Action démocratique du Québec

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Action démocratique du Québec/ Équipe Mario Dumont
Active Provincial Party
Founded	January 6, 1994
Leader	Mario Dumont
President	Gilles Taillon
Headquarters	740 rue Saint-Maurice Suite 108 Montreal, Quebec H3C 1L5
Political ideology	Liberal conservatism, Classical liberalism, Quebec nationalism & autonomy
International alignment	None
Colours	Blue and Red
Website	http://adqaction.com/

The Action démocratique du Québec (ADQ) is a fiscally conservative, nationalist and populist provincial political party in Quebec, Canada. Its official registered name is Action démocratique du Québec/Équipe Mario Dumont (ADQ/ÉMD). While some journalists have translated the name into English as Democratic Action of Quebec/Mario Dumont Team, it has no official English name, and is normally referred to by its French name in the English-language media, or simply as "the ADQ". Its members are referred to as adéquistes, a name derived from the French pronunciation of the initials 'ADQ'.

It will become the official opposition in the National Assembly of Quebec as a result of the 2007 provincial election. Often perceived^[1] as the one-man party of its young leader Mario Dumont, the ADQ gained official party status in the provincial parliament for the first time in the realigning election of 2007, with 41 Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and 31% of the popular vote. The rules of the legislature require either at least 12 members or 20% of the vote to be granted such a right.^[2] Prior to that, the ADQ had never had more than five MNAs at once. Consequently it had less visibility and fewer resources to operate at the National Assembly.

Contents 1 Basic beliefs 1.1 Constitution 1.2 Economy and labour 1.3 Immigration 1.4 Religion 1.5 Election reform 2 Electoral support 3 History 3.1 Foundation and first decade: 1994-2002 3.2 Rise: 2002 3.3 Backlash: 2002-2003 3.4 Resurgence: 2003-2007 3.5 Quebec general election, 2007 4 Leaders of the Action démocratique du Québec 5 ADQ Presidents 6 ADQ Members of the National Assembly 7 Unelected ADQ star candidates 8 Prominent ADQ members 9 Election results 10 Sources 11 See also 12 Footnotes 13 External links

[edit] Basic beliefs

The ADQ is also the most right-wing of the three major provincial parties in Quebec. Early on, the ADQ favored a populist breed of conservatism: Dumont criticizes the government for being disconnected from the needs and concerns of the common people and promotes an agenda of right-of-centre policies.

In recent years it has abandoned a number of radical proposals, including issuing education vouchers to give parents the ability to pay for the education of their children at a school of their choice.

[edit] Constitution

The ADQ has an autonomist ideology, which appears as a compromise between the Liberals more traditional approach to federalism and complete sovereignty from Canada.

While rejecting the idea of another Quebec referendum, it proposes major changes to Quebec's status within Canada. ^[3]

[edit] Economy and labour

The ADQ's right-of-centre fiscal and economic policies include balancing the budget, erasing mandatory dues and membership for unions, scaling back Quebec's civil service, subcontracting duties currently handled by full-time employees and encouraging for-profit health care to offset rising costs in the public system.

[edit] Immigration

The ADQ claims that reasonable accommodation granted to cultural communities should be prevented from interfering with a number of mainstream values of the Quebec society, such as women’s rights.

[edit] Religion

Unlike the Republicans in the United States, the ADQ's conservative proposals are limited to fiscal issues. Quebec is not a fertile ground for conservatism based on moral values.^[4]

[edit] Election reform

The party also supports an election reform in which the premier would be elected by popular vote (i.e., a presidential government) and the use of proportional representation to determine 50 of Quebec's 125 legislature seats.

[edit] Electoral support

Socially and geographically, the core support of the ADQ is similar to that of the provincial wing of the Social Credit Party in the 1962, and 1963 federal elections and the 1970 provincial election, the Union Nationale in the 1976 provincial election and the Conservative Party of Canada in 2006 federal election.

Its strongest base is provided by Chaudière-Appalaches and Québec, the most conservative regions of Quebec. The party’s popularity also reaches other predominantly French-speaking areas of the province, including Mauricie, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Centre-du-Québec and even Montérégie.

