Newly minted Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette has unveiled a cupboard that leans on skilled ministers, choosing stability as a substitute of a shakeup as her authorities heads right into a pre-election interval.
After successful the Coalition Avenir Québec management race on April 12, Fréchette spent simply over every week earlier than introducing the senior members of the workforce she is predicted to guide right into a fall basic election.
Greater than a 3rd of the ministers can be remaining in current portfolios within the new cupboard of 29 folks.
Jean-François Daoust, a professor at Université de Sherbrooke’s college of utilized politics, says Fréchette’s new workforce seems to be designed to reveal expertise and stability forward of the election marketing campaign.
”It’s a authorities of continuity which isn’t stunning,” mentioned Daoust.
Fréchette will depend on senior, high-profile ministers who already oversee crucial portfolios and have the expertise wanted to handle their information throughout a good pre-election timeline, he added.
Forward of the ceremony at Quebec’s Nationwide Meeting, Fréchette mentioned she was ”excited” to introduce her cupboard, describing them as ”proficient and devoted folks.”
Total, the cupboard may have 12 girls and 17 males, with a number of key positions unchanged, together with Finance Minister Eric Girard and Tradition and Communications Minister Mathieu Lacombe and France-Élaine Duranceau as president of the Treasury Board.
“We additionally want stability,” mentioned Jean Boulet, previous to the swearing in ceremony.
Boulet will pursue his function as labour minister, whereas taking over extra tasks overseeing Canadian relations. “It’s a fragile steadiness, it’s not a straightforward job.”
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Ian Lafrenière has turn into the deputy premier whereas retaining his earlier tasks for public safety and relations with First Nations and Inuit. His division can be being rebranded and can now be often known as the inside safety ministry.
Sonia Bélanger stays the well being minister and minister answerable for seniors and household caregivers. She loses the social providers minister place to Lionel Carmant, who’s returning to cupboard after he resigned final fall over former premier François Legault’s well being care insurance policies.
Sonia LeBel stays on as schooling minister. She introduced earlier this yr she wouldn’t search reelection.
Simon Jolin-Barrette stays justice minister, and is relinquishing his tasks overseeing Canadian relations, whereas taking over new tasks for constitutional affairs.
Christopher Skeete retains his function as minister of worldwide relations and of the Francophonie, the French-speaking equal of the Commonwealth.
Jean-François Roberge will hold tasks associated to the French language and secularism, however loses the immigration portfolio.
François Bonnardel, who’s taking up the immigration portfolio, obtained a standing ovation throughout the ceremony.
Bonnardel was dropped from the cupboard below Legault, however will now even be taking up the place of chief of the federal government within the legislature.
Fréchette’s former management rival, Bernard Drainville, turns into the economic system, innovation, and vitality minister, a place Fréchette occupied earlier than her candidacy as chief of the CAQ.
“It’s precisely what I hoped for,” mentioned Drainville. “We work as a workforce.”
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4 new faces are additionally becoming a member of the brand new premier’s cupboard, together with Mathieu Lévesque who will take over a newly created place because the minister answerable for the areas.
Benoit Charette, absent from the ceremony, shifts from infrastructure and surroundings to turn into the transport minister. Samuel Poulin strikes into the function of minister of municipal affairs.
Pascale Déry takes on the surroundings portfolio, whereas Jean-François Simard takes on her earlier place of employment minister.
5 former ministers aren’t within the new cupboard: Genevieve Guilbault, Jonatan Julien, Caroline Proulx, Isabelle Charette, and Gilles Boulanger. Boulanger had been one of many first to assist Christine Fréchette within the race.
Julien, Charette, Proulx, and Guilbault had introduced that they would depart politics on the finish of their mandates.
Parti Québécois chief Paul St-Pierre Plamondon held a press convention a couple of hours earlier than Fréchette’s announcement, the place he described the brand new cupboard as “a missed alternative to ship a sign of consistency and to streamline the paperwork.”
St-Pierre Plamondon reiterated his dedication to a smaller cupboard if he shaped a authorities, however he didn’t specify what number of ministers he would appoint.
Throughout her marketing campaign to turn into CAQ chief, Fréchette had emphasised the necessity for effectivity and agreed on the necessity to shrink the scale of presidency. She additionally promised to carry change whereas sustaining a powerful give attention to financial priorities.
The legislature will resume Could 5.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed April 21, 2026.
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