Quebec government to ask Supreme Court of Canada to weigh in on electoral map changes

The Quebec government says it will seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada to block a redrawing of the provincial electoral map.

Premier François Legault’s government tabled a law in 2024 to interrupt the boundary-redrawing process, which had called for the removal of a riding on the Gaspé Peninsula and another in Montreal’s east end.

Legislature members from all parties voted to adopt the law, which was sparked by concerns that Gaspé would lose political weight and that ridings in eastern Quebec would become overly large.

But the province’s highest court ruled on Dec. 1 that the law is unconstitutional and violates sections of the Charter that guarantee democratic rights.

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In response, Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette says the government will ask the Supreme Court to hear an appeal, adding that citizens in all regions need to be well represented.

The new map by the province’s electoral boundaries commission would eliminate the Gaspé and Montreal ridings in favour of new districts in the growing Laurentians, Lanaudière and Centre-du-Québec regions.