The Unity Party (in
French, ''Parti unité'') was a
political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...
in
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
, Canada.
The party was formed as a reaction to then-Premier
Robert Bourassa
Robert Bourassa (; July 14, 1933 – October 2, 1996) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd premier of Quebec from 1970 to 1976 and from 1985 to 1994. A member of the Liberal Party of Quebec, he served a total of just ...
invoking the
notwithstanding clause of the
Canadian constitution to override a
Supreme Court
In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
ruling overturning parts of the
Charter of the French Language (commonly known as "Bill 101").
The party platform called for equality of both languages (French and English) in Quebec, opposing Bill 101 which made French the sole official language of Quebec and imposed restrictions on the use of English on public signs. The Unity Party drew virtually all of its support from elements of Quebec's
anglophone
The English-speaking world comprises the 88 countries and territories in which English is an official, administrative, or cultural language. In the early 2000s, between one and two billion people spoke English, making it the largest language ...
minority, and only ran candidates in electoral districts with very high anglophone populations outside the Montreal Island and Laval, while its twin party, the
Equality Party, ran candidates exclusively on the Montreal Island and Laval. The Equality Party won four seats in the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
in the
1989 general election.
The Unity Party merged with the Equality Party in September 1990.
Election results
{, class="wikitable"
, -
! General election
! # of candidates
! # of elected candidates
! % of popular vote
, -
! 1989
, align=center , 16
, align=center , 0
, align=center , 0.99%
See also
*
Politics of Quebec
The politics of Quebec are centred on a provincial government resembling that of the other Canadian provinces, namely a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The capital of Quebec is Quebec City, where the Lieutenant Governor, Pr ...
*
List of Quebec general elections
*
List of Quebec premiers
*
List of Quebec leaders of the Opposition
*
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec (, ) is the Legislature, legislative body of the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec in Canada. Legislators are called MNAs (Members of the National Assembly; ). The lieutenant governor of Que ...
*
Timeline of Quebec history
*
Political parties in Quebec
External links
National Assembly historical informationLa Politique québécoise sur le Web
Provincial political parties in Quebec
Quebec Anglophone culture