anjou New Lib 15,03748.59%8282.68%83.41%15,03714,2091,278425–––30,949
Argenteuil Lib Lib 14,02257.96%8,81136.42%80.41%14,0223,7305,211766465––24,194
Arthabaska Lib Lib 16,27555.30%9,45832.14%87.34%16,2754,9946,8171,342–––29,428
Beauce-Nord New Lib 13,81456.14%9,46938.48%81.86%13,8144,3454,2932,153–––24,605
Beauce-Sud New Cr 10,48146.29%7,68833.96%80.39%9,5861,89810,481676–––22,641
Beauharnois Lib Lib 15,81751.56%3,68512.01%87.77%15,81712,1321,7271,002–––30,678
Bellechasse UN Lib 9,20644.30%1,0445.02%77.99%9,2062,0541,3578,162–––20,779
Berthier UN Lib 11,42851.48%6,57029.60%82.22%11,4284,8582,9882,923–––22,197
Bonaventure Lib Lib 12,93669.64%9,48251.04%78.61%12,9363,4548211,365–––18,576
Bourassa Lib Lib 15,82253.81%3,88913.23%81.44%15,82211,9331,195453–––29,403
Bourget PQ Lib 13,91646.94%3001.01%83.63%13,91613,6161,64637591––29,644
Brome-Missisquoi New Lib 12,99962.02%9,68746.22%78.27%12,9992,8603,3121,587202––20,960
Chambly Lib Lib 19,00556.55%6,74520.07%86.44%19,00512,2601,629714–––33,608
Champlain Lib Lib 14,69854.91%8,82132.96%82.79%14,6985,8774,5751,616–––26,766
Charlesbourg New Lib 19,77057.79%8,17223.89%85.16%19,77011,5981,964876–––34,208
Charlevoix Lib Lib 13,68263.91%9,98246.63%82.37%13,6823,7003,265760–––21,407
Châteauguay Lib Lib 17,15260.43%8,09528.52%80.13%17,1529,0571,432743–––28,384
Chauveau Lib Lib 18,51055.22%8,55525.52%83.07%18,5109,9553,7261,328–––33,519
Chicoutimi UN PQ 12,35942.14%1,0313.52%83.86%11,32812,3591,3704,268–––29,325
Crémazie New Lib 15,99350.18%1,3964.38%86.07%15,99314,597783450–50–31,873
D'Arcy-McGee Lib Lib 26,95893.77%25,73789.52%77.59%26,9581,221418152–––28,749
Deux-Montagnes Lib Lib 15,73259.18%7,97930.02%83.17%15,7327,7532,290808–––26,583
Dorion Lib Lib 13,64947.68%2931.02%79.27%13,64913,356982522–116–28,625
Drummond Lib Lib 14,78146.84%6,79821.54%86.11%14,7817,4577,9831,333–––31,554
Dubuc UN Lib 11,04250.43%4,18619.12%81.90%11,0426,8561,8582,139–––21,895
Duplessis Lib Lib 13,40452.94%2,4819.80%66.99%13,40410,923504416–70–25,317
Fabre Lib Lib 20,81052.06%3,7539.39%85.61%20,81017,0571,558545–––39,970
Frontenac[a 2] New Lib 10,52739.75%4,27416.14%85.41%10,5276,2533,8825,820–––26,482
Gaspé New Lib 13,00462.25%6,94933.26%75.67%13,0046,0556901,141–––20,890
Gatineau Lib Lib 15,02570.15%11,63854.33%69.95%15,0253,3872,184823–––21,419
Gouin PQ Lib 12,50648.07%6362.44%78.21%12,50611,8701,078560–––26,014
Hull Lib Lib 15,32557.08%7,10726.47%68.99%15,3258,2182,402587316––26,848
Huntingdon Lib Lib 11,32858.54%8,12641.99%79.76%11,3282,8531,9693,202–––19,352
Iberville UN Lib 10,68837.39%2,4298.50%84.13%10,6885,3738,2594,132134––28,586
Îles-de-la-Madeleine Lib Lib 3,83960.87%1,78028.22%82.62%3,8392,059232177–––6,307
Jacques-Cartier Lib Lib 19,55169.25%12,65744.83%78.51%19,5516,8941,082705–––28,232
Jean-Talon Lib Lib 18,70864.89%10,19635.37%84.50%18,7088,512677933–––28,830
Jeanne-Mance Lib Lib 22,30855.10%5,83514.41%83.17%22,30816,4731,074632–––40,487
Johnson[a 3] UN Lib 10,54348.20%3,94018.01%82.05%10,5433,5976,6031,130–––21,873
Joliette-Montcalm New Lib 18,01055.61%6,01018.56%84.70%18,01012,0001,712666–––32,388
Jonquière Lib Lib 16,98553.71%4,13513.08%84.30%16,98512,850892897–––31,624
Kamouraska-Témiscouata New Lib 10,61751.97%5,26625.77%72.81%10,6173,2825,3511,181–––20,431
L'Acadie New Lib 20,35466.39%11,29636.85%83.59%20,3549,058670488–86–30,656
L'Assomption Lib Lib 16,80648.58%1,6834.86%85.40%16,80615,1232,094572–––34,595
Lac-Saint-Jean Lib Lib 12,55450.70%3,33713.48%85.23%12,5549,2171,5451,37868––24,762
