Quebec December 2025-

Mulcair: As Quebec campaign heats up, here’s my long-range forecast
One thing seems clear already: With the threat of a referendum, other big issues aren’t getting the attention they deserve.
With the end of the National Assembly session, campaigning for the provincial election scheduled for Oct. 5 has begun in earnest.
Québec solidaire is trying to get noticed, but “tax the rich” isn’t top of mind in this referendum/election. The party could see its seat count seriously reduced.
It’s clear to me that the increasingly bizarre mutterings of Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre-Plamondon are starting to reveal a serious credibility gap. Stage fright appears to be getting to this good political performer.
PSPP has zero experience in management — but he wants to orchestrate the breakup of Canada and run a whole new country! It’s hard to see how Quebecers can feel reassured. I expect his ideological ice castle will start to melt under the campaign spotlights. …
With the threat of a referendum as the main ballot question, many other big issues aren’t getting the attention they deserve in the run-up to the election. Pressing matters like homelessness now appear to be on the back burner.
I was impressed by a transformational 10-year plan from CN to contribute $100 million for the prevention of homelessness. It received scant media attention, though, even if local charities, including the Old Brewery Mission, are immediate beneficiaries.
Which party has the most credible plan to deal with homelessness? It doesn’t appear to be a top priority.
And the environment? Under the Coalition Avenir Québec, requests for exemptions allowing for the destruction of wetlands have been granted at an alarming rate. Which party has the will to rigorously enforce environmental protections?

26 June
Opinion: PQ’s new blueprint for sovereignty sets the stage for a high-stakes election campaign
Globe and Mail columnist Konrad Yakabuski believes the Parti Québécois’ 524-page Blue Book is the most comprehensive sovereignty plan the party has ever produced and will shape Quebec’s upcoming provincial election. The document outlines the PQ’s vision for an independent Quebec, including a referendum within its first mandate, a declaration of independence within two years of a Yes vote, and detailed proposals on borders, public finances, defence and relations with Canada. Yakabuski says the plan is intended to reassure supporters, provide candidates with clear talking points and portray Paul St-Pierre Plamondon as a serious and prepared leader. He notes that while federalists are likely to challenge many of the document’s assumptions, the election will determine whether the Blue Book becomes the foundation for a renewed sovereignty movement or simply joins previous independence proposals that never came to fruition.

23-24 June
Le Québec, ma patrie
This is a place where collaboration between people of differing religious, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds has long been a hallmark.
Andrew Caddell
Mulcair: Of caribou, kangaroos and herbicides
PQ leader’s novel argument for separatism may well provide a new catchphrase to Quebec’s quirky political lexicon.
In one of those uniquely Quebec quirks, separatists in this province are divided into two categories that carry animal nicknames: caribou and kangaroos. Caribou are separatists who would insist on taking the leap, irrespective of the potential dire consequences.
The kangaroos? Those are the separatists who hide their option in their pocket. Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon [PSP} is a caribou, or at least he has been until recently, it seems.
For a long while PSPP made it clear he was going to take the leap come hell or high water on his promise to hold a sovereignty referendum in his first mandate if the PQ forms the next government.
The problem, however, is that polls continue to indicate nearly 70 per cent of Quebecers want nothing to do with a referendum that could lead to the breakup of Canada.
As the election nears, his uncompromising separatist option is becoming a real political liability, which might explain why he appears to be transitioning into a kangaroo before our very eyes.
No English debate during Quebec’s fall election campaign
Second straight campaign where the Coalition Avenir Québec and Parti Québécois have declined to participate in a debate in English.
The Quebec English news media consortium invited the leaders of each of the five main Quebec political parties to a 90-minute English-language debate on Sept. 24.
Both Québec solidaire and the Conservative Party of Quebec agreed to participate. A spokesperson for the Quebec Liberal Party told the consortium that the party would participate in an English debate if all five parties were participating.
PQ blue book: An independent Quebec would have an army, protect anglo school boards
Party releases 524-page blueprint document for an independent Quebec
An independent Quebec would have its own small army the size of Denmark’s and a ministry of defence. It would also seek to become a member of NATO and NORAD, while inviting Canadian soldiers living on Quebec soil to join the new force.
The military commitments are included in a new 524-page Parti Québécois blueprint document for an independent Quebec, Le Livre bleu sur l’indépendance.
Besides the military, the document republishes previously written chapters covering issues of citizenship, borders, passports, currency and the finances of the new country, which would break all ties with the monarchy and be a republic.

