Lieutenant-governor to skip Quebec cabinet swearing-in

Quebec’s lieutenant-governor will not preside over the swearing-in of the new Parti Québécois cabinet on Wednesday, the first time the Crown’s representative has stayed away from the ceremony, after premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon asked her to.

Lt.-Gov. Manon Jeannotte accepted the request, CBC News reported, citing Radio-Canada sources. She will watch from an office near the National Assembly chamber and sign the appointment documents behind the scenes, so the National Assembly’s secretary general can administer the oaths.

St-Pierre Plamondon sent the request in a letter on Monday, Oct. 19. CBC reported that the letter said his government will not allow a representative of the British Crown to preside over the event. Le Devoir also reported that he asked Jeannotte not to attend the cabinet’s swearing-in.

The lieutenant-governor’s office told Radio-Canada she is exercising discretion and restraint so that attention remains on democratic institutions, CBC reported (translated from French).

The Parti Québécois, which favours Quebec independence, won a minority government in the Oct. 5 election. Its 59 members were sworn in at the National Assembly last week, and the party has said St-Pierre Plamondon will again refuse to swear an oath to King Charles. The two sides of the debate differ on the principle: sovereigntists say the oath conflicts with Quebec’s democratic institutions, while the lawyer challenging the oath rules argues they should follow the Constitution as it stands.

That dispute is also before the courts. Lawyer Lawrence David, founder of the Public Interest Litigation Institute, filed an emergency injunction seeking to force the incoming government to swear allegiance to the King. A hearing before Judge Ian Demers is set for Tuesday, CBC reported.

David had already filed a lawsuit in August on the same issue. It argues that Quebec’s 2022 Bill 4, which made the oath to the monarch optional for MNAs, amounted to a change to the Constitution Act, 1867 without the required unanimous consent, and that it violates the Charter’s guarantee of effective representation. The previous Coalition Avenir Québec government tabled Bill 4 after pressure from the Parti Québécois.

If the injunction is granted, MNAs who refuse the oath could be barred from taking their seats when the legislature reconvenes in mid-November, CBC reported. David told the broadcaster he will appeal if he does not win, and said he would launch further challenges if the government moves to abolish the office of lieutenant-governor.

The ceremony follows a transition meeting between St-Pierre Plamondon and outgoing premier Christine Fréchette. The new government will face a minority legislature, as set out in our look at the PQ’s first 100 days.

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