Fréchette Races to Define Herself Before Quebec's October Vote

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette is racing to put a personal stamp on her government before voters render judgment in the October 5 provincial election, leveraging her first month in office to cut taxes for small businesses, meet with the Prime Minister and the U.S. Trade Representative, and signal that the Coalition Avenir Québec intends to continue using the Charter notwithstanding clause to protect its language reforms.

Sworn in on April 15 as Quebec's 33rd premier and second woman to hold the office, Fréchette took over the governing party only months before what polls suggest will be a difficult election. Her elevation followed the surprise late-stage retirement of François Legault, who concluded that the CAQ's recovery prospects were better with a new leader.

Who is Christine Fréchette

Fréchette, an economist by training, spent much of her career in economic development and international trade before entering electoral politics. She had previously worked behind the scenes with the Parti Québécois before winning a Coalition Avenir Québec seat in the National Assembly in 2022 in the Montreal riding of Sanguinet.

She served as Quebec's immigration minister before moving in 2024 to the economy, innovation and energy portfolio, where she earned a reputation for technocratic competence and a less confrontational style with Ottawa than some of her cabinet colleagues. Her selection by CAQ members earlier this spring positioned her as the leadership candidate most likely to broaden the party's appeal in the suburbs and among business voters.

An early policy push

Within weeks of being sworn in, Fréchette announced a one-percentage-point cut in the small business tax rate, affecting roughly 75,000 small and medium-sized enterprises across Quebec. The measure, framed as a response to U.S. tariff pressure and as a signal of CAQ's continued focus on economic growth, was welcomed by business groups and provided the new premier with a tangible early policy win.

Fréchette has also signalled that her government will introduce legislation extending the use of the Charter notwithstanding clause to shield Quebec's secularism law and its language reforms, including Bill 96, from constitutional challenge. The clause must be renewed every five years.

The premier has emphasised continuity on those flagship CAQ files, recognising that her party's identity is built around them. At the same time, she has tried to add new emphases, including small business support, productivity and energy infrastructure.

Federal and international engagement

In her first month, Fréchette held meetings with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa and with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington, both focused on the Trump administration's tariff regime and its impact on Quebec exporters. Aluminium, aerospace and lumber, all key Quebec sectors, have been heavily affected by tariffs imposed by the United States since early 2025.

The Quebec government has actively sought a seat at the table in federal trade discussions, arguing that the province's industrial profile is distinct enough to require dedicated representation. Fréchette has framed her trade engagement as protecting Quebec jobs and pressed the federal government to extend support programs to affected workers.

The premier also met with Carney in connection with the federal government's recently announced National Electricity Strategy. Quebec, with its vast hydroelectric base, sees export opportunities in any expansion of interprovincial transmission. The premier has reiterated, however, that Quebec will continue to oppose any new oil pipeline through its territory.

Political landscape

Fréchette inherits a CAQ that has fallen sharply in public opinion polls under Legault, with the Parti Québécois leading in several recent surveys and the Quebec Liberal Party, now led by Pablo Rodriguez, gaining ground in the Montreal region. Quebec Solidaire continues to attract voters on the left.

The CAQ's brand had been damaged by a series of controversies in the past two years, including the management of the third link bridge-tunnel project between Quebec City and Levis, the Northvolt battery plant struggles and rising concerns about health-care wait times. Fréchette has signalled openness to course corrections on several files, although she has stopped short of disowning her predecessor's decisions.

Her central political challenge in the months ahead will be to demonstrate that she represents enough change to win back voters who have drifted to the Parti Québécois or to the Liberals, while preserving the coalition of nationalist and centrist voters that brought the CAQ to power in 2018 and 2022.

Opposition response

Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has welcomed Fréchette's elevation while arguing that it changes nothing fundamental about the CAQ's record. The PQ has framed itself as the only credible alternative for nationalist voters, particularly outside the Montreal region, and continues to lead in polls.