11 June
CAQ’s controversial Quebec constitution bill dies as parliamentary session ends
Quebec constitution bill will die on the order paper
The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government is in the final stretch as it seeks to pass several key bills in the last legislative session prior to the provincial election on Oct. 5.
On Thursday, [Quebec Justice Minister Simon] Jolin-Barrette confirmed to reporters he was abandoning his plan to create a Quebec constitution, saying that given the time remaining in the parliamentary session, the opposition’s consent would have been required for the bill to be passed.

9 June
What will make the cut? Four days left to pass 19 bills at Quebec’s National Assembly
(City News) MNAs will now only have a few days to go through public consultations. It started Tuesday with Bill 9, a law that would restrict energy drinks for youth under 16.
Officials from the Quebec order of pharmacists were present at the hearings. …
Alongside Bill 9 are 18 other laws like it. Political watchers say it’s unlikely every bill will make it through before the National Assembly adjourns.
Those that don’t could quickly become campaign promises as parties head into the fall election.
“The more time they are at the National Assembly, that’s less time that they have contact with potential voters,” Tran said.
Liberal Opposition members say the province would have had more time if the National Assembly wasn’t suspended after François Legault stepped down.
“They decided to suspend any works here at the National Assembly, so we lost three weeks,” Tanguay lamented.
“There’s also people working in the background to analyze different clauses and everything,” added Tran. … In those three weeks, a lot of things could have happened, definitely.”

6 June
The Problem is you!
In an op-ed in the Sherbrooke Record, author and columnist Guy Rex Rogers says Quebec’s language debate has become deeply polarized, with many anglophones feeling unfairly blamed for the perceived decline of French despite making significant efforts to learn and use the language. Responding to economist Mario Polèse’s call for English speakers to help protect French, Rodgers says many non-francophones see such appeals as dismissive of the progress they have already made. While francophones often view laws like Bill 96 as necessary to safeguard a vulnerable language and culture, anglophones frequently see them as punitive measures that target minorities without delivering meaningful benefits for French. Drawing on his research into immigrants and education, Rodgers adds English speakers, allophones and newcomers are bilingual than previous generations and have worked hard to integrate into Quebec’s French-speaking society, yet their efforts are overlooked as language requirements continue to expand.

20-26 May
The Defence Bank, Linguistic Hypocrisy, and Sovereigntist Denial
The “fear campaign” isn’t what you might think.
Patrick Déry
(Quebecsplaining) … In a letter to the National Post, Quebec’s Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie, Christopher Skeete, noted that Montreal is “the only North American metropolis where French is the official language and where English remains indispensable in business, science, and diplomacy.”
NATO’s headquarters are indeed located in Brussels, and its two official and founding languages are French and English, as specified in Article 14 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
Bernard Drainville, the Minister of the Economy, piled it on, noting that the eighteen countries that supported Canada “would be very happy for the bank to be located in a multilingual city” where one can “find people who speak [their] language.”
Other strengths of Montreal were highlighted. Yes, yes, the connection to Europe, international organizations, artificial intelligence, aerospace (the Defense Bank will not build aircraft, but let’s move on).
But “the only North American metropolis where English remains indispensable”? “A multilingual city?”
The same government that, for the past eight years, has placed the threat of the English language and the decline of French (which isn’t “declining” all that much, by the way) at the heart of its legislative agenda, suddenly sees the virtues of its metropolis’s bilingualism and multilingualism?
Andrew Caddell: Quebec offers few incentives in the NATO defence bank competition
If Quebec fails to bring the defence bank to Montreal, it’ll have no one to blame but itself.

