Quebec premier stepping down ahead of provincial election

Quebec Premier François Legault is stepping down, just months ahead of the provincial election.

Legault — who co-founded the Coalition Avenir Québec party in 2011 before leading it to power with election wins in 2018 and again in 2022 — made the surprise announcement Wednesday morning during a news conference in Quebec City.

“I see that currently many Quebecers want change first and foremost, and then a change of premier,” he said in French in his resignation speech.

Currently, Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec has a majority government with 79 of the 125 seats in Quebec’s national assembly, including Denis Lamothe, who represents the Ungava riding which includes Nunavik.

A former police officer in Nunavik, Lamothe was first elected in 2018 then re-elected in 2022. Nunatsiaq News attempted to contact Lamothe but he could not be reached for comment.

The Liberal party has 18 seats, Quebec Solidaire has 11, there are 10 independent MNAs, the Parti Québécois has six seats and the seat in Chicoutimi is vacant.

However, the Parti Québécois is leading in the polls and has promised to hold a third referendum on Quebec sovereignty during its first term if elected.

On Oct. 2,  2019, Legault as premier formally apologized to Inuit and First Nations of Quebec after the Viens Commission’s report found widespread racial discrimination in the province’s public service, from the justice system to youth protection.

The apology was the first of 142 recommendations that came out of that report led by retired Superior Court justice Jacques Viens. Legault promised to consider each of the recommendations and investigate why the discrimination happened.

Legault led the Coalition Avenir Québec to two majority governments in 2018 and 2022. In his announcement Wednesday, he said he will remain in office until the party elects a new leader.

A provincial election is scheduled for Oct. 5.