Quebec residents are eagerly anticipating the announcement of 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 these ministers, as well as the new premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, is scheduled for Wednesday at the National Assembly. CBC will be broadcasting the event live.
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, the party secured 59 out of 127 seats, falling just five seats short of a majority.
Last Thursday, the 59 newly elected MNAs were sworn in. Subsequently, MNAs from the Quebec Liberal Party and Québec Solidaire took their oaths this week. The Conservative Party of Quebec’s 19 MNAs will have their swearing-in ceremony on Thursday.
The upcoming ceremony on Wednesday is set to be historic, occurring amidst a backdrop of a constitutional challenge. Notably, it will be the first instance where the lieutenant-governor, as a representative of the monarchy, will not oversee the swearing-in of a new government’s cabinet at the National Assembly.
Furthermore, recent court hearings at the Montreal courthouse have brought to light a legal challenge. A constitutional lawyer has raised concerns about a provincial law passed in 2022 that eliminated the requirement to pledge allegiance to the King, suggesting that this could render MNAs’ presence in the National Assembly unlawful. The lawyer is seeking a stay from the Superior Court to compel MNAs to take the oath before November 17, when the National Assembly is set to reconvene. A decision on this matter is anticipated within the next month.