Michel Leblanc

Along a downtown Montreal street, in sight of city hall, orange-and-white-striped traffic cones stand in a row on the sidewalk. A few metres away, more cones mark off construction sites, while a solitary cone is perched atop a blue bollard separating the street from a bike lane.

For the first time since 2014, the Quebec government expects to run a budget deficit.

The Coalition Avenir Québec's resounding election victory could clear the way for the party to make good on its vow to cut immigration, a position that worries Quebec businesses and experts who cite labour shortages. They nonetheless see the party's fiscal conservatism as a plus.

At a downtown Montreal hotel last week, Quebec solidaire co-spokesperson Manon Masse looked out at members of the city's business community and calmly declared she wanted a revolution.