Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette Launches October 5 Election Campaign

Premier Christine Fréchette will meet with Lieutenant-Governor Manon Jeannotte on Thursday to symbolically request the dissolution of the legislature, officially launching the campaign for the October 5 provincial election. The 39-day campaign follows eight years of governance by the Coalition Avenir Québec, which currently holds 79 seats.

Fréchette faces a challenging economic landscape, including a multi-billion dollar deficit and new 50 per cent U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports. She estimates these tariffs could impact 7.7 billion dollars in Quebec exports. Other parties have proposed various affordability measures to address the cost of living, including tax cuts from Conservative leader Éric Duhaime, rent ceilings from Québec solidaire, and increased homebuilding from the Liberals.

Sovereignty remains a central issue. Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, whose party has led public opinion polls since 2023 and won four consecutive byelections, has pledged to hold a referendum on Quebec sovereignty by 2030 if elected. However, Plamondon stated that such a vote would only occur after U.S. President Donald Trump leaves office. While the Parti Québécois maintains a lead in the polls, reports indicate that this advantage has recently diminished.