The Quebec general election of 1976 was held to elect members to the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. It was one of the most significant elections in Quebec history, rivaled only by the 1960 general election, and caused major repercussions in the rest of Canada.
The Parti Quebecois, led by Rene Levesque, defeated the incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Robert Bourassa. The Parti Quebecois’ campaign focused on providing “good government,” to contrast the many scandals that had plagued the Liberals since 1973. The PQ’s stated goal of achieving independence for Quebec from Canada was portrayed as only secondary, however the election of a separatist government in Quebec caused great distress in the rest of Canada.
It led to extensive discussions about performing the Canadian Confederation and finding ways of accommodating Quebec. The Parti Quebecois used its term in office to introduce numerous bills to implement its agenda. The first bill introduced was legislation to confirm French as the sole official language of Quebec, and to implement measures to make this a social reality. The bill was withdrawn, significantly altered and re-introduced as the Charter of the French Language which remains in effect today.
