Quebec’s new PQ cabinet without a minister from the Outaouais region
Drazen Seslija
None of the MNAs from the Outaouais region will serve as minister in the new cabinet of Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s government, which was unveiled on October 21. Instead, responsibility for the region has been entrusted to Camille Pellerin-Forget, MNA for Iberville in the Montérégie region.
Camille Pellerin-Forget, who has previously lived in the Outaouais, is the new minister responsible for the region, in addition to serving as minister for Democratic Institutions and as deputy minister for Mental Health and Social Services.
The region’s only PQ member of the National Assembly, Isabelle Millette, elected in Papineau, did not receive a ministerial position. Instead, she will serve as Camille Pellerin-Forget’s parliamentary assistant.
A focus on collaboration for Gatineau’s mayor
In Gatineau, Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette has indicated her desire to collaborate with members of the new cabinet to advance the city’s priority issues. In particular, she intends to reach out to Health Minister Marie-Karlynn Laflamme; the minister responsible for Transportation and Municipal Affairs, Nicolas Girard; and Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who is also responsible for combating homelessness.
The mayor also welcomed the appointment of Camille Pellerin-Forget as regional liaison. For Gatineau, dialogue with the provincial government will be crucial on issues such as health care, transportation, homelessness, and municipal infrastructure.
The absence of an Outaouais representative in cabinet raises questions
André Fortin, Liberal MNA for Pontiac, highlighted the unique situation of the Outaouais, which is the only region to have elected a representative from the Parti Québécois without securing a seat in cabinet. According to him, this situation could complicate efforts to advocate for regional interests with the government.
The absence of a minister directly from the Outaouais presents local elected officials with a challenge: advocating for the needs of a region whose issues fall under the purview of several ministers, while working with a regional representative elected outside the territory.
The new Liberal member for Hull, Sacha Cannon, has also made defending regional interests a top priority. He stated that he intends to champion and voice the region’s concerns to the new government, particularly regarding health care and infrastructure.
Sacha Cannon stated that his priority is to defend the interests of the Outaouais region before the Quebec government. Photo: Archive photo