However, the ADQ has more difficulty breaking through in the more cosmopolitan urban districts of the Montreal area on one hand and in the other hand the most remote regions, such as Abitibi, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Côte-Nord, whose economy is largely based on forestry.

Because of the polarization of the debate over the constitutional debate from 1970 to 1995, conservative voters have often limited their choice between the Quebec Liberal Party or the Parti Québécois. However, a number of commentators claim that resentment of the rest of Quebec against Montreal’s perceived hegemony, general mistrust towards current office holders and constitutional fatigue have let a cultural gap in Quebec society become more apparent and have resulted in an increased support for the ADQ. ^{[5] [6]}

[edit] History

[edit] Foundation and first decade: 1994-2002

The party was formed in 1994 by a group of nationalists that supported the Allaire Report, a document that advocated a decentralized federal system in which the provincial Government of Quebec would have significantly increased powers.

After the failure of the Meech Lake Accord, which made many French-speaking Québécois feel rejected by the rest of Canada, the Liberals adopted the Allaire Report as their official constitutional policy. However, the party eventually chose the Charlottetown Accord over the Allaire Report in 1992. The Charlottetown Accord would have recognized Quebec as a distinct society within Canada, but consisted of a much milder reform of the Canadian federal system. While most Liberals supported the Charlottetown Accord, a number of them opposed it and eventually quit the party.

Led by Jean Allaire, a Liberal insider and attorney from Laval, and Mario Dumont, a rising political star who had been President of the Liberal Youth Commission, the dissidents founded the ADQ. Allaire became the first party leader, but resigned within a few months for health reasons. He was succeeded by Mario Dumont, who has retained the leadership to this day.

With limited financial resources and excluded from the televised Leaders Debate, Dumont won a seat in the Quebec National Assembly in the 1994 provincial election, the only adéquiste candidate to do so in that election.

In the 1995 Quebec referendum on the Parti Québécois government's proposals for sovereignty, Dumont campaigned for the "Yes" side, in favour of the sovereignty option. However, in subsequent election campaigns, he has promised a moratorium on the sovereignty question, which earned him accusations of not having a clear and honest stand on the constitution question.

Shortly before the 1998 provincial election, Yvon Lafrance, a Liberal MNA who served under Premier Robert Bourassa, switched parties to join the ADQ, becoming the party's first MNA. In the ensuing election campaign, Dumont took part in the televised Leaders Debate and was re-elected as an MNA, but could not expand his electoral support significantly enough to get other party members elected and remained his party's only sitting MNA. Although Dumont was a very popular leader, support for the ADQ always lagged behind support for its leader.

[edit] Rise: 2002

In April and June 2002, voter dissatisfaction with both the Parti Québécois (PQ) government of Bernard Landry and the Liberal alternative presented by Jean Charest led the ADQ to an unexpected victory in a series of by-elections, bringing the party caucus to five members.

After the by-election wins, the ADQ soared in popularity, leading the established parties in public opinion polling for the first time in its existence. For a brief period, a number of political analysts predicted that the ADQ could gather as much as 42% of the vote and more than 80 seats in the National Assembly.

The increased popularity of the party provided the ADQ with larger grassroots support, more money and star candidates for the subsequent election. For the first time, Mario Dumont, who was able to recruit Beauce businessman Marcel Dutil, chairman of Groupe Canam Inc. as Director of the ADQ's fund-raising activities, was considered as a serious candidate for the office of Premier of Quebec.

[edit] Backlash: 2002-2003

As a result of the ADQ attaining greater popular support, its political opponents conducted negative campaigning against the ADQ for the first time. Those efforts were successful in damaging the public perception of the party. While a number of attacks were somewhat unfair (David Payne, the PQ MNA from Vachon, compared the ADQ to Jean-Marie Le Pen’s Front National), others brought to light the existence of flaws in the ADQ platform and a potential incompatibility between the party’s conservative philosophy and the voters.