5-9 May
Libman: Fréchette breaks the facade on CAQ 2.0
Many had hoped the new leader would prove to be more pragmatic and tolerant. Nonsense.
As the National Assembly resumed sitting, Fréchette’s inaugural address as premier and legislative priorities indicate that she incarnates the same old CAQ with the same old political games and cynical attempts at manipulating the population with language and identity issues, to distract from its failures.
The first item on her legislative agenda was renewing the constitutional notwithstanding clause to extend the shielding of language law Bill 96 from Charter of Rights challenges. The law was passed in 2022, so the clause — which has a five-year shelf-life — didn’t have to be re-invoked for another year. As if this is the top priority for Quebecers right now.
Hanes: So much for a fresh start under Fréchette for CAQ and anglos
It may have been naive for anglos tired of being scapegoated to expect things to change under the new premier.
The first piece of legislation the Fréchette administration tabled was a bill on Wednesday to renew the notwithstanding clause early on the CAQ’s language legislation adopted in 2022, a major bone of contention for anglophones. The constitutional override, which was deployed pre-emptively on Bill 96 to shelter it from court challenges, needs to be reactivated every five years. But it doesn’t expire until 2027.
Kicking off a five-week legislative session with this unnecessary manoeuvre should be a warning sign to English-speaking Quebecers that Fréchette’s government has the same disregard for rights and the same exclusionary brand of nationalism as her predecessor.
Next, the new premier wants to extend the Charter of the French Language to adult and vocational training schools, potentially opening a new front in the ongoing battle over who is eligible for English education.
Worse for anglophones — and indeed all Quebecers — is that she appears to be keeping the door open on adopting the CAQ’s controversial constitution before the National Assembly breaks for the summer ahead of a fall election. …
… She is also trying to back the Quebec Liberals into a corner, while attempting to make new leader Charles Milliard look weak on protecting French after he said he would renew the constitutional shield on Bill 96, then nuanced his stance amid concern from his caucus and the English-speaking community.
In her inaugural speech Tuesday and in her first face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney last month, Fréchette gave an impassioned defence of the notwithstanding clause as being essential to Quebec’s autonomy and parliamentary sovereignty.
Its proactive use on Bill 21, Quebec’s initial secularism law, was just the subject of a landmark case before the Supreme Court of Canada, which held four days of hearings in March. Clearly, Fréchette isn’t waiting to see the implications of the eventual ruling before locking down Bill 96 for another five years.
Her haste shows that Fréchette, too, cares less about the rights of Quebecers, be they anglophones or religious minorities, than she does about a tool to allow governments to ignore them so legislation can be enacted that wouldn’t otherwise pass the smell test.
Quebec Premier Fréchette to renew notwithstanding clause on province’s language law
Quebec opposition leaders criticize Fréchette’s first order of business as premier

15-21 April
Christine Fréchette, unveiled her cabinet Tuesday, 21 April; Bernard Drainville is the minister responsible for the Economy, Innovation and Energy, Maritime Strategy.
Christine Fréchette sworn in as Quebec premier, pledges to defend language and identity
“I will not back away from anything to protect our French language, our culture and our Quebec values.”
Christine Fréchette has officially become premier of Quebec, vowing to use all available means to protect the Quebec nation.
…her speech, which did not include a word of English or mention of the anglophone community, was mostly focused on the economy and Quebec’s future.
“As a society we sometimes have the impression that we are advancing in the fog,” she said. “We have a choice: reverse or more forward. I choose moving forward.”
Fréchette repeated her commitment to require more Quebec content — including wood and aluminum — in public tender contracts and Quebec-grown food in Quebec hospitals to stimulate the economy.
Christine Fréchette will become Quebec’s premier today [at 4 pm]. Here’s how she got here
Fréchette, a 55-year-old former business executive, will be sworn in Wednesday
Benjamin Shingler

