The parliamentary session in 13 highlights

Shocking resignations, controversial bills, political financing crisis and record deficit: the last few political months have seen their share of upheavals. A look back at a session which ends the first half of François Legault’s second term in power.

January 24 – Slogan: discipline

Accumulating difficult polls, François Legault imposes a watchword on his team: discipline. During the winter, the CAQ leader considerably reduced his interventions with the parliamentary press. In the latest Léger poll published Wednesday, the CAQ experienced a slight rise, which led Jean-Marc Léger to say that the less we see the CAQ leader, the more he performs.

January 25 – The return of Denis Coderre

At the back-to-school caucus of the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ), the Liberals want to talk about the economy, but it is ultimately Denis Coderre who marks the corridor conversations. Few days ago, The Press revealed that the former mayor of Montreal was planning to run for party leadership. MP Frédéric Beauchemin already intends to participate. Charles Milliard and Antoine Tardif have interest and are under consideration, while the name of Karl Blackburn is also circulating.

1^er February – The CAQ renounces popular financing

François Legault announces that the CAQ is renouncing popular financing, in the context where his party is entangled in a controversy because deputies suggested to voters, as well as to mayors, that they could meet ministers to move forward files by participating in paid activist cocktails.

March 12 – Record deficit of 11 billion in Quebec

Finance Minister Eric Girard tables a budget in dark red ink. Quebec’s deficit is exploding and reaching 11 billion for the year 2024-2025. To absorb it, the big moneyman announces that he will completely clean up tax credits, as well as the expenditures of ministries and organizations.

April 11 – Visit by the French Prime Minister

Solemn moment at the National Assembly with the visit of the French Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal. The latter, who is seen in France as a potential successor to President Emmanuel Macron, delivers a passionate speech in favor of secularism, to the great pleasure of François Legault.

April 14 – A 3^e referendum or “disappearance”

The leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, promises that Quebec will indeed experience “a third referendum on the independence of Quebec” by the end of the decade. Galvanized by consecutive polls which place him first, he says that Quebecers will have to choose between “decline” and their “disappearance”, if they remain in Canada, or “finally become the majority”. Despite everything, support for sovereignty is stagnating at nearly 35%.

April 16 – Eric Lefebvre prefers Pierre Poilievre to Legault

Thunderbolt in Quebec. The chief government whip, Eric Lefebvre, leaves the CAQ and announces that he will be candidate for Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party in Ottawa during the next federal election campaign. This resignation marks the spirits since Mr. Lefebvre was responsible for discipline in the caucus. In the weeks that followed, François Legault also lost four colleagues in his office.

April 29 – The “ top guns » arrive

The former boss of Biron Groupe Santé, Geneviève Biron, is named president of Santé Québec, the new agency created by Christian Dubé to manage the operations of the health network. She will receive a base salary of $567,000, plus a 15% bonus for two years. Businesswoman Christiane Germain was later named president of the board of directors. She will receive $173,000 annually, which is four times higher than expected.

1^er May – Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, “pragmatic” chef

Two days after the resounding resignation of the female co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire, Émilise Lessard-Therrien, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois clarifies his “pragmatic” vision for the future of his political party and links this transformation to his own political future . He asks for the support of his members. After weeks of crises and other resignations, he won his bet a few weeks later during the QS National Council in Saguenay.

May 9 – Here is “Mobilité Infra Québec”

The Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault, tabled the bill creating Mobilité Infra Québec. The new agency will be responsible for coordinating the development of public transportation. Only problem: the tens of billions of dollars needed to carry out the projects under study have still not been found. Earlier this spring, she also sparked controversy by telling mayors that managing the deficits of transportation companies is not the responsibility of the state, because “everyone […] must manage his fern and find his own solutions.

May 22 – Duranceau takes another step

The Minister responsible for Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau, who reduced the scope of the transfer of leases during the winter, concedes that her brand new law is not enough to protect tenants against evictions. In a new bill, which was finally adopted last Thursday, it imposes a three-year moratorium on evictions, as well as other specific measures for seniors, as demanded among others by Québec solidaire.

May 23 – Jean Boulet’s tour de force

Jean Boulet succeeded in passing the most important reform of the construction industry since 1993. When he tabled his Bill 51, he had union and employer associations on a war footing before him. The anticipated war ultimately did not take place. The reform allows, among other things, greater sharing of tasks between the construction professions.

June 6 – Fitzgibbon files his long-awaited bill

Pierre Fitzgibbon submits his energy bill at the very end of the session. It opens the door to the modulation of electricity prices for residential customers from 2026. The minister wants to force the debate: should a consumer who heats his swimming pool or who uses energy-consuming appliances during peak periods pay more, in the context where energy demand will increase with the decarbonization of Quebec?