As Québec approaches its next provincial election, the Max Bell School hosted a conversation on governing at a moment of political transition. The event brought together Eric Girard, Québec’s Minister of Finance, and Desirée McGraw, Member of the National Assembly for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, and was moderated by Paul Wells. The discussion examined how parties and institutions respond when leadership eras end and political conditions shift.
The conversation took place in the context of François Legault’s resignation, a development that has focused attention on the future of the Coalition Avenir Québec. With Legault no longer anchoring the party, questions have emerged about how the CAQ defines itself beyond its founding leadership, and whether its governing approach can be sustained through institutional strength rather than personal authority.
Attention also turned to the broader political landscape that may emerge after the election. The discussion acknowledged renewed attention to Quebec’s sovereigntist movement and the conditions under which questions of independence could return to the centre of provincial politics. While the possibility of another referendum remains uncertain, the conversation examined how shifting voter alignments, leadership changes, and dissatisfaction with federal institutions could create space for constitutional questions to resurface. The issue was approached less as an immediate electoral outcome and more as a structural feature of Quebec politics that ebbs and flows with broader political and economic conditions.
Economic uncertainty was a recurring theme, with particular attention to Québec’s exposure to international trade dynamics. The discussion addressed the impact of United States tariff policy on Québec’s economy, including risks to manufacturing, aluminum production, and other export-dependent sectors. As a province deeply integrated into North American supply chains, Québec remains vulnerable to changes in US trade policy that lie beyond provincial control. Ongoing tariff uncertainty complicates fiscal planning and reinforces the constraints under which provincial governments operate, particularly during periods of global economic volatility.
Across these themes, the focus remained squarely on governance rather than electoral maneuvering. Leadership turnover, federal–provincial relations, trade pressures, and constitutional uncertainty were framed as structural features of Quebec’s political landscape. The discussion suggested that the province’s next political phase will be shaped less by individual leaders than by how parties and institutions adapt to economic constraints, evolving public expectations, and unresolved questions of political authority and autonomy.
For students and observers, the event offered a grounded look at how political actors think about continuity and responsibility at a moment when Québec’s political landscape is becoming less predictable, and when the demands of effective governance are increasingly shaped by forces beyond provincial control.
