Home > Equality Party (Quebec)
The Equality Party (in french: Parti Égalité) is a political party in Quebec, Canada, that promotes the use of English in Quebec on an equal basis with French.1 History
The party first came to prominence in the 1989 general election, when it won four seats of the Montreal Island in the National Assembly. Along with its then sister party, the Unity Party (which ran candidates outside the Montreal Island), it won 4.7% of the popular vote.
However, it never repeated this success. All of the party's candidates and incumbents were defeated in the 1994 general election, and the party was reduced to marginal status. Two subsequent general elections in 1998 and 2003 did nothing to improve the party's fortunes.
The party was formed as a reaction to then-Premier Robert Bourassa invoking the notwithstanding clause of the Canadian constitution to override a Supreme Court ruling overturning parts of the Charter of the French Language (commonly known as "Bill 101").
The party platform calls for equality of both languages (French and English) in Quebec, opposing Bill 101 which made French the sole official language of Quebec and imposed restrictions on the use of English on public signs. The Equality Party drew virtually all of its support from elements of Quebec's anglophone minority, and only ran candidates in electoral districts with very high anglophone populations.
Internal divisiveness proved to be the party's downfall. In a bizarre turn of events, one of the party's sitting members, Richard Holden, member for the Westmount electoral district, defected to the ideologically diametrically opposed Parti QuébécoisParti Quebecois Current Leader Bernard Landry Founded October 11, 1968 Headquarters 1200 Papineau Avenue, bureau 150 Montreal, QuebecH2K 4R5(514) 526-0020 & 1-800-363-9531[mailto:info@pq. org info@pq. org] Colours Blue (also White & Red) Political ideolog.
2 Leaders of the Equality Party
- Robert Libman ( 19891989 is a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). Events January January 7 Akihito becomes Emperor of Japan following the death of Hirohito. The Heisei period begins January 8 the Kegworth Air Disaster A British Midland Boeing 737 cra- 19931993 is a common year starting on Friday and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003 Events January January 1 Czechoslovakia divides. Establishment of independent Slovakia and Czech Republic.)
- Keith Henderson ( 19941994 is a common year starting on Saturday, and was designated the International year of the Family''. Events January events January 1 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect January 6 Nancy Kerrigan is clubbed on the right leg by an-present)
3 Election results
| General election |
# of candidates |
# of elected candidates |
% of popular vote |
| 1989 |
19 |
4 |
3.69% |
| 1994 |
17 |
0 |
0.29% |
| 1998 |
24 |
0 |
0.31% |
| 2003 |
21 |
0 |
0.11% |
4 See also
- Politics of QuebecInstitutions Many of Quebec's political institutions are among the oldest in North America. The first part of this article presents the main political institutions of Quebec society. The last part will attempt to present an overview of Quebec's current po
- List of Quebec general electionsThis is a list of Quebec general elections since Confederation in 1867, when Quebec became a province of the Dominion of Canada. 2003 general election Quebec general election, 2003 ( April 14, 2003) Name Seats (125) Pop. Vote Quebec Liberal Party 76 45.
- List of Quebec premiersThis is a list of the premiers of Quebec, Canada since Confederation ( 1867). Notes The premier is always referred to as the prime minister in official Quebec government publications. In English, the word 'minister' comes from Old French 'ministre', which
- List of Quebec leaders of the OppositionThis is a list of the leaders of the Opposition of Quebec, Canada since Confederation ( 1867). Note that the leader of the Opposition is not always the leader of the political party with the second-largest number of seats, in cases where the leader of tha
- National Assembly of Quebec
- Timeline of Quebec history
- Political parties in Quebec
