The PQ bypassed the monarchy. It was met with a shrug in Quebec and Ottawa

Paul St-Pierre Plamondon gestures during the swearing-in ceremony of Parti Québécois MNAs at the National Assembly in Quebec City Thursday October 15, 2026. Photo by Francis Vachon /Postmedia

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OTTAWA — The Parti Québécois’ decision to have the swearing-in ceremony of its cabinet ministers on Wednesday without the Quebec Lieutenant-Governor physically present in the room did not cause as much as a ripple from political friends and foes.

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Quebec Premier-elect Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who has promised to cut ties with the monarchy, wrote to Manon Jeannotte earlier this week to ask her to not attend the ceremony and to instead sign the necessary documents from her office.

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In a statement to National Post, Jeannotte’s office confirmed that she will abide by the incoming government’s wishes and will follow the ceremony with a television feed.

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“There is no requirement for the Lieutenant-Governor to attend, and she does not wish to become the focus of attention. Her priority is the continuity of government in accordance with the Constitution,” said Ian Préfontaine, her media relations manager.

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St-Pierre Plamondon’s request does not come as a total surprise, as he has vowed to defund her office, but he still must contend with the current constitutional realities.

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That means the lieutenant-governor’s signature is still needed to appoint the premier and his cabinet ministers, to ratify orders-in-council issued by the cabinet and, most importantly, to grant royal assent to bills passed in the Quebec provincial legislature.

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Still, many politicians in Quebec and Ottawa did not have a strong reaction when questioned about the PQ’s decision to push Jeannotte to the sidelines.

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Reacting to the news, Quebec Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime said he has “no problem” with the PQ government going ahead with this symbolic gesture.

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“Well, it’s certainly true that I’m not a monarchist — I don’t think that comes as any surprise to you,” he told reporters in Quebec City on Tuesday.

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That said, Duhaime said he has questions should the PQ be tempted to permanently remove the role of lieutenant-governor which would require constitutional changes.

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“I don’t think there’s much appetite in Quebec for heading down that path,” he added.

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In Ottawa, the reactions to the news from Quebec MPs were a mix of disinterest and apathy — a sign of just how much the monarchy means to people in the province.

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“We will let Quebec make its own decisions, and for our part, we will promote cooperative federalism, because we believe we can work effectively with the government,” said Industry Minister Mélanie Joly on her way to a cabinet meeting.

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Liberal MP Jean-Yves Duclos, who briefly served as Quebec lieutenant under Justin Trudeau, echoed Joly’s comments that it is the Quebec government’s decision.

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Duclos said the federal government will focus “on what we believe is important.”

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“Personally, it doesn’t bother me. I’m a Quebecer,” said Conservative MP Jacques Gourde of the PQ’s decision to exclude Jeannotte from their swearing-in ceremony. “I understand those who like the monarchy, and it doesn’t bother me if others don’t.”