Quebec residents will soon learn which Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) will be appointed as ministers and take on crucial roles in the upcoming Parti Québécois government. The swearing-in ceremony for ministers, including the new premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, is scheduled to occur on Wednesday at the National Assembly. CBC will broadcast live coverage of the event.
Following the election on October 5, the Parti Québécois secured a minority government, marking a significant turnaround from their previous performance where they only won three seats in the 2022 provincial election. This time around, the party secured 59 out of 127 seats, falling just five seats short of a majority. Last Thursday, the 59 MNAs were sworn in, with MNAs from the Quebec Liberal Party and Québec Solidaire following suit this week. The swearing-in ceremony for the 19 MNAs from the Conservative Party of Quebec is set for Thursday.
The upcoming ceremony on Wednesday is poised to be historic as it coincides with a looming constitutional challenge. For the first time, the lieutenant-governor, a representative of the monarchy, will not oversee the swearing-in ceremony of the new government’s cabinet at the National Assembly. The event follows recent court hearings at the Montreal courthouse, where a constitutional lawyer contended that a provincial law passed in 2022, which eliminated the requirement to pledge allegiance to the King, potentially puts MNAs in a position of unlawfulness within the National Assembly.
The lawyer has petitioned the Superior Court to issue a stay order and compel MNAs to take the oath before November 17, the expected date for the National Assembly to reconvene. A decision on this matter is anticipated within the coming month.