12-13 April
Analysis: Who is Christine Fréchette, Quebec’s new premier?
Christine Fréchette became Quebec’s new premier somewhat unexpectedly after better-known candidates chose not to run, allowing the relatively new politician, elected in 2022, to rise quickly. With a background in business and international relations, she is seen as calm, cautious and pragmatic, especially compared to her rival Bernard Drainville. She previously worked with the Parti Québécois but left over disagreements on identity policies, though she now supports the CAQ’s secularism law. Supporters say her steady style is reassuring, while critics point to her limited experience. As only the second woman to lead Quebec after Pauline Marois, she must now unite her party and try to rebuild support before the next election.
Christine Fréchette is Quebec’s next premier after winning CAQ leadership
Fréchette beats out Bernard Drainville to become leader of governing party
(CBC) Fréchette focused her campaign on growing the economy and helping Quebecers deal with the rising cost of living. She reiterated those priorities during her acceptance speech. [She] previously worked in economic development, as well as behind the scenes with the Parti Québécois, before winning a seat with the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) in 2022…[and serving] as Quebec’s immigration minister prior to taking over as minister of economy, innovation and energy in 2024.
Christine Fréchette named new CAQ leader and premier
(Gazette) Christine Fréchette has been elected leader of the CAQ and will become Quebec’s next premier, defeating Bernard Drainville with 57.9 per cent of the vote after an 80-day leadership race. A former economy minister, Fréchette becomes the province’s 33rd premier and only the second woman to hold the role, pledging to renew the party while maintaining key elements of Legault’s economic and identity agenda. Her victory speech emphasized party unity after a divisive campaign and took aim at Liberal and Parti Québécois rivals ahead of the October election. Facing low poll numbers, internal divisions, and a tight legislative calendar, she is expected to move quickly to form a smaller cabinet, introduce cost-of-living measures such as targeted tax relief, and decide the fate of pending legislation, including a proposed Quebec constitution, while working to rebuild support and prepare for the upcoming campaign.

11 April
The Montreal area is the epicentre of the Canadian political landscape this week.
(The Corner Booth) The federal Liberals, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, are in town for their policy convention. Tomorrow, the next CAQ leader will be announced a hop, skip and a jump away in Drummondville. Then on Monday, the riding of Terrebonne will decide their next member of Parliament in a byelection that will reverberate across the country.
Former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister David Heurtel returned to The Corner Booth podcast this week with hosts Bill Brownstein and Aaron Rand at Snowdon Deli to unpack it all.
… Speaking on the Corner Booth podcast, former Quebec Liberal minister David Heurtel says that federal Prime Minister Mark Carney is currently the most popular politician in Quebec, noting that his careful, low-profile approach and avoidance of sovereignty debates make him broadly appealing. Heurtel suggests Carney’s popularity could influence both the Terrebonne by-election and Quebec’s upcoming provincial election. He also says the governing CAQ is in serious political trouble, predicting a collapse regardless of whether Bernard Drainville or Christine Fréchette leads the party. He criticizes the Quebec Liberals for lacking regional organization but praises leader Charles Milliard for staying cautious early on, while also commenting on tensions in the broader political landscape involving the Parti Québécois.

9 April
To anglophone Quebecers, was François Legault an enemy or a friend?
When François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec first came to power in 2018, he made a concerted effort to win the trust of English-speaking Quebecers, signaling that his government would consider their concerns and promote inclusivity. Over the course of eight years, a series of legislative measures, including stricter language laws and policies that many anglophones viewed as limiting their rights, shifted the relationship between the government and the English-speaking community. What began as a strategy of outreach gradually turned into a source of tension, leaving Legault’s legacy with Quebec’s anglophones complicated. While some may still appreciate aspects of his governance, for many in the community his tenure is defined more by conflict and alienation than by collaboration.

22-23 March
Quebec businesses demand simpler rules, AI policy and increases to immigration
The Quebec chamber of commerce unveiled on Monday its economic priorities and policy recommendations for the government by 2030, in which they demanded increase in immigration, simplified bureaucracy and public procurement rules and artificial intelligence (AI) policy to meet labour shortage.
The Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ) released a set of 55 recommendations, which it says were based on extensive consultations with businesses in Quebec.
“Businesses want an environment that is more predictable, more agile, and better suited to today’s economic realities,” Véronique Proulx, president and CEO of FCCQ said. “Our plan provides clear, actionable solutions aligned with their needs.”
The federation represents 120 chambers of commerce and over 1,000 corporations, totalling over 40,000 businesses in the province.
The proposals released in the “Priorités économiques – Québec 2030” include: centralized, electronic portal for bidding and awarding provincial and municipal contracts, province-wide strategy for procurement from Quebec businesses, tax incentives for international expansion.
L’éléphant dans la pièce
La Presse columnist Michel C. Auger warns that an aging population, declining birth rate, and reduced immigration will slow economic growth and threaten the sustainability of social programs, especially health care. Despite this, the Quebec government continues to limit immigration, with Jean-François Roberge defending lower thresholds, even as immigration remains the only real source of population growth. Auger notes Quebec is already experiencing negative net migration and more deaths than births, while fewer immigrants mean weaker economic performance, labour shortages, and reduced federal transfers over time. He warns that without a policy shift, Quebec will face long-term economic stagnation and declining political weight within Canada, made worse by the departure of tens of thousands of non-permanent residents who were already integrated into the workforce.

