Quebec’s premier has once again delayed the opening of the parliamentary session at the National Assembly. The premier’s office confirmed to CTV News that the new session will now begin on Dec. 1, leaving little time for any work to be done before the Christmas break. This comes after the government had already delayed the original start date of Nov. 17 by one week. Hours before Wednesday’s postponement was announced, the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) had called on the government not to delay the session a second time “given the number of issues requiring urgent action.” “It’s time to move forward. To debate the priorities Quebecers raised with us during the election campaign: difficult access to the healthcare system; the skyrocketing cost of living; the urgent need to build more affordable housing; and the economic slowdown,” said André Fortin, the PLQ’s parliamentary leader, in a statement. “Already, the Parti Québécois government has postponed the start of the Assembly’s session by one week. The new government wants to prepare for its return—fair enough. But given the number of issues requiring urgent action, any further delay would be unthinkable.” The premier’s office did not immediately respond when asked by CTV News the reason for the second postponement. Québec solidaire has also criticized the delay. The people of Quebec elected us to get to work, not so that the new government could continue to delay the start of the legislative session,“ the party’s co-spokesperson, Ruba Ghazal, said on social media. “The rising cost of living continues to hurt families, and the housing crisis is placing an unbearable strain on the middle class. It is our responsibility as elected officials to find solutions to these crises—the Parti Québécois should know that.” The Quebec Conservative Party said Quebecers expect their government to get back to work “without waiting two months” after the Oct. 5 provincial election. “What was the point of the transition committee if, two months after the election, the new government is still not ready to resume parliamentary proceedings?” said parliamentary leader Maité Blanchette Vézina on X. “We were promised a government ready to act. Yet, barely in power, the Parti Québécois has already postponed the start of the elected officials’ work twice.” The opening of the new session has already made headlines in recent weeks. A judge is set to rule soon on whether or not to suspend a law passed in 2022 that made the swearing of allegiance to the King optional. A lawyer who filed an injunction against the law argued in court that the new session cannot legitimately begin until all the MNAs swear the oath to the king to comply with the Canadian Constitution. The Quebec Attorney General said the injunction should not be granted. During the election campaign, Parti Québécois leader Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said he wanted to abolish the office of the lieutenant-governor, whose role includes opening the Quebec legislature and granting Royal Assent to new bills passed in the National Assembly. The new premier recently said he also wanted to bar the Lt.-Gov. Manon Jeannotte from attending the opening ceremony. On Wednesday morning, the Liberals said it would be “unacceptable” to postpone the new session simply because the PQ doesn’t want Jeannotte to attend the ceremony. “The Assembly’s rules are clear on this point: the [lieutenant-governor] must deliver an address at the opening of the parliamentary session. The principle is unequivocal. Any adjustments must therefore comply with the applicable rules of the National Assembly and allow proceedings to begin on the scheduled date,” Fortin said. “That is why we are calling on Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s government today to respect the rules of the National Assembly and to confirm that parliamentary proceedings will begin on November 24, 2026, without further delay. The Parti Québécois forms the government; it therefore has the responsibility to ensure the smooth operation of our Assembly.” The party added that it’s worth having a debate on the British monarch’s presence in the opening ceremony, but only after the new session has started. When questioned about the issue last week, Liberal leader Charles Milliard said, “I am against anything that will delay or disrupt the start of the legislative session.” To address the PQ’s monarchy concerns, Quebec Conservative leader Éric Duhaime has proposed that Jeannotte could deliver her address from her office, with the speech broadcast on the new screens in the renovated Salon bleu. With files from The Canadian Press