Moreover, the party's repeated backtracking on its various policies, including a flat rate income tax of 20 per cent, may have appeared opportunist and harmed the party’s image as a viable alternative. It was also revealed that Marc Snyder, a close advisor of Mario Dumont, had a criminal record, which prompted the media to question Dumont’s judgment.

The popularity of the ADQ declined and all of the party’s star candidates, except Dumont, were defeated at the 2003 provincial election. Dumont did not make any major mistake during the televised Leaders Debate, but did not deliver the outstanding performance he needed to gain momentum. By contrast, Liberal leader Jean Charest was able to put Bernard Landry of the Parti Québécois on the defensive.

The ADQ received 18% of the vote and four seats. The ADQ drew enough votes from previous PQ supporters to give the victory to Jean Charest's Liberals, but did not make a significant breakthrough in the National Assembly.

[edit] Resurgence: 2003-2007

Nonetheless, a few local figures, who were still unknown at the provincial level, were able to win seats for the ADQ.

The ADQ also benefited from anger over the decision of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) not to renew the license of Quebec City radio station CHOI-FM. Radio host Jeff Fillion urged listeners to vote for ADQ candidate Sylvain Légaré in a by-election for the local district of Vanier. Légaré defended the station’s freedom of speech and was elected on September 20, 2004, which raised the number of ADQ MNAs to five.

A few days later, the ADQ held a convention in Drummondville, where its members adopted the new constitutional position of the ADQ, which is labeled as autonomist without much precision on what it actually means. ADQ members also elected ex-Liberal minister Yvon Picotte as President of the ADQ, a job previously held by political analyst Guy Laforest.

In January 2006, ten Conservative Members of Parliament were elected in Quebec, at the federal level. Four of those newly elected federal Members of Parliament - Maxime Bernier, Steven Blaney, Jacques Gourde and Josée Verner - came from districts represented by ADQ members at the provincial level. All except Bernier were at one point ADQ activists.^[7] Blaney was ADQ candidate in Beauce-Nord in 1998. This breakthrough prepared the ground the subsequent growth of the ADQ, which could rely on a number of supporters from the modest Conservatives' organization in Quebec.

In May 2006, the ADQ held a convention in Granby, where Dumont has brought up the subject of having the current federal Conservative government broach the subject of a new round of constitutional talks in order to get Quebec to finally sign the Constitution.

Embarrassing comments were made by Party President Yvon Picotte about PQ Leader André Boisclair. Boisclair had decided not to run in a by-election for the district of Sainte-Marie—Saint-Jacques (in Montreal), the district where he lives and that is well known for its large gay population. Accusing Boisclair of being a coward, Picotte jokingly said that the riding would fit Boisclair, who is openly gay, like a glove (comme un gant). Many journalists criticized Picotte, saying his comment sounded homophobic. Within days, Picotte apologized.^[8]

In November 2006, the ADQ held its 6th Member's Convention ("Congrès des Membres"). The next month, it adopted its platform for the 2007 election, entitled "A Plan A for Quebec" ("Un plan A pour le Québec").^[9] and defined its stance on the controversial reasonable accommodation debate, which was well received by a substantial number of voters.

[edit] Quebec general election, 2007

When the 2007 election campaign started, the ADQ was running only a couple candidates with widespread name recognition and lacked the financial resources its rivals (especially the Liberals) had. Marcel Dutil announced that even though he likes Dumont he would vote strategically in favour of the Liberals.^[10]

However, polls showed that the ADQ had the potential to significantly increase its representation at the National Assembly. Dumont ran an effective campaign,^[11] unveiling one plank from his electoral platform every day and therefore benefiting from sustained attention from his opponents and the media.

Dumont's good performance though had its own setbacks: it led to more scrutiny of the ADQ.

The Liberals criticized the ADQ's financial plan as vague and unrealistic, accusing Dumont of underestimating its total cost. According to them, the ADQ's promises totaled $6.3 billion rather than the $1.7 billion announced by Dumont.

Besides, many journalist accused the ADQ of being a one-man show.^[12] Two candidates, who had made inappropriate comments, were dropped by the party from the election.^[13]

On Election day the ADQ made a surprisingly strong showing. It took 21 seats from the Liberal Party and 15 seats from the PQ. The five ADQ incumbents were re-elected, for a total of 41 seats. The reigning Liberals were reduced to a minority government, with only 48 MNAs.

