Tomorrow, Quebec’s political parties are set to kick off a 39-day campaign to win over voters and secure their spot as the next government, amidst the ongoing trade war gripping the nation.
Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette will kick off the day with a cabinet meeting before meeting with Lieutenant Governor Manon Jeannotte, marking the official start of the election campaign.
In Quebec, the head of the government must ceremonially ask the lieutenant governor, who represents the King, to dissolve the National Assembly, signaling the beginning of the campaign leading up to the Oct. 5 election.
Prior to the dissolution, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) holds 79 seats, while the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) has 18 seats, Québec solidaire (QS) with 11, and the Parti Québécois (PQ) with 7. There are also one seat held by the Quebec Conservative Party and nine independent members.
Fréchette took over from François Legault to lead the CAQ in the election campaign. She will contend with Liberal candidate Charles Milliard, PQ candidate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, QS spokesperson Ruba Ghazal, and Conservative candidate Éric Duhaime.
The ongoing trade conflict between Canada and the United States is expected to be a significant focus of the election, particularly as Quebec grapples with tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. In response to new U.S. tariffs, Canada under Mark Carney’s leadership has implemented countermeasures against the Americans and recently walked away from negotiations with the U.S.
