Quebec Premier to make ministerial ‘adjustment’ to replace ‘superminister’ on Thursday

On Thursday afternoon, Quebec will announce who will take over the ministerial duties of “superminister” Pierre Fitzgibbon, who announced his departure from political life on Wednesday.

Following the closing press conference of the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ), scheduled for 12:30 p.m. in Rimouski, Premier François Legault will travel to Quebec City to implement a ministerial “adjustment.”

When asked by reporters on Wednesday who would succeed Fitzgibbon, Legault remained cautious in his statements, asking them to wait until the official announcement on Thursday afternoon.

Behind the scenes, the name of the current Minister of Immigration, Christine Fréchette, has been circulating as a possible candidate to succeed Fitzgibbon as Minister of Economy and Energy.

Before entering politics in the 2022 general election, Fréchette was president and CEO of the East Montreal Chamber of Commerce from 2016 to 2021 and director of external and institutional relations at Montréal International from 2014 to 2016.

The person who succeeds Fitzgibbon will, among other things, have to lead the inquiry into Bill 69 on energy, which starts in the National Assembly next week.

When questioned in Rimouski on Wednesday, two top officials in the CAQ government, Eric Girard and Christian Dubé, said they did not want to take on the major portfolios of Economy and Energy, preferring to focus on their current responsibilities in Finance and Health, respectively.

The adjustment to the composition of the cabinet is scheduled to take place in Quebec City at 3:20 p.m., according to the prime minister’s official schedule.

In addition to his role as Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Fitzgibbon was also responsible for Regional Economic Development and the Montreal region.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 5, 2024.