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Defeated by the Parti Québécois

Broadcast Date: Nov. 15, 1976

Attacking separatism was a strategy that worked for the Liberals in the 1973 Quebec election. But the mood in Quebec is different during the 1976 campaign, and Robert Bourassa has lost his seat — and the province — to the Parti Québécois. Bourassa is philosophical about the loss, explaining that "in modern societies it's more difficult to come with a middle-of-the-road approach." In this CBC Radio clip he also asks the province's business sector to react calmly to the PQ victory.

Defeated by the Parti Québécois

• The Quebec Liberals had won the 1973 election by a landslide — 102 of 110 seats. The only issue in that campaign was federalism versus separatism and the results were a resounding endorsement of Bourassa's leadership. The Parti Québécois blamed the Liberals' anti-separatist scare tactics for its loss.
• Bourassa called the 1976 election well before his time ran out. He said he wanted a mandate from voters before negotiations for the patriation of the Canadian Constitution began.

• In 1974 Bourassa passed Bill 22, making French the only official language of Quebec. He outraged English-speaking Quebecers and the rest of Canada but failed to calm French Quebecers, who said the bill didn't go far enough.
• In the months leading up to the 1976 election Bourassa's popularity plummeted. He was accused of being aloof, arrogant and vain because he had a personal hairstylist.

• René Lévesque greeted the election call with enthusiasm, calling it a godsend for Quebec voters that would give them a chance to get rid of the Bourassa government a full year before the expected time.
• Lévesque also said the election call was Bourassa's recognition that he was no longer able to govern. Lévesque deemed it a panicked bid for Bourassa to save his political career.

• The Parti Québécois won the election with 71 seats to the Liberals' 26. The Union Nationale captured 11 seats and one each went to the Créditiste party and the Parti National Populaire.
• Four days after his defeat, Bourassa announced he would step down as Liberal leader effective Jan. 1, 1977.

Defeated by the Parti Québécois

Medium: Radio

Program: CBC Radio News

Broadcast Date: Nov. 15, 1976

Guest(s): Robert Bourassa

Reporter: Don Murray

Duration: 1:01

Last updated:
Sept. 12, 2003