Key Takeaways
- The Quebec government plans to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada to block a redrawing of the provincial electoral map.
- The government’s law to prevent the electoral boundaries commission from removing two ridings was ruled unconstitutional by the province’s highest court.
- The law was intended to maintain political weight in the Gaspé Peninsula and eastern Quebec, but the court found it would dilute the vote of citizens in other regions.
- The Quebec election law requires the electoral map to be reviewed after every two general elections to account for changes in population.
- The goal is to divide Quebec into 125 ridings with an approximately equal number of voters in each.
Introduction to the Issue
The Quebec government has announced its intention to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada in an effort to block a redrawing of the provincial electoral map. This decision comes after the province’s highest court ruled that a law tabled by Premier François Legault’s government in 2024 is unconstitutional. The law was designed to prevent the electoral boundaries commission from removing a riding on the Gaspé Peninsula and another in Montreal’s east end, in favor of two new districts in the growing Laurentians/Lanaudière and Centre-du-Québec regions. The government’s move has sparked controversy, with critics arguing that it would undermine the democratic process and favor certain regions over others.
The Government’s Position
According to Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette, the law was adopted with the support of members from all parties, and its purpose is to ensure that citizens from all regions are well represented. Jolin-Barrette stated that the new map would take away political weight from the Gaspé Peninsula and make ridings in eastern Quebec overly large. The government’s position is that the law is necessary to protect the interests of these regions and maintain a balance in the electoral map. However, the court’s decision has thrown this argument into question, and the government must now navigate the appeals process to achieve its goals.
The Court’s Ruling
The province’s highest court ruled on December 1 that the law is unconstitutional and violates sections of the Charter that guarantee democratic rights. Justice Mark Schrager wrote that the law would dilute the vote of citizens in some regions to the benefit of those elsewhere and "circumvent the independent process provided for by the Election Act." The Court of Appeal decision noted that the law would suspend all changes to the map, not only the contentious ones, and that this would have a disproportionate impact on certain regions. The court found that the beneficial effects of the law would benefit only 65,000 voters in two ridings, while diluting the vote of nearly half a million electors.
The Electoral Map Review Process
Quebec election law requires that the province’s electoral map be reviewed after every two general elections to account for changes in population. The goal of this process is to divide Quebec into 125 ridings with an approximately equal number of voters in each. This review is necessary to ensure that the electoral map remains fair and representative of the province’s population. However, the government’s law has disrupted this process, and the court’s decision has highlighted the need for an independent and impartial approach to electoral boundary setting.
Implications and Next Steps
The Quebec government’s decision to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada will have significant implications for the province’s electoral map and the democratic process. The government must now navigate the appeals process, which could take several months or even years to resolve. In the meantime, the electoral map will remain in flux, and the province’s voters will be left wondering about the fairness and representation of their ridings. The outcome of the appeal will have far-reaching consequences for the province’s electoral system and the balance of power in the National Assembly. Ultimately, the Supreme Court’s decision will determine the fate of the government’s law and the future of Quebec’s electoral map.
