The Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec, J. Michel Doyon, is not offended by the refusal of elected PQ members to take the oath of allegiance. However, he reminds them that “there are rules”.
The duty was able to speak for a few moments with the representative of King Charles III in Quebec on Wednesday, less than half a day before the three deputies of the Parti Québécois (PQ) tried to enter the Blue Room without having taken the oath to the Crown . “It’s a question of their own. There is a Canadian Constitution. There are regulations,” was content to say Mr. Doyon before rushing into the Salon Rouge, where a cocktail was held for the sworn deputies.
The viceroy had participated an hour earlier in the ceremony of the inaugural address of the legislature. As is customary, he delivered a speech. When he entered the House, the elected members of the Coalition avenir Québec and the Liberal Party of Quebec were waiting for him standing. In protest against the monarchy, those of Quebec solidaire remained seated. They also refused to applaud Mr. Doyon’s speech.
Are you offended? asked him The duty afterwards. “No,” he replied simply.
Roy casts doubt
Although there are only a few hours left before the PQ’s coup in the Blue Room, the presidency of the National Assembly is still waiting for its decision on this subject. Will she let them in? Will she ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to intervene at the entrance? ” We will see tomorrow ! “, was content to say the president Nathalie Roy, when accosted by The duty Wednesday afternoon. The PQ has not had discussions with her either, confirmed press secretary Emmanuel Renaud by text message.
However, it has been more than a day since the PQ leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, asked Mme Roy to find “a solution” to let him – and his colleagues – sit. “You have this discretion, this discretionary power to act,” he said on Tuesday afternoon. Take whatever solution you want, but take one, please. […] And we leave a reasonable time. »
In the middle of the opening speech at the Parliament Building, while Prime Minister François Legault was setting his priorities for the CAQ’s second term, the PQ deputies were still conspicuous by their absence on Wednesday. They have not yet made known their intentions as to the possibility that they will be turned back at the entrance to the Blue Room on Thursday.
Their way out could be in the bill that the CAQ government will table to make the oath optional. Premier Legault expects it to be tabled next week, and government leader Simon Jolin-Barrette wants to pass it “quickly” through the fast-track “one, two, three” process.
This requires the unanimity of the opposition parties. And, if the last session, the PLQ had refused to give its approval to such a bill, it now seems willing to put water in its wine. “The oath to the king is outdated. We will want to work quickly to change the law, ”said interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay on Wednesday morning.
The deputies of the National Assembly will have less than two weeks to advance this text of law. The period of parliamentary work ends on December 9.