Full Breakdown
PQ Leader Vows to Abolish Quebec’s Lieutenant-Governor Office
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Core Proposal and Political Setting
Parti Québécois (PQ) leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon announced that a future PQ government would eliminate Quebec’s lieutenant-governor office and sever the province’s constitutional ties to the British monarchy. He framed the move as a reallocation of the office’s $1.3 million annual budget toward homelessness and other social programs. The pledge was made during the campaign for the upcoming provincial election, where the PQ is leading in the polls.
Legal and Constitutional Context
The lieutenant-governor represents the Canadian monarch in Quebec and grants royal assent to legislation. Section 41(a) of the Constitution Act, 1982 requires any amendment affecting the Crown, the governor general, or a provincial lieutenant-governor to obtain approval from the House of Commons, the Senate, and all ten provincial legislatures. Constitutional scholars say a unilateral provincial act to abolish the office would be unconstitutional.
- Karine Millaire, associate professor of constitutional law at the Université de Montréal, described a unilateral abolition as “clearly impossible” and warned that cutting funding to the point of dysfunction would be “legally perilous.”
- Jean-François Gaudreault-DesBiens, law professor at the same university, noted that as long as Quebec remains part of Canada, a simple provincial law could not achieve the goal.
Financial Arguments and Cost Estimates
St-Pierre Plamondon cited a national estimate that the monarchy costs between $50 million and $60 million annually, with Quebec contributing $12 million to $15 million. The PQ leader argues that redirecting these funds would support social causes such as homelessness relief.
Official Reactions and Expert Analysis
- The lieutenant-governor, Manon Jeannotte, was appointed in 2023 and is of Mi’kmaq descent, a choice described as a gesture of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
- Legal experts stress that any attempt to “indirectly abolish” a core constitutional institution would likely be struck down, referencing the Supreme Court of Canada’s 2014 ruling on Senate reform.
- The PQ’s 2022 legislation removing the oath of allegiance to the King from MNAs is currently under legal challenge in Quebec Superior Court, illustrating ongoing constitutional friction.
Criticism from Constitutional Scholars
Both Millaire and Gaudreault-DesBiens contend that the proposal would face insurmountable legal obstacles and could paralyze the provincial legislature. Guénette warned that legislation passed without royal assent would lack legal validity, potentially creating a constitutional crisis.
Verbatim Quotes
- “A Parti Québécois government will abolish whatever monarchy exists in Quebec,” — Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, PQ leader
What’s Next
St-Pierre Plamondon indicated that, if elected, the PQ would move within its first 100 days to strip funding from the lieutenant-governor and request that the office not attend the opening address of the new legislative session. He also signaled readiness for a jurisdictional battle with the federal government over the constitutional changes. No formal timeline for a constitutional amendment has been announced, and the feasibility of the proposal remains contested by legal experts.