The Parti des travailleurs du Québec (PTQ) (English: Workers Party of Quebec) was a political party in the

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

province of

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, ...

. It first issued a manifesto in 1976 and fielded candidates in provincial elections until the 1990s, never rising above fringe status. Gérard Lachance was party leader for at least part, and possibly all, of its existence. In a 1981 interview, party spokesperson Maurice Gohier indicated that the PTQ was not

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

but promoted both

independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...

and

socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

for Quebec. Its platform called for workers to be given a greater influence in the governing of society. The PTQ did not appear on the ballot in the 1985 provincial election due to registration difficulties, although some party members ran as non-affiliated candidates. The party's central offices were burgled in the 1989 provincial election, and a party official indicated that the names and addresses of party members were stolen.Michèle Ouimet, "Le PTQ dévalisé," ''La Presse'', 16 August 1989, B7.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parti des travailleurs du Quebec Defunct provincial political parties in Quebec Labour parties in Canada 1976 establishments in Quebec