Premier François Legault’s last day in the National Assembly

François Legault experienced his last moments as premier in the National Assembly on Thursday.

He answered questions from the opposition, and delivered a 10 plus minute speech as the session adjourned for a parliamentary recess. 

Legault will hand over his seat to either Christine Fréchette or Bernard Drainville on April 12 at a party convention to be held in Drummondville. He will, however, continue to serve as the MNA for L’Assomption until the general election. 

Legault is the longest-serving member of the National Assembly. Appointed Minister of Industry by Lucien Bouchard 28 years ago, in 1998, he founded the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) in 2011 and realized his dream of becoming Premier in 2018.

Rise and fall

After sweeping the province in 2018 riding an extended honeymoon with voters throughout his first term, the CAQ reached its “peak” during the outset of the pandemic, according to McGill Institute of the Study of Canada director Daniel Béland.

“At least at first, the pandemic helped François Legault,” he said, referring to the slogan popularized by the CAQ at the time, “ça va bien aller.”

During much of his first term, approval ratings hovered between 50 and 60 per cent, making him one of the most popular premiers in the country, according to data from the Angus Reid Institute.

But following his re-election, Legault’s government faced growing criticism, with Béland pointing to what he described as a “break of trust” with the public.

Issues such as the troubled rollout of SAAQclic and the Northvolt battery project contributed to declining support.

A recent Léger poll suggests the CAQ now trails behind both the Parti Québécois and the Quebec Liberal Party, and sits roughly tied with Québec solidaire.

Mixed legacy on healthcare and immigration

In healthcare, Legault’s government introduced reforms aimed at increasing access to family doctors — including a plan to require physicians to take on thousands of new patients. The approach was later scaled back in favour of incentives.

Some experts, including Montreal cardiologist Christopher Labos, say many of the system’s core issues remain unresolved, pointing to ongoing challenges with staffing, funding and wait times.

“We’ve seen some changes, talking about GMFs and then talking about going back to CLSCs, but a lot of these have been relatively cosmetic changes,” Labos said.

Now with Legault bowing out, Labos said the task ahead of the province now is to invest more into its health care industry.

“We’re going to have to increase enrollment in the medical schools, we’re going to have to find more positions for people, we’re going to have to bring down wait times,” he said.

Legault also leaves behind a significant imprint on immigration and language policy.

His government tightened control over immigration pathways, including changes to the province’s fast-track permanent residency program, and passed Bill 96, which strengthened French-language requirements in workplaces and limited how long newcomers can access government services in languages other than French

Critics, including Mostafa Henaway of the Immigrant Workers Centre, argue the changes have made integration more difficult for newcomers.

“You don’t allow people the time or the resources to integrate linguistically in quebec, and then at the same time, they can’t access public services,” he said.

Tributes across party lines

On Thursday morning, Legault’s political opponents paid tribute to him, highlighting his resilience. “What I remember is a public service of nearly 30 years,” commented PQ MNA Alex Boissonneault at a press conference.

“He gave so much,” said a moved Agriculture Minister Donald Martel. “All the criticism he received at the end, I think it was sometimes excessive. I am sad to lose him as a leader.”

PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon also paid tribute, saying Legault “deeply loves Quebec.”

“What he did demonstrates a dedication to public service. So, I think we must recognize it,” commented PQ MNA Alex Boissonneault at a press conference.

“Politics is hard, it’s thankless, it’s unpredictable, so to do this job, which perhaps few people want to do, is still a credit to François Legault,” added QS leader Ruba Ghazal.

“You have literally left your mark on recent Quebec history,” she added.

“I want to highlight François Legault’s 28 years of public commitment. Whether we agree or not with the decisions he has made, (…) 28 years of public service comes with significant personal sacrifices,” said PLQ parliamentary leader André Fortin.

“For a decade, he managed to put an end to a debate that deeply divided Quebec between ‘yes’ and ‘no’, he put an end to the polarization on the constitutional issue. That’s something that inspires me,” added Conservative leader Éric Duhaime.

–With files from La Presse Canadienne