5 things to know as the CAQ picks its new leader and Quebec's premier

quebec city is most to acquire a young premiere.

The results of a leadership vote among members of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) will be announced Sunday afternoon in Drummondville, Que.

Either Bernard Drainville or Christine Fréchette will take the reins of the political party — and the province — until the next general election. 

Here are some key points about how the race has unfolded and what’s at stake. 

With his party slumping in the polls, François Legault announced his intention in January to step down as premier and leader of the CAQ. It will be the first time the CAQ has a leader other than Legault, who founded the party in 2011.

More than 20,500 members are eligible to vote for their next leader, according to figures provided by the CAQ last month. Voters can cast a ballot until April 12 at 3 p.m.

The provincial election is scheduled for Oct. 5, 2026 — though the CAQ could decide to call an election sooner. 

That isn’t likely, given that opinion polls show the party far behind the Parti Québécois (PQ) and Liberals. The National Assembly was prorogued earlier this week until May 5 to give the new leader time to make the transition, Legault's office said.

Legault told Radio-Canada earlier this week he plans to vote in the leadership race — but wouldn’t say for whom. 

He will stay on as an MNA until the end of the term. But he is planning to spend more time in his home riding of L’Assomption rather than the National Assembly.

To anglophone Quebecers, was François Legault an enemy or a friend?

Perhaps the clearest divide between the two candidates during the leadership race was around questions of immigration and language.

Drainville, a 62-year-old former PQ cabinet minister, took a harder line on those issues than his leadership rival.

The cancelled immigration pathway known as the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) was among the points of disagreement.

Fréchette said she would temporarily reinstate the program for two years to allow up to 45,000 "PEQ orphans" to settle in the province. Drainville, for his part, said he would grant exemptions to only about 18,000 working in targeted sectors like construction and education to stay in Quebec. 

He argued temporary immigration levels were part of the reason for overflowing schools and strained infrastructure.

"The choice is as follows: yet more immigration, or do we protect public services?" he said during the final debate.

Drainville also attacked Fréchette for failing to more quickly push for the closure of Roxham Road to asylum seekers while she was immigration minister, and he criticized her for initially hesitating to call for the resignation of Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau over a recent language controversy.

"On issues like the French language, there is no room for hesitation," Drainville said.

Fréchette, a 55-year-old former business executive who has been an MNA since 2022, ran on a promise to boost the economy and carve out a place for Quebec in a changing world.

At her first campaign announcement, she said she would reimburse the welcome tax for first-time homebuyers.

A former energy and economy minister, she pointed to ongoing geopolitical instability and economic uncertainty as reasons why Quebec should take another look at the possibility of exploiting shale gas.

"I think the current situation makes it an opportune moment to discuss this possibility again," she said. "And my conclusion is not established.”

Drainville said that idea isn’t supported by Quebecers, given the potential damage to the water supply.

The candidates also traded jabs over the controversial "third link" project meant to connect Quebec City and Lévis.

Fréchette accused Drainville of pushing his preferred route to serve his "ego" rather than listening to local residents.

Drainville countered by accusing Fréchette of effectively killing the project by imposing too many conditions and endless consultations, saying, "I'll do it, and Christine is putting it on hold."

Fréchette, largely seen as the front-runner in the race, has the support of 41 MNAs in total, including 17 ministers, while Drainville has the support of 20 MNAs, including four ministers. 

Among those backing Fréchette are Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge, Environment Minister Benoit Charette and Finance Minister Eric Girard, as well as former social services minister Lionel Carmant.

Drainville has his own bloc of high-profile support, led by Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette, Transport Minister Jonatan Julien and Health Minister Sonia Bélanger.

The party’s youth wing also gave its support to Drainville, praising his willingness to “rock the boat.”

An early election call by the CAQ isn’t likely, given the uphill battle facing the new leader. 

The latest polls have the CAQ behind the PQ, the Liberals and the Conservatives.

Whoever wins on Sunday will have only a matter of months to revive the party's fortunes before voters head to the polls.

Legault tried to strike an optimistic tone in his sit-down interview with Radio-Canada, saying the party still offered an alternative to the debate over sovereignty.

Quebecers, he said, “don’t want a referendum, but they want a nationalist and economic party.” 

He added: “I think the CAQ is in the right place.”

Journalist

Benjamin Shingler is a reporter based in Montreal covering social issues and Quebec politics. He previously worked at The Canadian Press and the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, and is an alumnus of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network. He can be reached at benjamin.shingler@cbc.ca.

---

---