Sonia LeBel leaving politics at the end of her term

Sonia LeBel. (Jacques Boissinot/La Presse canadienne)

Quebec Education Minister Sonia LeBel has announced she is leaving politics at the end of her term.

“I’ve been reflecting for quite some time on what’s next for me,” she wrote on social media. “During the holidays, I made the decision to quit politics at the end of my mandate.”

• READ MORE: After Legault resignation, what’s next for his party and who might replace him?

She added that after “35 years of public service, including nine with the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), “I felt it was time to turn the page.”

LeBel called Premier François Legault’s decision to resign “with dignity and humility” a courageous one, saying it offers the party the opportunity to weather the storm of the last few months.

She noted that she was touched by the number of people who reached out to her, asking if she would consider running for the party’s leadership.

“This gave me a chance to reflect on the possibilities and the choice I made in December,” she said. “After a lot of reflection and some long conversations with my family, friends and colleagues, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time for me to end my political career at the end of my mandate.”

• READ MORE: A timeline of Quebec Premier François Legault’s political career as he resigns

LeBel, who was first elected in 2018 in the electoral district of Champlain, most notably served as the Minister of Justice and President of the Treasury Board before being named Minister of Education.

She was previously the chief prosecutor at the Charbonneau Commission, which looked into allegations of collusion in Quebec’s construction industry.

Guilbault also leaving

On Sunday, Municipal Affairs Minister Geneviève Guilbault also announced that she would neither be running for reelection come October, nor seeking the CAQ’s leadership.

• READ MORE: As Legault leaves, many of his major bills still facing constitutional challenges

Guilbault, who previously held the positions of minister of transport, municipal affairs and public security, said her decision to step aside rested heavily on her young children, who “have never known me doing anything other than politics.”

“I have often said that I am not afraid of much in life, but I am afraid of regret, and, for me, it is clear that if I continue in politics for another four years, I risk regretting having missed out on my children’s childhood, in a way, because my mind would have been elsewhere during all those precious years,” she said.

• READ MORE: Support for Christine Fréchette as CAQ faces challenges after Legault’s resignation

Despite LeBel and Guilbault’s announcements, several names are floating around to replace Legault as head of the party, including Economy Minister Christine Fréchette, who has already received support from some of her colleagues, Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette and Finance Minister Éric Girard.