Nearly two months after the Oct. 5 election, the Quebec National Assembly will finally get down to business. The new Parti Québécois government confirmed that the parliamentary session opens on Tuesday, Dec. 1, The Canadian Press reported. It will be a short sprint before the holidays, with a constitutional wrinkle hanging over the opening day. Here is what to know, and what to watch, as Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s team faces the opposition for the first time.
Quebec National Assembly: the calendar
- Dec. 1: opening of the new session. The Assembly had originally scheduled Nov. 17, and Nov. 24 had also been floated.
- Dec. 11: the House rises for the holidays, after just two weeks of sittings.
- Nov. 14 to 16: the premier is at the Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which the government cites as one reason for the timing.
A government spokesperson said the session resumes “within the usual timeframe” after an election: 57 days for the PQ, compared with 56 days for the Marois government and 57 for the Legault government. The extra time also gives ministers, most of them new to the job, a chance to prepare, and Finance Minister Nicolas Marceau to get ready for an economic and budgetary update. The premier pushed the opening back more than once before settling on Dec. 1, as CTV News noted. With only two weeks on the calendar, there will be little time to pass bills before Christmas, so expect the session to be more about tone and priorities than finished laws.
The opposition wants to get going
The Liberals, now the official opposition, had pushed for an earlier return. “The new government wants to prepare for its return to work, fine, but with the number of issues that require urgent intervention, any further delay would be unthinkable,” said Liberal parliamentary leader André Fortin. Expect question period to focus quickly on health care, cost of living and the government’s sovereignty plans. For the backstory on the opposition benches, see our piece on the CAQ’s interim leader.
The lieutenant-governor question
The most unusual storyline is ceremonial, but it matters. By tradition, a new session opens with a speech from the lieutenant-governor, the King’s representative in Quebec, currently Manon Jeannotte. The PQ, which wants to abolish the monarchy’s role in Quebec, would like to open the session without her. The problem: the Assembly’s rules require her address, and changing those rules takes the agreement of all members, which can only happen once the House is sitting.
Fortin said the debate is “legitimate” and that the Liberals are open to discussing it, but only after the work begins, and within the rules. This is not the first time the issue has come up. In October, Jeannotte agreed to stay away from the swearing-in of the PQ cabinet at the premier’s request, with the appointment papers sent to her office for signature the same day, CityNews reported. During the campaign, St-Pierre Plamondon pledged to stop Quebec’s $1.3-million contribution to the lieutenant-governor’s office and redirect it to the fight against homelessness.
There is also a court case in the background: a lawyer has asked a judge to suspend the Quebec law that made the oath to the King optional for MNAs, as CTV News reported in October. For a refresher on how the 59 PQ members took their seats, read our coverage of the swearing-in.
Money on the table
The economic update will be the first real look at the PQ’s finances. Ahead of the federal budget, Marceau called for a minimum 5% yearly increase in health transfers, $690 million in reimbursements for 2024 asylum-seeker costs and unconditional infrastructure funding, according to The Canadian Press. He also warned that Ottawa’s business “mega-deduction” would cost Quebec $1 billion a year if the province followed suit. Watch whether those pressures show up in the update.
What it means for Montrealers
- Health care: pressure on ERs is a top issue heading into winter. Our guide to ER wait times and your other options is a good reminder.
- Homelessness: the premier is also the minister responsible for the file, and Montreal is counting on provincial help.
- The city’s budget: Montreal tables its own 2027 budget on Nov. 24, a week before the Assembly returns.
- New ministers: many will face their first question period. Revisit who’s who in the PQ cabinet.
How to follow
Sittings are broadcast live on the Assembly’s channel and streamed online. Question period is the daily highlight. We’ll track the first two weeks closely in our News section.
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Photo: Marc-Lautenbacher / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources: The Canadian Press via CityNews, CityNews, CTV News
