Could New Brunswick's election be a sign of what's in store for Quebec?

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Would you rather have a crystal ball and know where the chips will fall, or relish the surprise? If you trust what some of the experts say, New Brunswick's wild election results may be a harbinger of what's in store for us on Oct. 1.

And if we are indeed headed down that path, you might want to plan ahead. Or at least have a snack ready on election night. Here's where we're at on day 34.

The Breakout 

By Benjamin Shingler, @benshingler

Well, the New Brunswick election was a real nail-biter.

The Progressive Conservatives barely beat the Liberals — 22 seats to 21 — in a legislature requiring 25 for a majority.

But the Liberals won the popular vote, and on Tuesday Premier Brian Gallant said he would try to govern.

To do that, he will need help from one of the province's smaller parties — most likely, the Greens.

It all hit close to home here in Quebec where, as you know, we are in the midst of a tight race.

The result fuelled speculation about potential alliances in a minority National Assembly. There weren't many clear answers from the leaders on which parties would be willing to team up.

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Jean-François Lisée, whose party could hold the balance of power, said he "will not delve into these hypotheses. I think they are unhelpful."

The PQ leader did, however, say that he'd be prepared to work with another party to pass a budget or legislation.

He also used the occasion to play up the PQ's commitment to electoral reform. The turmoil in New Brunswick, he said, is proof that things need to change.

Of course, all this talk could be moot, as François Legault pointed out, if the CAQ wins a majority.

The Breakdown​

• What is the Québec Solidaire revolution all about? "If you call it, what did you say, Marxism? Yes, it is," Manon Massé said in an interview with CBC Montreal's Debra Arbec yesterday. When asked about that comment this morning, Massé chalked it up to a flub in her second language and flatly denied the party is anything-ist. Massé said those trying to label her party are trying to scare voters. Read more

• Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard was visibly angry when responding to allegations made by François Legault that he may be holding money offshore. According to documents he released yesterday, Couillard is worth $440,000 — about $220,000 less than the assets he declared in 2012. "People thought that I was a rich man. I'm not. I am not sorry about this," he told reporters. He said the losses were due to mortgage payments and other debts, and he explained he did not have a salary in the months before he was elected Liberal leader.

The Trail: Dispatches from the road

By Elias Abboud, @eliabb

My assignment at work one day in March 2003 was to cover then-premier Jean Charest introducing some new candidate. Apparently the new guy was pretty smart, a brain surgeon. You guessed right — it was Philippe Couillard. I joked with Charest that he had his brain surgeon, all he needed now was a rocket scientist. He thought that was funny.

Couillard seemed bright enough and had all these great ideas about how to fix the health-care system. The quote we used on the news that day was: "We will make sure that our patients are treated within a defined, acceptable period of time. We will remove inefficient health boards and replace them with a lighter, more efficient regional structure."

I remember thinking this wide-eyed politician was in for a ride. Did he even know what he was getting into?

Fifteen years later, he has served as health minister, resigned, returned to politics, won the Liberal leadership and then won a majority government, four years ago.

Today, I see a different man. A guy who is hardened, a little greyer, less wide-eyed — but who still has the steely nerve of a brain surgeon.

The Race

The gap between the Liberals and the CAQ when it comes to the popular vote is narrowing, but the CAQ remains the favourite to win the most seats, thanks to its lead among francophones. Meanwhile, Manon Massé and Québec Solidaire continue to impress.

We've got all your poll tracking, right here.

The Mic

I would like to know from the candidates how much effort they are putting toward accommodating foreign-qualified immigrants in the field in which they were granted immigration? – Abdul Waheed Ahmed, Montreal

Integration is the key word.

The four major political parties have all committed to putting more money toward helping immigrants learn French, to make integrating into the workforce easier for them.

And all four parties agree the province has to expedite the recognition of foreign credentials. Philippe Couillard actually met with the professional orders last year to encourage just that.

To avoid disappointment, both the Liberals and the PQ say, immigrants need to know going in what upgrades or training they'll need to practise their profession here.

If elected, the PQ wants to introduce "robust" anti-discrimination measures and ensure more visible minorities get jobs in the public service and government agencies such as Hydro-Québec and the SAAQ.

Québec Solidaire echoes that, saying it would temporarily increase the hiring rate of minorities in the public service until a representation rate of 13 per cent is reached.

Both Québec Solidaire and the PQ say they would set up one-stop shops across Quebec to guide newcomers to available resources that could help them find jobs or financial support.

The CAQ was short on details but said it would prioritize accepting immigrants who have a job offer from a company in the regions, where the labour shortage is most acute.

Click here to read more about Abdul Waheed's story.

Will the polls be bang on? Will the dark horse surprise in the end? Stay tuned, dear Ballot Briefer. It's only a few days until we'll know what's in store for the future of the province.

À la prochaine,

-Melinda Dalton, social media editor