17 March
Hundreds of groups urge Quebec government to scrap controversial constitution
The backlash against Quebec’s Bill 1 continues to grow. Hundreds of organizations across the province are calling on the government to scrap its proposed legislation to create a Quebec constitution. Critics say the process has been flawed from the start and warn it could have far-reaching impacts on minority rights and workers.
In a show of solidarity, a handful of Quebec community groups, unions and organizations gathered in Quebec City Tuesday, united in their opposition to Quebec’s proposed constitution, known as Bill 1.
“There are up to 800 different organizations that are asking the CAQ government to just pull out of this constitution,” said Caroline Senneville, CSN president. “It’s been flawed from the beginning.”
The CAQ’s constitution is intended to protect Quebec’s distinct identity and culture while boosting the province’s autonomy within Canada.

4 March
Support for sovereignty nosedives; Quebec Liberals and PQ in dead heat: poll
Opposition to Quebec independence stands at 71 per cent, the highest level since the sovereignty referendum in 1995.
The Léger online survey, conducted for the Québecor media group, found that the PQ and Liberals are virtually tied for overall voter support, polling 31 and 30 per cent respectively. The findings suggest a one-point drop in support for the PQ since January, while support for the Quebec Liberals, who saw Charles Milliard acclaimed as their leader in mid-February, increased by four points.

Quebec Liberal Party June 2025-

Legault leaves behind major bills still facing constitutional challenges
Premier François Legault will leave office with several major laws still tied up in constitutional challenges, highlighting the legal legacy of his seven years in power. Key bills include Bill 96 on the French language, which tightened language rules for businesses, immigrants and education and is facing multiple court challenges, and Bill 21 on secularism, which is now before the Supreme Court of Canada. Also under legal scrutiny are Bill 89, which limits the right to strike by allowing government intervention in labour disputes, and Bill 40, which restructured school boards and was ruled partly unconstitutional for violating minority education rights. In addition, the CAQ’s proposed Quebec constitution bill, Bill 1, has raised serious concerns among legal experts and rights groups, including TALQ, and could also face court challenges, meaning Legault’s most controversial reforms may ultimately be judged by the courts rather than voters.
He leaves behind multiple bills that are still in the middle of constitutional challenges, including one that is now before Canada’s highest court.
(CTV) Here is a look at the main ones that remain in legal limbo.
Bill 96
An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec
One of the most publicized bills from the Legault government, Bill 96 introduced a major overhaul of the province’s Charter of the French Language.
Adopted in May 2022, its effects on Quebec society are large in scope by requiring more French signage for businesses, requiring new immigrants to receive government services exclusively in French six months after their arrival, capping enrolment at English-language CEGEPs, authorizing search-and-seizure powers without warrants for the province’s French-language watchdog, among other reforms.
One of the main groups challenging Bill 96 is the English Montreal School Board (EMSB). The EMSB has won partial victories when the Quebec Court of Appeal struck down provisions that would have required English school boards to communicate exclusively in French.
The suspension of parts of Bill 96 will continue until the courts rule on the merits of the law, which could take several years. The constitutional challenge is still before the Superior Court.
Many other groups have sued the government over the language law, and those cases are ongoing. Some observers speculate that the bill could reach the Supreme Court of Canada.
Bill 21
An Act respecting the laicity of the State
Bill 21 was adopted in June 2019. It bans public workers in positions of authority, such as teachers, principals, police officers, lawyers, and judges, from wearing religious symbols at work.
Bill 21 has reached the Supreme Court of Canada (The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear a legal challenge of Quebec’s secularism law, known as Bill 21. Hearings at the Supreme Court are expected to begin on March 23).
Several groups are challenging the law, including the EMSB, the National Council of Canadian Muslims, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and teachers’ union the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement.

