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QUÉBEC — Newly minted Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette has unveiled a cabinet that leans on experienced ministers, opting for stability instead of a major shakeup as her government heads into a pre-election period.
After winning the Coalition Avenir Québec leadership race on April 12, Fréchette spent just over a week before introducing the senior members of the team she is expected to lead into a fall general election.
More than a third of the ministers will be remaining in existing portfolios in the new cabinet of 29 people.
Addressing the audience at the legislature, Fréchette said her cabinet gives a ”breath of fresh air” to the government. She outlined her priorities, such as lowering the cost of living, strengthening the economy, improving public services, and upgrading infrastructure.
Jean-François Daoust, a professor at Université de Sherbrooke’s school of applied politics, said Fréchette’s new team appears to be designed to demonstrate experience and stability ahead of the election campaign.
”It’s a government of continuity which is not surprising,” said Daoust, adding, ”we can easily recognize the CAQ.”
The cabinet will have 12 women and 17 men, with several key positions unchanged, including Finance Minister Eric Girard, Culture and Communications Minister Mathieu Lacombe, and France-Élaine Duranceau as president of the Treasury Board. Addressing this continuity, Daoust said, ”it will be difficult to present an image different” from the government of François Legault, who founded the CAQ in 2011 and stepped down as leader earlier this month after back-to-back majority mandates.
“We also need stability,” Jean Boulet, who remains in the labour portfolio, told reporters prior to the swearing-in ceremony. Boulet will also oversee Canada-Quebec relations.
Ian Lafrenière has become the deputy premier while retaining his previous responsibilities for public security and relations with First Nations and Inuit. Sonia Bélanger remains health minister and minister responsible for seniors and family caregivers. She loses the social services minister position to Lionel Carmant, who is returning to cabinet after he resigned last fall over Legault’s health-care policies.
Sonia LeBel stays on as education minister. She announced earlier this year she wouldn’t seek reelection. Simon Jolin-Barrette remains justice minister, and is relinquishing his responsibilities overseeing Canadian relations, while taking on new responsibilities for constitutional affairs. Jean-François Roberge will keep responsibilities related to the French language and secularism, but loses the immigration portfolio.
François Bonnardel, who is taking over the immigration portfolio, received a standing ovation during the ceremony. Bonnardel was dropped from the cabinet under Legault, but will now also be taking over the position of leader of the government in the legislature.
Fréchette’s former leadership rival, Bernard Drainville, becomes the economy, innovation, and energy minister, a position Fréchette occupied before her candidacy as leader of the CAQ.
“It’s exactly what I was hoping for,” said Drainville. “We work as a team.”
According to Daoust, Fréchette ”probably imagined which position would guarantee that Drainville (stays) as a trooper, a team player.”
”(Drainville) seemed upset after losing the CAQ leadership,” added Daoust.
Four new faces are also joining the new premier’s cabinet, including Mathieu Lévesque, member for the Chapleau riding in Western Quebec, who will take over a newly created position as the minister responsible for the regions.
Five former ministers were left out of cabinet: Genevieve Guilbault, Jonatan Julien, Caroline Proulx, Isabelle Charette, and Gilles Boulanger. Boulanger had been one of the first to support Fréchette in the race. Julien, Charette, Proulx, and Guilbault had announced they would leave politics at the end of their mandates.
The legislature will resume May 5.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2026.
—By Charlotte Glorieux in Montreal with files from Thomas Laberge in Quebec City
The Canadian Press
