Premier Christine Fréchette is scheduled to kick off Quebec’s provincial election campaign by meeting with Quebec’s lieutenant-governor on Thursday morning. The day’s agenda includes a cabinet meeting in Quebec City at 10 a.m., followed by Fréchette’s meeting with Lieutenant-Governor Manon Jeannotte at 10:30 a.m. A news conference is slated to take place at 11 a.m. after the meeting.
In compliance with the Quebec electoral system, the premier must formally request the lieutenant-governor, who represents the King, to dissolve the National Assembly to initiate the election campaign. The campaign is set to span 39 days, culminating in the election day on Monday, Oct. 5.
Subsequent to the campaign launch, party leaders will commence their campaign trails aboard their respective campaign buses. This election cycle features 127 ridings instead of the usual 125, necessitating 64 seats for a majority, an increase of one seat from previous elections.
This election marks the first time since 2018 that a government led by someone other than François Legault will be elected. Legault’s party secured consecutive majority governments in 2018 and 2022.
The five main party leaders contesting in the upcoming election are Christine Fréchette, who assumed office as premier in April after winning the CAQ leadership race, representing her party in Trois-Rivières, Que. She will face off against Paul St-Pierre Plamondon of the Parti Québécois in the Camille-Laurin riding. Charles Milliard from the Quebec Liberal Party is running in Orford, while Éric Duhaime of the Conservative Party of Quebec is contesting in Bellechasse. Ruba Ghazal of Québec Solidaire seeks reelection in Montreal’s Mercier riding.
Despite polling indicating a lack of public interest in a referendum, the Parti Québécois currently leads in the polls.