Former CAQ minister from Outaouais named interim leader
Former Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) representative for Chapleau, Mathieu Lévesque, was named the party’s interim leader on Oct. 18, CBC News reported.
Lévesque replaces former Premier Christine Fréchette, who resigned the day following the Oct. 5 provincial elections in which the CAQ were wiped out from a 70-plus seat majority to no seats at all.
First elected in the Outaouais riding in 2018, Lévesque is a lawyer and the former minister responsible for youth.
“I want to put my experience and convictions to work for the Party,” he wrote in a statement. “I firmly believe that we represent the true third way.”
Ottawa postponed new regulations on dams following concerns from operators
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is postponing changes to dam regulations that Quebec public utility Hydro-Quebec has said would cost $2 billion to comply with, Radio-Canda reported.
The changes in regulations would require dam and hydroelectric plant operators to better protect fish near their facilities. They would require dam operators to limit variations in reservoir flow, rescue isolated fish and reduce fish death and injury from the plant’s turbines.
“In light of the feedback received from the industry, the DFO has postponed the implementation of technical standards specific to the hydroelectric sector. The department is continuing its discussions with the hydroelectric industry,” DFO spokesperson Naomi Librach wrote in an email to Radio-Canada.
Liberal minister and Quebec lieutenant Joël Lightbound said that there were some “grey areas” that needed to be clarified in the legislation.
Pascal Paradis named Quebec’s chief diplomat and negotiator
Defeated Parti Québécois (PQ) candidate and former Jean-Talon MNA Pascal Paradis has been named Quebec’s chief diplomat and negotiator by incoming Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, The Canadian Press reported.
Paradis had been the PQ’s sole representative in the Quebec City area since being elected in a 2023 byelection, before being defeated by the Liberal Party’s Julie White on Oct. 5.
The appointment means that Paradis will be the government’s chief negotiator in trade talks, as well as in treaty negotiations with First Nations. He would support the government’s yet-to-be-named minister of international relations, and report directly to the premier.
“He will be called upon to maintain a constant dialogue with their representatives and to act as one of the government’s main interlocutors, ensuring that communication channels remain open and productive,” a PQ spokesperson wrote.
The PQ notes that they do not intend to negotiate directly with the US, however they “want Quebec to be at the table.” The PQ’s cabinet is expected to be announced on Oct. 21.