Mathieu Lacombe, a former Minister of Culture and Communications, issued a public apology after attending the Parti Québécois’ election night celebration, despite his party suffering a significant loss in Monday’s elections.
Reports from “La Presse” revealed that Lacombe had been present at the PQ rally in Montreal, leading to his expulsion from the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) for violating the party’s constitution. Outgoing Premier Christine Fréchette also removed him from her cabinet, citing a clash with the CAQ’s core values.
Following the incident, the CAQ cabinet will continue until new ministers are appointed, with Fréchette’s office working to find a replacement for Lacombe.
In a social media post, Lacombe admitted his error in attending the rally while still serving as a minister, expressing regret for any harm caused to party members, colleagues, and friends by his actions.
The Parti Québécois, under Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, secured a minority government in the recent Quebec elections with 59 seats, as the Coalition Avenir Québec, led by Christine Fréchette, faced a complete wipeout with less than 14% of the popular vote.
Earlier, Lacombe had made his sovereignist beliefs known while in office, indicating his alignment with the Yes camp in a potential referendum, despite acknowledging that most Quebecers were not in favor of one at the time.