For the first time, the ADQ received a plurality of the vote among French-speakers and it is now the official opposition.

Nonetheless, it failed to take a single seat on the island of Montreal. Further developments are therefore necessary to determine whether or not the ADQ will permanently replace the PQ as the alternative to the Liberals.

[edit] Leaders of the Action démocratique du Québec

Leader	Home region	Years of service	Background
Jean Allaire	Laval	1994	Lawyer
Mario Dumont	Bas-Saint-Laurent	Since 1994	President of the Youth Commission of the Quebec Liberal Party

[edit] ADQ Presidents

President	Years
Mario Dumont	1994
Moncef Guitouni	1994
Hubert Meilleur	1994-1996
Jean Dion	1996-1998
Ritha Cossette	1998-2000
Isabelle Marquis	2000-2002
Guy Laforest	2002-2004
Yvon Picotte	2004-2006
Gilles Taillon	Since 2006

[edit] ADQ Members of the National Assembly

MNA	District	Region	Years of Service	Background
Pierre-Michel Auger	Champlain	Mauricie	Since 2007	Teacher
Pascal Beaupré	Joliette	Lanaudière	Since 2007	Lawyer
François Benjamin	Berthier	Lanaudière	Since 2007	Mayor of Mandeville
Hubert Benoît	Montmorency	Québec	Since 2007	Financial Adviser
François Bonnardel	Shefford	Montérégie	Since 2007	Business Person
Éric Caire	La Peltrie	Québec	Since 2007	Computer Programmer and Analyst
Martin Camirand	Prévost	Laurentides	Since 2007	Council Member in Saint-Jérôme
Éric Charbonneau	Johnson	Eastern Townships	Since 2007	Scheduler in a Manufacturing Business
François Corriveau	Saguenay	Côte-Nord	2002-2003	Sculptor and Assistant Clerk of Court
Jean Damphousse	Maskinongé	Mauricie	Since 2007	Business Consultant
Albert De Martin	Huntingdon	Montérégie	Since 2007	Farmer
Robert Deschamps	Saint-Maurice	Mauricie	Since 2007	Safety Manager
François Desrochers	Mirabel	Laurentides	Since 2007	Public School Teacher
Simon-Pierre Diamond	Marguerite-D'Youville	Montérégie	Since 2007	Law Student
Jean Domingue	Bellechasse	Chaudière-Appalaches	Since 2007	Project Manager
Éric Dorion	Nicolet-Yamaska	Centre-du-Québec	Since 2007	Director of an Addiction Intervention Center
Mario Dumont	Rivière-du-Loup	Bas-Saint-Laurent	Since 1994	President of the Youth Commission of the Quebec Liberal Party
Raymond Francœur	Portneuf	Québec	Since 2007	Mayor of Sainte-Christine-d'Auvergne
François Gaudreau	Vimont	Laval	2002-2003	Realtor, Coffee Merchant
Pierre Gingras	Blainville	Laurentides	Since 2007	Mayor of Blainville
Jean-François Gosselin	Jean-Lesage	Québec	Since 2007	Sales and Development Manager
Ginette Grandmont	Masson	Lanaudière	Since 2007	Business Manager
Marie Grégoire	Berthier	Lanaudière	2002-2003	Marketing Consultant
Janvier Grondin	Beauce-Nord	Chaudière-Appalaches	Since 2003	Mayor of Saint-Jules
Yvon Lafrance	Iberville	Montérégie	1989-1994 *	Army Officer
Linda Lapointe	Groulx	Laurentides	Since 2007	Business Owner
Éric Laporte	L'Assomption	Lanaudière	Since 2007	Financial Adviser
Lucie Leblanc	Deux-Montagnes	Laurentides	Since 2007	Mayor of Sainte-Marthe
Claude L’Écuyer	Saint-Hyacinthe	Montérégie	Since 2007	Lawyer
Sylvain Légaré	Vanier	Québec	Since 2004	Financial Consultant
Sylvie Lespérance	Joliette	Lanaudière	2002-2003	Nurse and Health Provider
Christian Lévesque	Lévis	Chaudière-Appalaches	Since 2007	Business Person
Richard Merlini	Chambly	Montérégie	Since 2007	Project Manager
Lucille Méthé	St-Jean	Montérégie	Since 2007	Development Officer
Claude Morin	Beauce-Sud	Chaudière-Appalaches	Since 2007	Financial Adviser
Catherine Morissette	Charlesbourg	Québec	Since 2007	Lawyer
Marc Picard	Chutes-de-la-Chaudière	Chaudière-Appalaches	Since 2003	Councilmember in Lévis
Sébastien Proulx	Trois-Rivières	Mauricie	Since 2007	Lawyer and Political Consultant
André Riedl	Iberville	Montérégie	Since 2007	Project Manager
Jean-François Roux	Arthabaska	Centre-du-Québec	Since 2007	Project Manager
Claude Roy	Montmagny-L'Islet	Chaudière-Appalaches	Since 2007	Business Person and TV Host
Sylvie Roy	Lotbinière	Chaudière-Appalaches	Since 2003	Mayor of Sainte-Sophie-de-Lévrard
Monique Roy Verville	La Prairie	Lanaudière	Since 2007	Pharmaceutical Representative
Sébastien Scheneeberger	Drummond	Centre-du-Québec	Since 2007	Factory Worker
Gilles Taillon	Chauveau	Québec	Since 2007	President of the Conseil du patronat du Québec
Jean-François Therrien	Terrebonne	Lanaudière	Since 2007	Researcher from the Public Sector