LaFontaine PQ PQ 14,86650.18%2,3087.79%83.27%12,55814,8661,725476–––29,625
Laporte New Lib 17,42747.14%3721.01%81.76%17,42717,0551,846641–––36,969
La Prairie[a 4] Lib Lib 23,72363.13%12,29432.72%83.66%23,72311,4291,757667–––37,576
Laurentides-Labelle[a 5] UN Lib 10,00041.73%2,3889.97%80.70%10,0007,6123,4862,864–––23,962
Laurier Lib Lib 17,88964.81%9,51934.49%78.87%17,8898,370836507–––27,602
Laval Lib Lib 21,67664.56%11,67334.77%83.33%21,67610,0031,386511–––33,576
Laviolette Lib Lib 11,80046.28%4,76518.69%82.88%11,8007,0354,5842,076–––25,495
Lévis RC Lib 16,53454.73%7,45024.66%85.61%16,5349,0843,1771,416–––30,211
Limoilou Lib Lib 16,14053.86%5,74919.19%81.32%16,14010,3911,9441,428–61–29,964
Lotbinière RC Lib 9,90748.11%3,74418.18%81.41%9,9072,3186,1632,204–––20,592
Louis-Hébert Lib Lib 17,58349.01%7772.17%84.91%17,58316,806735702–50–35,876
Maisonneuve PQ PQ 12,19850.97%2,2769.51%75.34%9,92212,1981,21541314738–23,933
Marguerite-Bourgeoys Lib Lib 23,84866.50%13,70038.20%80.40%23,84810,1481,137488242––35,863
Maskinongé UN Lib 10,61048.81%5,27624.27%83.82%10,6103,5942,1985,334–––21,736
Matane Lib Lib 10,10249.58%2,65013.01%76.99%10,1027,4522,126694–––20,374
Matapédia Lib Lib 7,56442.81%2,45913.92%76.02%7,5645,1053,0921,906–––17,667
Mégantic-Compton New Lib 9,81547.96%4,43021.65%79.01%9,8152,8195,3852,445–––20,464
Mercier Lib Lib 13,75752.87%2,88011.07%75.07%13,75710,87780941171702326,018
Mille-Îles New Lib 19,80949.52%2,1885.47%86.61%19,80917,6211,954616–––40,000
Mont-Royal New Lib 23,78083.21%19,81369.33%78.45%23,7803,967457373–––28,577
Montmagny-L'Islet New Lib 11,37551.88%5,58825.48%76.03%11,3752,5382,2275,787–––21,927
Montmorency Lib Lib 15,24851.89%5,97320.33%84.52%15,2489,2753,863999–––29,385
Nicolet-Yamaska New Lib 11,12649.07%4,78921.12%84.17%11,1263,2331,9786,337–––22,674
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Lib Lib 23,26381.64%19,61368.83%77.70%23,2633,6501,156424–––28,493
Orford[a 6] Lib Lib 13,92463.08%10,12745.88%81.23%13,9243,7973,574777–––22,072
Outremont Lib Lib 17,26262.84%8,14529.65%77.42%17,2629,117499421–169–27,468
Papineau Lib Lib 16,61061.22%10,25437.79%72.49%16,6106,3563,482683–––27,131
Pointe-Claire New Lib 26,87187.90%24,31679.54%78.40%26,8712,555859285–––30,570
Pontiac-Témiscamingue New Lib 10,26961.39%6,57639.31%69.84%10,2691,3923,6931,373–––16,727
Portneuf RC Lib 12,63853.14%6,55527.56%85.43%12,6384,0676,083993–––23,781
Prévost New Lib 15,80548.48%3,93812.08%80.64%15,80511,8673,7261,022105–7332,598
Richelieu Lib Lib 15,19855.21%5,73420.83%87.23%15,1989,4642,017848–––27,527
Richmond RC Lib 7,56940.70%3551.91%82.28%7,5693,1307,214686–––18,599
Rimouski Lib Lib 13,26850.92%4,51817.34%82.19%13,2688,7503,307730–––26,055
Rivière-du-Loup Lib Lib 10,82750.41%6,07928.30%79.21%10,8273,7734,7482,129–––21,477
Robert-Baldwin Lib Lib 26,18981.03%21,10665.30%81.36%26,1895,083701293–55–32,321
Roberval Lib Lib 13,73753.06%7,66129.59%79.58%13,7376,0764,6891,388–––25,890
Rosemont New Lib 15,00250.65%2,0156.80%81.45%15,00212,9871,070560–––29,619
Rouyn-Noranda RC Cr 9,22742.80%4,38020.32%77.49%8,1953,8159,227322–––21,559
Saguenay PQ PQ 10,22651.14%2,29311.47%72.20%7,93310,2261,404327105––19,995
Saint-François New Lib 12,51953.38%5,67924.22%80.26%12,5196,8402,8851,208–––23,452
Saint-Henri Lib Lib 14,87752.72%3,54812.57%78.33%14,87711,3291,248625–141–28,220
Saint-Hyacinthe Lib Lib 13,32548.29%5,53520.06%83.69%13,3257,7904,7071,771–––27,593