17 February
Jolin-Barrette praises anglophones’ ‘invaluable contribution’ amid ongoing tensions
Andy Riga
“The Quebec state recognizes all of its citizens, and in particular the anglophone minority in Quebec, who have participated in, contributed to and helped develop Quebec.”
Amid tensions over language and constitutional issues, Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette says anglophones are “invaluable,” helped build the province and are full-fledged Quebecers.
But he stopped short of saying whether he will adopt a prominent sovereignist’s call to enshrine English-speaking Quebecers’ education and health-care rights in the written provincial constitution he is proposing.
Quebec anglophones have repeatedly clashed with the CAQ government on language and education issues, and more recently in criticizing Jolin-Barrette’s proposed written constitution, which only mentions the community in the preamble.
Jolin-Barrette was responding to Sylvia Martin-Laforge, the director general of TALQ, who presented the anglophone rights group’s brief at the hearing on Tuesday evening.

28 January
‘We feel abandoned’: 25 UQAM profs in limbo after Quebec axes immigration program
Twenty-five professors at the Université du Québec à Montréal may have to leave the province as a result of the abolition of the Programme de l’expérience québécoise (PEQ), their union said Thursday.
The Syndicat des professeurs et professeures de l’UQAM-CSN is joining a growing list of groups calling on Quebec to implement a grandfather clause for temporary foreign workers who intended to pursue permanent residency through the program, describing its abolition as “disastrous” for the university.
Launched in 2010 to retain foreign students and temporary workers by offering a fast track to permanent residency, the PEQ was abolished by the Legault government in November.
The sole remaining program through which these workers can seek permanent residency, the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ), has been criticized for prioritizing regions other than Montreal. The criteria stack the odds against professors given that the city is a university hub, said CSN president Caroline Senneville.

15-17 January
Libman: Legault leaves legacy as premier of not all Quebecers
For many who feel he trampled on their rights, there is little regret this week over his decision to step aside.
Gazette columnist Robert Libman writes how François Legault’s resignation as Quebec premier has drawn mixed reactions, with many noting that his leadership did not serve all Quebecers equally. While he guided the province through the pandemic, his tenure was marked by costly missteps, ballooning deficits, and strained public services. Legislation such as Bill 21 and Bill 96 symbolized his focus on secularism and the French language, but critics say they marginalized minorities without addressing deeper issues. Legault’s emphasis on immigration and cultural nationalism reinforced the sense that he prioritized certain groups over others. Attention now turns to his successor, with several CAQ ministers and nationalists. Libman notes that the choice of leader could reshape Quebec politics, influence the next election, and affect the balance between nationalist and moderate voters.
Tasha Kheiriddin: Legault’s departure may signal a return to the past for Quebec
Legault built the CAQ to offer voters a third option: nationalist, but not separatist
National Post columnist Tasha Kheiriddin argues that François Legault’s resignation as premier and CAQ leader could mark the end of the political “third way” he created in Quebec and a return to the traditional divide between federalists and sovereigntists. Legault built the CAQ as a nationalist but non-separatist alternative to the Parti Québécois and the Liberals, leading it to two majority governments and reshaping Quebec politics, but scandals, costly policy failures and declining public support weakened his hold on power. With no clear successor and the party polling poorly, the CAQ risks fragmenting without Legault to hold together its diverse coalition of voters. Kheiriddin suggests the PQ, Liberals and Conservatives could each benefit in different ways, potentially reviving old debates about sovereignty and unity, and leaving Quebec voters once again faced with a more polarized political landscape.

14 January
Premier Legault steps down with no obvious successor in the wings
The premier was clinging to power in the hopes the steps he took in late 2025 would produce an uptick in his support. It was not to be.
Unable to turn back the tide of voter dissatisfaction, Premier François Legault Wednesday announced he is stepping down as premier and leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec, a party he founded in 2011.
While rumours had been floating for weeks that Legault might leave office in early 2026 given his low standing in the polls, his decision took much of the political class by surprise….
He said he will stay in office and as MNA for the riding of L’Assomption until the party names a successor. Legault, 68, was accompanied by his wife Isabelle Brais and longtime chief of staff and right-hand man Martin Koskinen for the announcement.
Who could replace François Legault as Quebec premier? Here are five possible contenders
After nearly 15 years leading the Coalition Avenir Québec, Legault’s resignation has started a succession battle at the party he founded.
… Already ruled out… Mario Dumont
The name of Mario Dumont, a prominent TVA host, has come up in media speculation over the past year.
The once leader of the Action démocratique du Québec from 1994 to 2009, Dumont became the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly in 2007.
But despite the speculation, Dumont has said the personal cost of leadership means nothing would persuade him to re-enter partisan politics.

