Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette leans on experience in pre-election cabinet

New Quebec Premier Christine Frechette introduced her new cabinet with a mix of old and new faces.

Newly minted Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette has unveiled a cabinet that leans on experienced ministers, opting for stability instead of a shakeup as her government heads into a pre-election period.

After winning the Coalition Avenir Québec leadership race on April 12, Fréchette spent just over a week before introducing the senior members of the team she is expected to lead into a fall general election.

More than a third of the ministers will be remaining in existing portfolios in the new cabinet of 29 people.

Jean-François Daoust, a professor at Université de Sherbrooke’s school of applied politics, says Fréchette’s new team appears to be designed to demonstrate experience and stability ahead of the election campaign.

‘’It’s a government of continuity which is not surprising,’’ said Daoust.

Fréchette will rely on senior, high-profile ministers who already oversee critical portfolios and have the experience needed to manage their files during a tight pre-election timeline, he added.

Ahead of the ceremony at Quebec’s National Assembly, Fréchette said she was ‘’excited’’ to introduce her cabinet, describing them as ‘’talented and dedicated people.’’

Overall, the cabinet will have 12 women and 17 men, with several key positions unchanged, including Finance Minister Eric Girard and Culture and Communications Minister Mathieu Lacombe and France-Élaine Duranceau as president of the Treasury Board.

“We also need stability,’’ said Jean Boulet, prior to the swearing in ceremony.

Boulet will pursue his role as labour minister, while taking on additional responsibilities overseeing Canadian relations. “It’s a delicate balance, it’s not an easy task.”

Ian Lafrenière has become the deputy premier while retaining his previous responsibilities for public security and relations with First Nations and Inuit. His department is also being rebranded and will now be known as the interior security ministry.

Sonia Bélanger remains the health minister and minister responsible for seniors and family caregivers. She loses the social services minister position to Lionel Carmant, who is returning to cabinet after he resigned last fall over former premier François Legault’s health care policies.

Sonia LeBel stays on as education minister. She announced earlier this year she wouldn’t seek reelection.

Simon Jolin-Barrette remains justice minister, and is relinquishing his responsibilities overseeing Canadian relations, while taking on new responsibilities for constitutional affairs.

Christopher Skeete retains his role as minister of international relations and of the Francophonie, the French-speaking equivalent of the Commonwealth.

Jean-François Roberge will keep responsibilities related to the French language and secularism, but loses the immigration portfolio.

François Bonnardel, who is taking over the immigration portfolio, received a standing ovation during the ceremony.

Bonnardel was dropped from the cabinet under Legault, but will now also be taking over the position of leader of the government in the legislature.

Fréchette’s former leadership rival, Bernard Drainville, becomes the economy, innovation, and energy minister, a position Fréchette occupied before her candidacy as leader of the CAQ.

“It’s exactly what I was hoping for,’’ said Drainville. “We work as a team.”

Four new faces are also joining the new premier’s cabinet, including Mathieu Lévesque who will take over a newly created position as the minister responsible for the regions.

Benoit Charette, absent from the ceremony, shifts from infrastructure and environment to become the transport minister. Samuel Poulin moves into the role of minister of municipal affairs.

Pascale Déry takes on the environment portfolio, while Jean-François Simard takes on her previous position of employment minister.

Five former ministers are not in the new cabinet: Genevieve Guilbault, Jonatan Julien, Caroline Proulx, Isabelle Charette, and Gilles Boulanger. Boulanger had been one of the first to support Christine Fréchette in the race.

Julien, Charette, Proulx, and Guilbault had announced that they would leave politics at the end of their mandates.

Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon held a press conference a few hours before Fréchette’s announcement, where he described the new cabinet as “a missed opportunity to send a signal of consistency and to streamline the bureaucracy.’’

St-Pierre Plamondon reiterated his commitment to a smaller cabinet if he formed a government, but he did not specify how many ministers he would appoint.

During her campaign to become CAQ leader, Fréchette had emphasized the need for efficiency and agreed on the need to shrink the size of government. She also promised to bring change while maintaining a strong focus on economic priorities.

The legislature will resume May 5.

Here’s the full cabinet consisting of 29 ministers—17 men and 12 women:

• Christine Fréchette, Premier
• Ian Lafrenière, Minister of Public Safety, responsible for Relations with First Nations and Inuit, and Deputy Premier
• Eric Girard, Minister of Finance, responsible for Infrastructure
• Sonia LeBel, Minister of Education, Deputy Government House Leader
• Bernard Drainville, Minister of Economy, Innovation, and Energy, responsible for the Maritime Strategy
• Sonia Bélanger, Minister of Health, responsible for Seniors and Caregivers
• Simon Jolin-Barrette, Minister of Justice, responsible for Constitutional Affairs
• France-Élaine Duranceau, Minister responsible for Government Administration and President of the Treasury Board, Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs
• Mathieu Lacombe, Minister of Culture and Communications
• Jean-François Roberge, Minister of the French Language, responsible for the Canadian Francophonie, Secularism, Democratic Institutions, Access to Information, and Privacy
• Jean Boulet, Minister of Labor, responsible for Canadian Relations
• François Bonnardel, Minister of Immigration, Francization, and Integration, Government House Leader
• Kateri Champagne Jourdain, Minister of Natural Resources
• Pascale Déry, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change, Wildlife, and Parks
• Martine Biron, Minister of Higher Education, responsible for the Status of Women
• Samuel Poulin, Minister of Municipal Affairs
• Catherine Blouin, Minister of Families
• Donald Martel, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food
• Christopher Skeete, Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie, responsible for Relations with English-speaking Quebecers and the Fight Against Racism
• Benoit Charette, Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility
• Amélie Dionne, Minister of Tourism
• Jean-François Simard, Minister of Employment, responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region
• Chantal Rouleau, Minister responsible for Social Solidarity and Community Action, responsible for the Metropolis and the Montreal region
• Lionel Carmant, Minister responsible for Social Services and the Fight Against Homelessness
• Karine Boivin Roy, Minister responsible for Housing
• Kariane Bourassa, Minister responsible for Sport, Recreation, and the Outdoors
• Mathieu Lévesque, Minister responsible for Youth, Delegate for the Regions
• Éric Girard, Minister Delegate for Regional Economic Development
• Daniel Bernard, Minister Delegate for the Economy and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
• Also attending the Cabinet meeting are Yves Montigny, caucus chair, and François Jacques, chief whip.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2026.

With files from Thomas Laberge