Quebec’s lesser-known political parties have plenty of ideas, but fewer resources

MONTREAL — Martine Ouellet, the former Bloc Québécois leader and Parti Québécois cabinet minister, says parties offering new ideas face an enormous challenge to get anyone elected, due to a lack of media attention as well as party financing that is allocated according to the results of the last election.

In the ongoing Quebec election campaign, attention has been overwhelmingly focused on the five main parties deemed of having the best chance of sending members to the legislature. But there are 15 other registered political parties on the campaign trail, some of which are running dozens of candidates with a fraction of the resources or visibility of their better-known counterparts.

Ouellet, who leads Climat Québec, compares it to a race in which “there’s a category of runners that start 50 metres ahead of the others in a 100-metre race.”

The registered political parties include stalwarts such as the Green Party of Quebec and the Marxist-Leninist party, as well as offbeat offerings such as the Parti Culinaire du Québec, which advocates for a food-based “gastrocracy.”

Here’s a look at four of the parties running:

1. Climat Québec — 52 candidates

Climat Québec, which was originally registered in 2021, is a sovereigntist party that advocates for urgent action to tackle the climate crisis. But Ouellet says a focus on climate and environment goes far beyond “trees, fish, frogs and trees,” and includes visions for economic development, health and education. Her campaign slogan translates to “the strength to counter the lobbies,” reflecting her belief that the main parties have become beholden to corporate interests. Her party’s proposals include scrapping projects she says are too corporate-linked and costly, such as the Alto high-speed rail project between Quebec City and Toronto. Instead, the party favours alternatives Ouellet says are cheaper and more practical, such as modernizing existing rail infrastructure to create a fast and affordable rail link between Montreal and Quebec City.

2. Canadian Party of Quebec — 29 candidates

The Canadian Party of Quebec brands itself as “Quebec’s only fully federalist party,” and is running with the slogan “Democracy without Division.” The party opposes laws that it says restrict rights and that use the notwithstanding clause to override sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, including the province’s language and secularism laws. The party’s six pillars include upholding rights, respecting the Canadian constitution, bilingualism, educational choice, building prosperity and rapprochement and reconciliation. “What we have to offer at the Canadian party, I think, is an actual vision of Quebec that’s united and that is beyond language and identity politics,” Leader Joseph Cianflone said in a phone interview.

He said his party rejects nationalism and identity politics in favour of what he pitches as a more inclusive approach. “Quebecers want a government that focuses not on whether we belong, but whether we can afford to be here, whether we access a doctor, whether we get educated in any way that’s going to help our lives and improve our families,” he said.

3. Parti Nul — 38 candidates

Unlike the other parties, the Parti Nul has no platform and isn’t trying to send any of its candidates to the legislature. Instead, the party wants to act as a “none of the above” option on the ballot for citizens who don’t want to vote for any of the parties. “Refusal is a legitimate choice and that can be entirely the result of a conscious and rational reflection,” Leader Renaud Blais said in an interview. “In that sense, it should be tallied in the result, visible instead of being hidden.” Blais also notes that party financing is distributed to the parties based on “valid” votes in the previous election. Therefore, a vote for his party is a way of taking financing away from the major parties and putting it instead towards the movement to give refusers a voice, he argues.

4. Présence Québec — 18 candidates

Relative newcomer Présence Québec bills itself as “an inspirational party founded on a connection to life and the beauty that surrounds us.” Co-founded by filmmakers Guillaume Tremblay and Xavie Jean-Bourgeault, the party aims to promote human vitality and well-being.

“We feel that there’s a crying need for better mental health, there are so many people suffering with that in Quebec, and it hurts us,” Tremblay said. Concretely, he said his vision includes encouraging teachers and civil servants to use their passion and creativity to connect with people, with fewer regulations and less paperwork.

Tremblay, who had no previous political background, says the campaign has already surpassed all expectations. “We are really happy because there are lots of people who are calling us, who are touched, who never voted in 45 years and say that now, we carry their voices,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2026.

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press