Quebecers should expect the newly elected members of the Quebec Conservative Party (PCQ) to make blunders and mistakes. That’s what their leader, Éric Duhaime, admitted during the ceremony in which 18 confirmed elected officials were sworn in at the National Assembly on Thursday. His party rose to become the second-largest opposition party in the Oct. 5 election, but most of its elected officials are newcomers, and several have already caused confusion and controversy with their statements. The PCQ’s new whip, MNA Renaud Labrecque, has called on his members to exercise greater discipline. This is the first time the Conservative Party of Quebec has had members elected to the Quebec legislature since 1935. Duhaime’s party made a breakthrough by securing more than 885,000 votes—20.7 per cent of the total—which translated into 19 seats. It benefited greatly from the collapse of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) in the Québec City region, Chaudière-Appalaches, Centre-du-Québec, and Portneuf, all the way to the outskirts of the Mauricie region in Champlain. However, in the latter case, a judicial recount is scheduled for Thursday, as Conservative candidate Adriana Szalontai won by a margin of just 191 votes over PQ candidate René Branchaud, prompting the PQ to demand a recount. Duhaime faces many challenges ahead, notably managing a largely inexperienced team. Only former CAQ member Maïté Blanchette Vézina, who joined the PCQ in 2025, and Caroline Simard, a Liberal member of the National Assembly from 2014 to 2018, have prior legislative experience. But the PCQ holds part of the balance of power in this new legislature, where the PQ government is in a minority with 60 of 127 seats. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 22, 2026.
