1970 Quebec general election

The 1970 Quebec general election was held on April 29, 1970, to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The former Legislative Assembly had been renamed the "National Assembly" in 1968. The Quebec Liberal Party, led by Robert Bourassa, defeated the incumbent Union Nationale, led by Premier Jean-Jacques Bertrand.

1970 Quebec general election

April 29, 1970
110 seats in the 29th National Assembly of Quebec 56 seats were needed for a majority
First party Second party   UN Leader Robert Bourassa Jean-Jacques Bertrand Party Liberal Union Nationale Leader since January 17, 1970 October 2, 1968 Leader's seat Mercier Missisquoi Last election 50 seats, 47.29% 56 seats, 40.82% Seats won 72 17 Seat change 22 39 Popular vote 1,304,341 564,544 Percentage 45.40% 19.65% Swing 1.9% 21.17%   Third party Fourth party   PC Leader Camil Samson René Lévesque Party Parti créditiste Parti Québécois Leader since March 22, 1970 October 14, 1968 Leader's seat Rouyn-Noranda Laurier (lost re-election) Last election pre-creation pre-creation Seats won 12 7 Seat change 12 7 Popular vote 321,370 662,404 Percentage 11.19% 23.06% Swing 11.19% 23.06
Premier before election Jean-Jacques Bertrand Union Nationale Premier after election Robert Bourassa Liberal

This election marked the first appearance by a new party, the sovereigntist Parti Québécois, led by former Liberal cabinet minister René Lévesque. The PQ won a modest seven seats, although Lévesque was defeated in his own riding.

Only a few months after the election, Quebec faced a severe test with the October Crisis, in which Liberal cabinet minister Pierre Laporte was kidnapped and assassinated by the Front de libération du Québec, a violent pro-independence group.

The Union Nationale, which had governed Quebec through most of the 1940s and 1950s, would never come close to winning power again. This was partly because a significant number of the Union Nationale's younger supporters had embraced sovereigntism, and shifted their support to the PQ.