Antoine Robitaille Flags a Chaotic Start for Quebec’s New Parti Québécois Government

Antoine Robitaille argues that the Parti Québécois government led by Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has had a rocky start, though he says the difficulties were hardly surprising. The party had not governed for 12 years, entered office with only seven elected members and a budget based on its smaller caucus in 2022, and now has to operate as a minority government. Robitaille says those constraints complicate hiring and could force the party to set aside prominent campaign promises, including extending Bill 101 to CEGEPs. He points to a Wednesday exchange involving Health, Prevention and Seniors Minister Marie-Karlynn Laflamme as the clearest sign of the early confusion. Asked whether the government would eliminate Santé Québec, Laflamme initially described the plan as a transformation and said the agency had not done everything badly. Her remarks prompted surprise at the legislature. Opposition leader Éric Duhaime called the apparent retreat worrying. At 12:15 p.m., Laflamme clarified her position in a post on X, saying there had never been any question of abandoning the promise to abolish Santé Québec. Robitaille notes that the reversal gave opponents an opportunity to compare the mixed messages with St-Pierre Plamondon’s campaign assurances about trust and keeping promises. The columnist also observes that government advisers have attracted an unusual amount of public attention since the cabinet was formed. He names chief of staff Jacinthe-Eve Arel, chief negotiator Pascal Paradis, communications director Alex Boissonneault and special adviser Stéphanie Martin, as well as Isabelle Garon and Laurent Desbois. Robitaille says the ministers themselves have so far received less attention and suggests that the division of responsibilities between some ministers and unelected advisers is not always clear. Robitaille credits St-Pierre Plamondon with defending Quebec’s role in international relations in dealings with Ottawa, but questions the premier’s tone and manner, describing them as excessively rigid. He also calls the new leader’s public presence gloomy, adding to his broader portrait of a government still finding its footing.