59 PQ members sworn in as cabinet date set for Oct. 21

Fifty-nine Parti Québécois members were sworn in at the National Assembly in Quebec City on Thursday, Oct. 15, and Premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is to unveil his cabinet on Oct. 21, The Canadian Press reported.

The party won 59 seats in the Oct. 5 election, which leaves it short of a majority and means it will govern as a minority, according to The Canadian Press. Supporters in the room chanted “Quebec, a country” during the ceremony, as CTV News also reported.

St-Pierre Plamondon said his members would “work for Quebec and only for Quebec,” and that the new government would reach out to the opposition. “We’re going to reach out to the opposition because Quebecers want their legislature to work,” he said, according to The Canadian Press.

Since the legislature changed its rules in 2022, members no longer swear an oath to the King and instead pledge to uphold Quebec’s laws. The Canadian Press reported that St-Pierre Plamondon noted it was the first time in a year that a governing party had not sworn an oath to the monarchy, and that Liberal Leader Charles Milliard said in a radio interview he has “no intention” of swearing an oath to the King. Representatives of the Liberals, the Conservatives and Québec solidaire are to be sworn in next week.

Two results are still being contested. The PQ has asked for a judicial recount in Champlain, in the Mauricie region, where it lost by 191 votes, CTV News reported on Oct. 13. It also sought a recount in Vachon, on Montreal’s South Shore, where its candidate Stephan Fogaing trailed Liberal Affine Lwalalika by 10 votes in preliminary results, Global News reported on Oct. 7. Élections Québec has said election-night results are preliminary and that adjustments are normal.

Most of the new members have no legislative experience. The Canadian Press reported that former premier Pauline Marois and Jean Royer, a former chief of staff to Jacques Parizeau, will help train them. Returning members include Joël Arseneau, Pascal Bérubé, Nicolas Marceau and Alain Therrien.

St-Pierre Plamondon has said his government will focus on cutting spending, the cost of living, education and protecting Quebec culture. He has promised a sovereignty referendum after 2029, a position opponents of sovereignty reject and supporters say gives voters the final word.

The swearing-in follows a transition meeting with outgoing Premier Christine Fréchette. Our earlier reporting looked at the PQ’s first 100 days and at how the CAQ, shut out of the National Assembly, weighs its future.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.