2025

19 December
Quebec Liberals: Marc Tanguay resumes job of interim leader after Rodriguez resignation
He served as interim leader for two years and seven months following the resignation of former leader Dominique Anglade in November 2022.
Quebec Liberal leader steps down after weeks of turmoil
Pablo Rodriguez has resigned only 6 months after taking over the post, sources tell CBC News
Quebec Liberal Party Leader Pablo Rodriguez resigned from his post during a meeting with his caucus Wednesday afternoon, sources tell CBC News.
Rodriguez felt he had become too great a distraction and that his presence was hurting the party, sources say.

13 December
2025 in review: The Quebec Liberals ‘need a culture shift’ | The Corner Booth
In this year-in-review episode of The Corner Booth, Martine St-Victor and Raphaël Melançon joined hosts Bill Brownstein and Aaron Rand to recap 2025’s major political events in Quebec and Canada. The discussion covered Justin Trudeau’s resignation, Mark Carney reviving the federal Liberals, and the U.S. election of Donald Trump. At the municipal level, Montreal voters elected Soraya Martinez Ferrada and Ensemble Montréal over Luc Rabouin and Projet Montréal. Provincially, the panel noted Premier François Legault pushing controversial bills and the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Pablo Rodriguez, facing vote-buying allegations. They explored questions for 2026, including whether the CAQ or Liberals can regain support, if the Quebec Conservatives can appeal to anglophones, and local issues such as Montreal becoming an AI hub, missed World Cup opportunities, and persistent potholes.

11 December
Would a Quebec constitution strip protections for Anglos and other minorities? – The Elias Makos Show | iHeart
(TALQ) Speaking on the Elias Makos Show on CJAD, TALQ director general Sylvia Martin-Laforge highlights the recent brief TALQ released highlighting its concerns over Quebec’s drafted constitution also known as Bill 1. She discusses the 22-page document and how TALQ is preparing for its appearance at the bill’s consultation process, on February 17. Martin-Laforge argues that there was no consultation and that a constitution can’t be drafted that way. “The bill should not go through,” she said. The CAQ’s draft Quebec constitution faces strong opposition for weakening individual rights, favoring collective rights, and potentially undermining minority protections.

Sweeping Quebec crime bill would ban gang colours, restrict protests and create sex offenders’ registry
The proposed legislation responds to a Legault government promise to prioritize law and order.

9 December
CAQ’s constitution would gut historic protections for minorities, anglo rights group warns
The proposed Quebec constitution barely acknowledges the English-speaking community and “fails to acknowledge any historic rights,” TALQ says.
By Andy Riga
Premier François Legault’s proposed constitution marks a step toward “dismantling democracy” and should alarm minorities because it would erase historic protections, an anglophone rights group warns.
Fundamental rights are the foundation of democracy, and are “integral to the identity of modern Quebec society,” thanks to the province’s groundbreaking Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, says TALQ, a coalition of anglophone groups.
Now, 50 years after the charter’s adoption, the Coalition Avenir Québec seeks, through Bill 1 — the Quebec Constitution Act, 2025 — to “explicitly weaken” human rights, TALQ argues in its brief, which will be made public on Tuesday.

4 December
Lower wages and employment rates for anglos cost Quebec $1.5 billion a year: study
The report expands on data from the 2021 census that indicated English-speaking Quebecers continue to face higher unemployment and lower incomes than their French-speaking counterparts.
“This report is really trying to focus on showing the strength of what our community could contribute if we were employed and earning at the same level as francophones,” says Nicholas Salter, executive director of the Provincial Employment Roundtable.
The report — The State of Employment Among English-Speaking Quebecers — expands on data from the 2021 census that indicated English-speaking Quebecers continue to face higher unemployment and lower incomes than their French-speaking counterparts.
Researchers combined those findings with monthly labour market statistics to put a dollar figure on how those disparities affect the Quebec economy. The hope is that the findings will spur decision-makers to invest in more employment initiatives and training for the anglophone community.