• * Elected as a Liberal candidate, Yvon Lafrance sat as an Independent MNA by February 1994 and switched affiliation to ADQ less than a month later.

[edit] Unelected ADQ star candidates

Candidate	District	Region	Year	Background
Pierre Bourque	Bourget	Montreal	2003	Mayor of Montreal
Pierre Brien	Rouyn-Noranda—Témiscamingue	Abitibi	2003	Bloc Québécois Member of Parliament
Guy Laforest	Louis-Hébert	Québec	2003	Political Analyst
Joëlle Lescop	Vachon	Montérégie	2003	Pediatrician
Hubert Meilleur	Argenteuil and Mirabel	Laurentides	1994 and 2003	Mayor of Mirabel

[edit] Prominent ADQ members

Member	Region	Years	Background
Yvon Cyrenne	Montreal	2003-2006	Economist
Marcel Dutil	Chaudière-Appalaches	2002-2003	Business Leader
Yvon Picotte	Mauricie	Since 2003	Liberal MNA and Minister

[edit] Election results

General election	# of candidates	# of seats before election	# of seats won	% of popular vote
1994	80	1	1	6.46%
1998	125	1	1	11.81%
2003	125	5	4	18.18%
2007	125	5	41	30.81%

[edit] Sources

• Julien Béliveau, Mario Dumont - Le pouvoir de l'image

[edit] See also

• Politics of Quebec
• List of Quebec general elections
• List of Quebec premiers
• List of Quebec leaders of the Opposition
• National Assembly of Quebec
• Timeline of Quebec history
• Political parties in Quebec

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links

• Action démocratique du Québec website
• Directeur Général des Élections du Québec entry
• National Assembly historical information
• La Politique québécoise sur le Web

Major national, provincial, and territorial conservative parties in Canada (edit):

Forming the government:

Canada - Alberta - Prince Edward Island - Newfoundland and Labrador - Nova Scotia - Yukon

Forming the official opposition:

Manitoba - New Brunswick - Ontario - Saskatchewan Party - Action démocratique du Québec

Third parties represented in legislatures:

Alberta Alliance

Historical conservative parties:

Progressive Conservative Party of Canada - Canadian Alliance - Social Credit Party of Canada - British Columbia Conservative Party - British Columbia Social Credit Party - Social Credit Party of Alberta - Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan - Conservative Party of Quebec - Northwest Territories Liberal-Conservative Party