QUÉBEC — Mired in scandal and dismal polling numbers, Quebec Premier François Legault will shuffle his cabinet next week and prorogue the provincial legislature until the end of the month.
In a statement Thursday, his office said the shuffle signals that Legault is following through on a promise to make changes. "This will be an opportunity to give new momentum to the government team and make room for new ideas to advance the government's priorities," the premier's office said.
The news comes days after Legault appeared before a public inquiry into a scandal involving hundreds of millions of dollars in cost overruns at Quebec's auto insurance board. Several of his ministers have also testified at the inquiry, which has supplied a steady stream of embarrassing headlines and political fodder for the opposition, who have accused Legault and his cabinet of misleading Quebecers.
Quebec's national assembly had been scheduled to resume on Sept. 16, but will now be prorogued until Sept. 30. The premier's office said the delay will give the new ministers time to learn their files and build their teams.
Legault has made only one other major cabinet shuffle since taking office in 2018, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. But after nearly seven years in power, his Coalition Avenir Québec government is deeply unpopular and at risk of a devastating defeat in next year's election.
Poll aggregator Qc125.com projects that the governing party would win between zero and three of the province's 125 seats if the vote were held today, down from 86 currently. Legault has insisted he will lead his party into the next election.
The CAQ has lost three consecutive byelections in the last two years to the sovereigntist Parti Québécois, which is leading in the polls. And on Thursday, Municipal Affairs Minister Andrée Laforest announced she, too, is leaving the government to run for mayor of Saguenay in municipal elections scheduled for November. Her departure will force Legault to call another byelection within six months.
Opposition parties were quick to denounce the prorogation on Thursday, accusing the premier of avoiding scrutiny in the legislature. "He chose to enjoy himself during the summer. Now he is postponing precious weeks of accountability to the national assembly. This is irresponsible," said Pascal Bérubé, one of the PQ's six members of the legislature, in an interview.
At a press conference in Quebec City, Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime said Legault's decision has paralyzed the government. “This shows us how much contempt this government has for Quebec democracy," said Duhaime, whose party does not hold any seats in the legislature. "Decisions like this are not going to revive what is probably the most unpopular government we have seen in our lifetime."
Legault has made identity issues a central focus of his government in recent months. Last week, Secularism Minister Jean-François Roberge announced he will table new legislation this fall to strengthen secularism rules, including by banning prayer in public places.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2025.
Thomas Laberge, Maura Forrest and Caroline Plante, The Canadian Press
