Québec solidaire (QS) and the Parti Québécois (PQ) expressed their discomfort with the decision of the former whip of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) Éric Lefebvre to continue to sit as an independent MP in Quebec while having admitted wanting to do so. jump to the federal government with Pierre Poilievre’s conservatives.
Solidarity MP Vincent Marissal invited his colleague to reflect and make a decision with respect for his constituents.
According to PQ MP Pascal Bérubé, Mr. Lefebvre must explain his departure shortly after the last provincial election, especially since as government whip, he sat on the Council of Ministers.
The interim Liberal leader, Marc Tanguay, remained more circumspect about the decision of the former CAQ whip, affirming that he took for granted that he would continue to do his job as an MP 100%.
He still indicated that it hurt François Legault that Mr. Lefebvre saw more of a future with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
Éric Lefebvre is the second CAQ elected official to leave the caucus since the last election in 2022. The member for Jean-Talon, in Quebec, Joëlle Boutin, resigned last July, citing family considerations.
Like Mme Boutin left his seat vacant, a by-election had to be held. The CAQ lost the riding of Jean-Talon to the Parti Québécois. As Mr. Lefebvre becomes an independent MP, there will be no complementary election to replace him, at least for the moment.
While the CAQ has been on the decline in the polls for several months, Pierre Poilievre’s conservatives are prancing in voting intentions. However, they are lagging behind in Quebec, where they are in third position behind the Bloc Québécois and Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, according to the poll aggregator 338Canada.