Quebec lieutenant-governor sitting out ceremony swearing in ministers

Quebec's lieutenant-governor has agreed to sit out the swearing-in ceremony for the new Parti Québécois ministers, at the request of the premier-designate.

Under the constitution, ministers must swear an oath before the lieutenant-governor, who represents the British monarch at the legislature and officially names ministers at the premier's recommendation. 

But a PQ spokesperson says Manon Jeannotte accepted Paul St-Pierre Plamondon's request that she not participate in Wednesday's ceremony. 

The government's general secretary will preside over the ceremony, and Jeannotte will sign appointment documents at her office immediately after.

St-Pierre Plamondon has said he wants to abolish the monarchy in Quebec and pledged on the campaign trail to stop the province's funding of the lieutenant-governor's office.

He had also suggested that legal experts would evaluate how the role of lieutenant-governor, who also enacts all laws, could be entrusted to another entity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published October 20, 2026.

By Patrice Bergeron | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.