Quebec Liberal leader Pablo Rodriguez, the former federal cabinet minister, has positioned himself as the federalist alternative, with a particular focus on Montreal and on relations with Ottawa. The party has been working to rebuild its brand after several difficult election cycles.

Quebec Solidaire has continued to campaign on housing, climate and inequality, with co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal leading the parliamentary wing. The party has expressed concern about Fréchette's use of the notwithstanding clause and her business-friendly economic agenda.

The youth, language and identity files

Quebec's identity politics will play a central role in the October election regardless of who leads the CAQ into the campaign. The province's distinct linguistic and cultural identity, its secularism legislation and its approach to immigration and integration all remain top-tier issues for many voters.

Bill 96, the language law passed by the CAQ government in 2022, has been a defining piece of legislation that Fréchette has indicated she will continue to defend. The law's implementation has touched many areas of life in Quebec, including business operations, education, courts and government services. Legal challenges and public debate about specific provisions have continued.

Immigration policy has been an area of significant tension between Quebec and the federal government, with successive CAQ leaders pressing Ottawa to grant more provincial authority over immigration levels, integration support and family reunification. Fréchette, herself a former immigration minister, brings personal expertise to the file and has signalled continued advocacy on Quebec's behalf.

The intersection of language, immigration and identity has shaped political conversations in Quebec for decades and continues to do so. How Fréchette navigates these files in the months leading up to the election will be a significant element of how voters assess her government and the broader CAQ project.

Federal-provincial dynamics

Relations between Quebec City and Ottawa have shifted with the arrival of Carney, a federal Liberal leader whose approach to Quebec has so far been less confrontational than that of some of his recent predecessors. The two governments have found common cause on trade response measures, even as they remain at odds on questions including federal spending in provincial jurisdiction and the use of the notwithstanding clause.

Fréchette has indicated that she intends to maintain the CAQ's traditional defence of Quebec's autonomy while looking for areas of practical cooperation with the federal government. Both governments have an interest in showing that they can deliver results for Quebecers amid a difficult economic environment.

The economic backdrop

Quebec's economy enters the election period under significant pressure. U.S. tariffs on aluminum, lumber and other key Quebec exports have hit major employers in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, on the North Shore and in forestry-dependent communities across the province. Aerospace manufacturing in greater Montreal also faces uncertainty from the broader trade environment.

The provincial unemployment rate has risen modestly over the past year, although Quebec continues to perform better than several other provinces on labour market measures. Housing affordability remains a particular concern in Montreal and surrounding regions, with rising rents and persistent challenges in the housing supply pipeline.

The provincial budget tabled earlier this year projected continued deficits over the medium term, reflecting both economic pressures and the cost of programs introduced by the CAQ government in recent years. Fréchette's tax cut for small businesses is the most prominent fiscal initiative of her early tenure, although larger structural questions about provincial finances remain on the table.

Quebec's energy assets, particularly Hydro-Quebec, remain a strategic resource that the province will continue to leverage in negotiations with other jurisdictions and in attracting investment. The federal National Electricity Strategy creates opportunities for Quebec to expand exports of clean power, although the details of any specific arrangements will need to be worked out.

What's next

The National Assembly's spring sitting has resumed, with the Fréchette government expected to bring forward legislation extending the notwithstanding clause and confirming the small business tax cut. The premier has signalled that she will spend much of the summer travelling the province, including in regions where CAQ support has been most fragile.

The October 5 election will likely turn on a small number of issues, including the cost of living, health care, language policy and the management of relations with Washington. Fréchette will be running on a record that is largely Legault's, with her own contribution measured in months rather than years.

For Quebecers, the practical effect of the leadership change in the short term will be felt in tax adjustments, government tone and choices about how to engage with Ottawa and Washington. The deeper question, whether a relatively new premier can salvage a governing party whose brand has suffered for years, will be answered in the fall.