The Gazette from Montreal, Quebec, Canada • 1

illlj.jj 1 mtiriHin -it ilr i iliillill MIIIMMIMMMMIMIMMMMMMIMM isaaaSii3iisMnM Montreal Tuesday, December 9, 2008 Since 1778 Breaking news at montrealgazette.coxi Sports final Results as of 1:30 a.m. ACTION WON OR LEADING QUEBEC PARTI QUtBtCOIS do. 7 1cmuv.kamvuc WON OR LEADING SEATS WON OR LEADING SEATS LIBERAL CC W0N0RLEADINC party QQ SEATS G51 SOLIDAIRE DU CHAR EST GETS HIS WIS LIBERAL MAJORITY PQ surges back as Action democratique fades to shadow HUBERT BAUCH THE GAZETTE Jean Charest won his gamble on a snap election that nobody else seemed to want as the Liberals were returned to power in yesterday's provincial election with a slim majority of National Assembly seats With counting nearly complete, the Liberals were elected or leading in 66 of the province's 125 ridings, followed by the Parti Quebecois in 51, and the Action democratique du Quebec in seven. ok'-wij, I i i f' 'If i .1111 In light of the dismal ADQ showing, Dumont, said it would be his last election, after having led the party he was vital in founding through five campaigns. In the most startling breakthrough, the left-, wing Quebec solidaire, running only in its sec-! ond general election, won a seat.

Its co-leader Amir Khadir won the central Montreal riding of Mercier, taking it from PQ frontbencher Daniel Turp. For Charest, it was not just a recovery from his fall to minority in last year's vote. Sweetening the victory was its historic dimension as he became the first Quebec premier of the past half-century to be elected three times in succession. It was a disappointing setback for the major opposition parties. Please see MAJORITY, Page A6 JOHN KENNEY THE GAZETTE PIERRE OBENDRAUF THE GAZETTE Quebec Liberal leader Jean Charest is congratulated by his wife, Michele Dionne, at a victory party in Sherbrooke last night.

At right, Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois addresses her troops at the Olympia theatre. The PQ will form the strongest opposition since the Quiet Revolution, she boasted. Just enough voters turned up for Liberal win KING OF THE COMEBACK Jean Charest's political career has been a series of comebacks, and he learns from each of them. Page A3 NEW GIANT-KILLER Sovereignists have a new champion, Amir Khadir, of Quebec Solidaire, who ousts the PQ in Mercier. Page B3 EDITORIAL: NO TRIUMPH That wasn't the clear mandate Charest had been dreaming of.

Page A20 EVERYTHING ONLINE For complete results, a photo gallery -and to make your opinion known, go to montrealgazette.com of the province's eligible electors. Low turnout in Quebec elections generally benefits the Liberals. A "rule of 76" has been observed: in the eight general elections since 1976, the Liberals won the four in which the turnout rate was below 76 per cent, and lost the four in which it was above. Please see MACPHERSON, Page A2 When Jean Charest called an election for Dec. 8, the latest date for a general election in Quebec's history, he should have known that voting conditions might not be ideaL Charest's Liberal Party eked out a smaller-than-expected majority in the National Assembly.

Whether the health of Quebec democracy fared as well in yesterday's cold is another question. Incomplete results suggested that the turnout rate would be about 57 per cent, by far the lowest in a general election in this province since the present method of calculating the turnout rate was adopted in 1931. So Charest would derive his parliamentary majority and his mandate from the votes of less than one-quarter SDON MACPHERSON WEATHER Light snow High -1 Low -3 PageC5 QUOTE OF THE DAY 'Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well he your own, instead of someone else's. Billy Wilder Return of the fallen Piscatorial pedicure It's the newest craze in foot care: clients dip their feet in a tank and let tiny fish nibble the rough bits until they're nice and soft.

Page INDEX lliHIWfc'-1 09TRIBECA "7" "TT "'Vi .06,7 A21 Annie's Mailbox E8 Arts 5 Life El Best Bets E5 Businuf CI Classified Fl Comics E8 Driving Fl Editorials A20 Fitness E4 Nation Obltuarlts Opinion Puzzles Page Scoreboard Sportf TV Listings World Youth Zone Eaniily members wait with roses, while residents of Trenton, lirie the road to pay respects to three soldiers slain in Afghanistan. Page All A Canadian bailout? Automakers seek $6 billion in emergency aid in Ontario, but the federal finance minister says cash would come with strings. Page CI Flames in town the Canadiens try out their new training centre in Brossard before fijaying host tonight to the Flames, PageDl. Follow the game with Mike Boone at habsinsideout.com Quebec Subaru Dealers' Association Flawless Japanese Technology QQ I Beyond metropolitan I area: $1.11 TAXES NOT INCLUDED i- mm-. www.queDec.suDaruaeaier.ca For file 2009 Trtoeca (9R2X30 S-speefl AutomaOc Transmission: monthly payments S449 (taxes extra) rased on a 48-monHi lease.

$0 security deposit. htftW cash down of S3.724.85 (taxes extra) or equivalent trade-in. Total amount required before the beginning of the leasing period is $4,726.16 (taxes included). 24,000 Km per year, 15 per extra Km. For the 2009 Forester 2.5X (9J1X0) 5-speed Manual Transmission: monthly payments or $349 (taxes extra) tmsed on a 46 rnortm lease.

90 security deposit. Initial cash down of S3.4l9.00 (taxes extra) or equivalent trade-in. Total amount required before the beginning of the leasing period tg $4,270.06 (taxes included). 24,000 Km per year, 10c per extra Km. Registration fees (depends on purchaser's particulars) and insurance extra.

Duties on new tires Included Cost of publication at the Register of Personal and Movable Heal Rights included. Freight and preparation Included Dealer may sell or lease for less. Offers applicable on approved credit try Subaru 's Financial Services by TCQ. See your local Subaru Dealer for complete program details on these offers. Vehicles shown for IDustratkm purposes only.

Offers vattd until December 31st, 2008. SUBARU coftaeifl.com.