KAMOURASKA, Que. - The Parti Quebecois capitalized on widespread discontent with the Charest government on Monday, winning a byelection in a riding that had been Liberal since 1985.
Andre Simard's narrow victory in Kamouraska-Temiscouata with about 37 per cent of the vote is a stern warning for Premier Jean Charest, who has seen support for his government crumble in recent months.
The premier has been hurt by his steadfast refusal to hold a public inquiry into allegations of corruption in the construction industry.
Simard's victory by just one percentage point in the riding northeast of Quebec City leaves the Liberals with 65 seats in the 125-member national assembly.
The PQ now has 52 seats, the Action democratique du Quebec four, while Quebec solidaire has one. There are three Independents.
The Liberal candidate in Monday's byelection was France Dionne, who represented Kamouraska-Temiscouata between 1985 and 1997.
She ended up with about 36 per cent of the vote, compared with the 54 per cent Liberal cabinet minister Claude Bechard managed in the 2008 provincial election.
The Action democratique's Gerald Beaulieu finished third Monday with about 23 per cent of the vote.
The byelection was called after Bechard died of cancer in September.
The Liberals were no doubt hoping they would get a boost at the ballot box with Charest's announcement in early October that 400 Bombardier Inc. (TSX:BBD.B) employees at the company's plant in the riding will be recalled to work on subway cars for the Montreal transit commission.
But it wasn't to be.
