Where Quebec’s parties stand
CBC looks at how Quebec’s parties stand as a new premier is chosen. Christine Fréchette will be sworn in soon.
(Does anyone know whether the PQ and QS MNAs ever took the conventional oath?)
CBC looks at how Quebec’s parties stand as a new premier is chosen. Christine Fréchette will be sworn in soon.
(Does anyone know whether the PQ and QS MNAs ever took the conventional oath?)
Kevin 10:10 on 2026-04-13 Permalink
The Quebec Solidaire MNA’s took the oath in 2022. The National Assembly then passed a law (of dubious worth) allowing MNAs to instead take an oath to the Quebec People which is what PSPP and the rest of the PQ did.
At issue is whether or not this was a valid law, since swearing an Oath to the Crown (which, legally and symbolically, IS the people of Canada) is a Constitutionally-required prerequisite for any politician wanting to pass laws or debate in parliamentary halls.
I’m sure that at some point, some lawyers will challenge the validity of any law that was passed only because of the participation of those few PQ MNAs.
Every politician knows that when people swear an oath to the Monarch, they’re aren’t swearing an oath to the *person,* they’re swearing an oath to democracy and our judicial institutions as physically manifested in a corporeal being. https://www.ourcommons.ca/procedure/procedure-and-practice-3/ch_04_6-e.html
Kate 11:05 on 2026-04-13 Permalink
Thank you, Kevin.
Joey 11:41 on 2026-04-13 Permalink
Weird that the CBC piece doesn’t consider the implications of Frechette’s victory over Drainville on the election (which, IMO, is very significant). It could have been written days before the CAQ leadership vote. I find CBC’s local coverage, which was always sort of ‘just the facts,’ has gotten even less analytical in recent years. Compared to the French-language coverage (which also has less of a structural barrier between news and analysis/opinion), it really feels incomplete, like the reporters don’t have real relationships with the principal political actors or credible commentators.