Minister Roberge agrees to postpone electoral map reform in Quebec

Quebec Minister responsible for Democratic Institutions Jean-François Roberge has accepted the opposition parties’ request to postpone the reform of the electoral map.

Roberge made the announcement on Thursday in the company of Liberal Monsef Derraji, Solidaire Sol Zanetti and PQ member Pascal Bérubé, who were visibly pleased with the announcement.

The Quebec government will table a bill in the coming weeks to ensure that the electoral map for the next election in 2026 remains the same as it is now, pending further study of the issue.

The new map would not come into effect until 2030.

Roberge described this measure as “exceptional, but necessary,” citing the issue of representation for regions such as the Gaspé.

The three opposition parties had joined forces to call for a pause in the electoral map reform in the light of the proposed changes.

The draft revision presented in September by the Commission de la représentation électorale included the elimination of two electoral divisions, due to the decline in the number of electors: Bonaventure, merged with Gaspé, and in the east end of Montreal, Rosemont and Anjou-Louis-Riel would become a single electoral division, Rosemont-Louis-Riel.

However, two other ridings would have been created: Marie-Lacoste-Gérin-Lajoie, in Centre-du-Québec, and Bellefeuille, in the Laurentians.

-This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews.