François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) secured another majority government in Monday's provincial election, winning 90 out of 125 seats in Quebec's National Assembly..“Quebecers sent a clear, strong message. Quebecers said, 'let’s continue,'” Premier Legault told supporters at a celebration in Quebec City..The Liberals came in second with 22 seats, mostly situated around the Island of Montreal, while Quebec solidaire won in 11 ridings. The Parti Quebecois finished with just three seats, and the Quebec Conservatives won zero..The CAQ, formed only 11 years ago, cemented its place in Quebec politics by gaining an even larger share of seats than last election in 2018, when the party had 74 seats..Meanwhile, the Liberals and the Parti Québécois, the main opposition parties in the province, saw their share of the vote further reduced on Monday. .Legault told the audience the most pressing challenge Quebec faces in the short term is the "economic situation," of high interest rates and inflation. He said the government will issue one-time cheques to Quebecers in December to help them cope..Legault added his "greatest duty" as the premier is to protect the French language, which he claimed is under attack in the province. His government passed Bill 96 in 2022, which overhauls the province's French language law to make it the language of government, law, work, education, and business. ."And whether we like it or not, the future of French depends largely on our ability to integrate in French those who have recently chosen to build their future in Quebec," he added, referencing new immigrants to the province. .Legault said Quebecers are a "great people" and clarified he was talking about “all Quebecers, from all regions, of all ages, of all origins.".Legault stirred up controversy early in the election campaign when he linked new immigrants to extremism, which he later apologized for. .His party has also been condemned across Canada for its passing of Bill 21, which banned public servants in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols on the job..“Immigration is an asset and integration into our beautiful nation is a mutual gift," Legault told the audience..Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Legault on his election win on Monday night. "Together, we will make Quebec, which we are so proud of, an even better place to live," he said.
