Transition of power: CAQ ministers say they are leaving the ‘house in better shape’
Posted October 14, 2026 1:19 pm.
Last Updated October 14, 2026 4:40 pm.
Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) ministers, who met in Quebec City for the last time on Wednesday, say they are leaving the house in order for the next government.
Three of them, including Simon Jolin-Barrette, are now considering succeeding Christine Fréchette.
The CAQ which had 90 members of the National Assembly in 2022, failed to elect any on Oct. 5. The very next day, Fréchette announced her resignation.
On Wednesday, the outgoing premier presided over her very last cabinet meeting at the National Assembly—a moving moment, as many acknowledged.
“It will be an opportunity to come full circle, to say goodbye to my colleagues, and to acknowledge all the work they’ve done,” she said upon her arrival.
According to her Deputy Premier Ian Lafrenière, the CAQ is leaving the house in order for the next government.
“We’re leaving the house in better shape than before,” he argued during a press conference. “There has been progress on all fronts. (…) People will see that.”
He cited relations with First Nations and the Inuit as an example. “I’m very proud of what we’ve done,” he said, though he declined to comment on the state of public finances.
“We have the second or third smallest deficit in Canada,” outgoing Finance Minister Eric Girard later argued.
It’s worth noting that when it took office in 2018, the CAQ inherited a $8 billion surplus. But the Quebec government has since had to manage a pandemic, Girard pointed out.
He believes the next government will face “challenges” regarding infrastructure. “Governing is always complicated. I sincerely wish them good luck.”
For her part, Fréchette stated that one of her key legacies is the major hydroelectricity agreement reached with Newfoundland and Labrador.
However, she reportedly did not receive any assurance from Premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon that this agreement will be maintained in its entirety.
Ministers weigh their options
It’s time for the CAQ to rebuild; the party will appoint an interim leader later this week.
On Wednesday, several defeated ministers hinted that they were considering a run for the leadership, starting with Jolin-Barrette.
“I think that when you want to change things, politics is where it happens,” he said. “I am ready to serve the people of Quebec.”
He added, with a wry smile, “You’re going to miss me if I’m not there.”
Ian Lafrenière, who had previously expressed interest in the leadership, reiterated that interest on Wednesday.
“I won’t hide it: I’m interested in working toward the future of this party,” he said. “We have some serious thinking to do. We’re going to start that process, and we’re going to give ourselves time.
“Several people have mentioned that they’re interested. The party is very much alive,” he emphasized.
Mathieu Lévesque, the defeated minister in Chapleau, said he was “flattered” to see his name being mentioned as a potential leader. However, he believes it is still too early to declare his intentions.
“First, we might need to conduct a thorough post-mortem. (…) The party leadership will have to meet. We must respect the ongoing process,” he argued.
He did, however, take the opportunity to point out that he had helped found the CAQ, chaired its youth wing, and worked alongside François Legault during the 2012 campaign.
Guillaume Rousseau, the defeated candidate in Richmond, also expressed his interest.
“I can’t help but think about my role moving forward and, more broadly, about the future of Quebec and the party,” he wrote on X.
After a stinging defeat in Lévis, Bernard Drainville said he plans to spend the coming months tending to his bees and his soon-to-be-born grandson, Laurent.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
