The CAQ’s internal shake-up deepened Sunday when longtime MNA and Municipal Affairs Minister Geneviève Guilbault announced she will leave politics at the end of her mandate.
Her announced departure adds momentum to what now appears to be a two-candidate race between Christine Fréchette and Simon Jolin-Barrette to take the party’s reins.
The transition follows Premier François Legault’s announcement last week that he will step down, forcing the governing party into a leadership contest just months ahead of the October election.
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Political analyst Karim Boulos joined CityNews to break down what this latest announcement means for the race and the future of the CAQ.
Geneviève Guilbault announced Sunday that she would be leaving politics at the end of her term. citing family as the reason, and that her decision had been made a long time ago. What did you make of this, especially now?
Mme Guilbault has been one of Legault’s staunch advocates and very visible faces of the CAQ, much like (Pierre) Fitzgibbon and other big names within the CAQ in previous months and years. They weren’t really planning to continue. I think that she made this announcement preemptively because she doesn’t want to get embroiled in a conversation about who’s going to eventually succeed Legault. It’s not surprising. Her value on the market, her equity is quite high. She’ll land in some very strong position, some positive job on the outside. Once you’ve done the eight years, I think it’s very difficult to try to just keep something going, especially under the scrutiny of the public that we’ve seen right now.
Her timing is excellent. I don’t disagree with her decision to move on. I think the time is right.
François Legault’s resignation has opened the door to a full reset for the CAQ. With what some say may be a two-person race between Simon Jolin-Barrette and Christine Fréchette, based on what you’re seeing, who appears best positioned to take over the helm?
Well, the obvious one is Simon Jolin-Barrette, having been the ‘dauphin’ to Legault since COVID, really, since it’s been over five, six years now, that we’re seeing his name coming back again and again with very unpopular decisions in the Montreal area. Yet very popular in the regions, whether his stands on language, being the strongest position the bylaws on secularism. He was a natural successor given that he’s 39 years old and a new face of the party, because the CAQ is Mr. Legault’s party. So to find someone new would have to have a completely new identity. And so that makes sense that having someone like him take over would be a refreshing. Mme. Fréchette, very strong candidate, hasn’t said much, has been relatively quiet, not necessarily publicly known the way he has been.
Of course, Jolin-Barrette would be, I believe, a continuation of the same. I think he was at every single critical meeting with Legault and many of the policies and laws that have been passed, Jolin-Barrette was right there beside him, never behind him. He was always front and centre. So we would see more of the same. And looking at recent polling, I’m not sure more of the same is going to do anything against the Parti Québécois.
