The deputies of the Parti Québécois and of Québec solidaire expose themselves to the risk of being expelled if they maintain their refusal to pledge allegiance to King Charles III, the outgoing President of the National Assembly, François Paradis, ruled on Tuesday.
This commitment is “a condition” for participating in parliamentary work, writes Mr. Paradis in his decision. “Failure to take an oath therefore has a clear consequence: it prevents the person in default from sitting. »
QS and the PQ had asked for flexibility so that it would be possible to represent voters in the National Assembly without this promise of allegiance – by taking an oath only to the people of Quebec, for example. This is what the elected representatives of these two parties did during their swearing-in ceremony two weeks ago.
However, the decision of outgoing President Paradis is clear: those who will not lend themselves to the exercise by the start of the parliamentary session could be shown the door of the Blue Room and the National Assembly committees. “In the event that a person refuses to comply with this prohibition, the Sergeant-at-Arms will be authorized to expel him,” he wrote.
This decision comes in the middle of a transition period: Quebec parliamentarians resume their work on November 29 and will choose on this occasion who will succeed Mr. Paradis as President of the National Assembly. MP Nathalie Roy, who lost her post as Minister of Culture to Mathieu Lacombe, has expressed interest in this role.
In his letter, François Paradis explains that it is up to him to intervene until he is replaced. The former MP for Lévis did not run in the last election.
The Parti Québécois reacted in the afternoon through the voice of the MP for Matane, Pascal Bérubé. The PQ intends to “stand up”, he said, inviting the Coalition avenir Québec to do the same.
The PQ, he says, has in its possession 12 legal opinions showing that its deputies can be exempted from the oath to the king. As to whether they are ready to be expelled from parliamentary work for the cause, he remained vague: “We are ready to sit. Our mandate comes to us from the people, and it is not that threat that will scare us. »
At the time these lines were written, Québec solidaire had not yet commented on the decision of the President of the National Assembly.
Further details will follow.