Several CAQ members have approached the PQ, reveals Paul St-Pierre Plamondon

Francois Legault's beleaguered CAQ party may have more pain coming after Isabelle Poulet's ejection.

Several CAQ members have been in talks with the Parti Québécois (PQ) about the possibility of joining its ranks, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon revealed on Wednesday.

“There are more who want to jump ship than you think,” the PQ leader said at a press conference at the National Assembly, reiterating that he had no intention of recruiting CAQ members ahead of the next election.

On Tuesday, Laporte MNA Isabelle Poulet was expelled from the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) for holding discussions with the Quebec Liberal Party (QLP).

On Wednesday, Poulet published the text she had planned to read on Tuesday morning when she called a press conference to discuss her political future.

The text reveals that the elected representative intended to announce that she was leaving the CAQ caucus, saying she disagreed with the way Health Minister Christian Dubé had handled the doctors’ file.

However, the press briefing was cancelled at the last minute, so Poulet was never able to read her statement. After a final meeting with Premier François Legault, she was expelled from the CAQ caucus on Tuesday evening.

Poulet maintains that the public’s confidence in the CAQ at the end of the pandemic has eroded.

She asserts that the party’s values and political priorities no longer correspond to her convictions, and maintains that the adoption of Bill 2 under closure crystallized her disappointment.

• READ MORE: What’s in Quebec’s controversial doctors’ bill?

“I regret having voted for it. I no longer share the health minister’s vision. The bond of trust has been broken,” she writes.

However, the member for Laporte had defended Bill 2 when it was passed just over a week ago.

“We are convinced that the changes already in place, with this reform, will improve the care provided to the population. We are motivated to continue our work to ensure a health care system worthy of our citizens.

Madam Speaker, we will not give up,“ she said at the time.

While she agreed with the principle of reforming the way doctors are paid, Poulet now says she cannot ”endorse the proposed remedy."

Poulet is calling for a resumption of dialogue with doctors. She continues to sit as an independent member.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 5, 2025.