Quebec Premier-Designate Excludes Lieutenant-Governor From Cabinet Swearing-In
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon requested Lieutenant-Governor Manon Jeannotte skip the cabinet swearing-in ceremony as part of a broader effort to abolish the monarchy in Quebec.
Quebec premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon requested that Lieutenant-Governor Manon Jeannotte skip the public swearing-in ceremony for the new Parti Québécois cabinet scheduled for October 21, 2026. Jeannotte accepted the request and will instead sign appointment documents privately at her office, while the government's secretary general administers the oaths. Jeannotte will observe the proceedings via screen.
This move aligns with St-Pierre Plamondon's campaign pledges to eliminate provincial funding for the lieutenant-governor's office and abolish the monarchy within Quebec's institutions and civil society. The premier-designate has indicated that legal experts will now examine how the lieutenant-governor's role in enacting laws can be transferred to another entity.
Simultaneously, the incoming government faces a legal challenge from Lawrence David of the Public Interest Litigation Institute. David filed an emergency injunction to force the government to swear allegiance to King Charles, challenging a 2022 law that made the oath optional. David argues that Quebec unilaterally altered the Constitution Act of 1867 without necessary federal and provincial consent. If the court grants the stay, members of the National Assembly who refuse the oath could be barred from their seats when the legislature reconvenes in mid-November.