Saint-Jacques PQ PQ 11,31251.58%2,46511.24%68.84%8,84711,3121,03965479––21,931
Saint-Jean Lib Lib 12,90445.48%4,67816.49%86.65%12,9048,2266,588[a 7]656–––28,374
Saint-Laurent Lib Lib 21,24674.02%14,31249.86%78.89%21,2466,934–522–––28,702
Saint-Louis Lib Lib 14,09563.34%7,38233.17%61.30%14,0956,713738541–167–22,254
Saint-Maurice UN Lib 8,86534.12%1,4145.44%85.28%8,8657,4512,2307,433–––25,979
Saint-Anne Lib Lib 12,75554.92%5,27622.72%71.10%12,7557,4799682781,641104–23,225
Sainte-Marie PQ Lib 10,95846.15%480.20%75.90%10,95810,9101,064694–116–23,742
Sauvé New PQ 18,23551.01%2,7607.72%80.97%15,47518,2351,49149947––35,747
Shefford UN Lib 10,77539.73%3,52813.01%84.16%10,7754,6337,2474,467–––27,122
Sherbrooke Lib Lib 15,11752.38%6,08221.07%80.87%15,1179,0353,0421,667–––28,861
Taillon Lib Lib 18,34646.67%5771.47%78.88%18,34617,7692,546550103––39,314
Taschereau New Lib 11,71451.94%4,75021.06%73.79%11,7146,9642,3341,438–102–22,552
Terrebonne Lib Lib 17,25552.52%3,98412.13%85.67%17,25513,2711,829431––6832,854
Trois-Rivières Lib Lib 16,71457.57%8,00727.58%78.80%16,7148,7071,8651,746–––29,032
Vanier New Lib 16,41053.73%6,18320.25%81.19%16,41010,2272,1991,164539––30,539
Vaudreuil-Soulanges Lib Lib 14,56356.88%7,55129.49%82.53%14,5637,0123,0101,017–––25,602
Verchères Lib Lib 14,31552.90%5,30619.61%85.09%14,3159,0092,4181,317–––27,059
Verdun Lib Lib 19,43967.25%11,49639.77%80.23%19,4397,9431,109415–––28,906
Viau New Lib 16,40456.67%5,60019.35%78.93%16,40410,8041,069525142––28,944
Westmount Lib Lib 21,35476.92%17,75263.95%75.78%21,3543,6024022562,146––27,760
  1. ↑ including spoilt ballots
  2. ↑ covers a virtually different area from the previous incarnation of Frontenac
  3. ↑ formerly Bagot
  4. ↑ formerly Napierville-Laprairie
  5. ↑ formerly Labelle
  6. ↑ formerly Stanstead
  7. ↑ Yvon Dupuis had also been previously elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1952 for Montréal–Sainte-Marie
  = 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

Party candidates in 2nd place[4]
Party in 1st placeParty in 2nd placeTotal
LibPQCrUN
Liberal 81165102
Parti Québécois 66
Parti créditiste 22
Total 881165110
Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party[4]
Parties1st2nd3rd4th5th
█ Liberal 1028
█ Parti Québécois 68123
█ Parti créditiste 2167615
█ Union Nationale 59942
█ Independent 217
█ Marxist–Leninist 13
█ Communist 1
Resulting composition of the 28th Quebec Legislative Assembly[5]
SourceParty
Lib PQ Cr Total
Seats retainedIncumbents returned 484153
Open seats held - taken by incumbents from other ridings 22
Open seats held - new MPPs 1010
Seats changing handsIncumbents defeated 17118
Open seats gained 11
New ridingsPrevious incumbents from other ridings 13114
New MPPs 11112
Total 10262110

See also

References

  1. ↑ An Act respecting the electoral districts, L.Q. 1970, c. 7
  2. ↑ An Act to amend the Territorial Division Act, L.Q. 1972, c. 4
  3. ↑ Saumart, Ingrid (October 23, 1973). "Déjà ministre..." [Minister already...]. La Presse (in French). Montreal. p. A10.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Drouilly, Pierre (November 7, 2017). "Élections québécoises de 1973". donneesquebec.ca. Atlas des élections au Québec.
  5. 1 2 "Les membres de l'Assemblée nationale par circonscription" [National Assembly members by riding] (in French). National Assembly of Quebec. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
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