MONTREAL — Following a legislative session dominated by an embarrassing scandal and persistent queries about his political future, Quebec Premier François Legault insists he's not bothered by withering criticism from his opponents, and remains focused on the economy.
On Friday, Legault told reporters that his Coalition Avenir Québec government displayed "courage" in recent months as the province faced economic threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. And he brushed off repeated questions about his government's waning popularity after more than six years in power.
"I think right now it's not easy for all governments in the world," he said in a press conference to mark the end of the spring session at Quebec's national assembly. "The cost of living has been very high in the last year … and of course it's easy to say it's the fault of the government."
Legault said he will continue to make Quebec's economy his top priority, and wants to see new resource projects launched across the province, including in the mining sector. Last week, his government tabled a bill to remove trade barriers on the sale of goods from other parts of Canada.
But Quebec's opposition had their knives out for Legault on Friday. Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, whose party has been leading in the polls for well over a year, said the premier no longer has the "democratic legitimacy" to govern.
"The presence of this government, in the opinion of a majority of Quebecers, is harmful to Quebec," he told reporters.
Interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay evoked former prime minister Pierre Trudeau's famous walk in the snow — when he decided to leave office — saying Legault should take "a good, big, long walk in the grass" this summer to decide if he should lead his party into the next election.
Legault insists he will seek a third mandate from Quebecers during an election set for October 2026. However, poll aggregator Qc125 shows the CAQ could be reduced to just four seats from 86 if an election were held today.
In recent months, the government has struggled to change the channel on a scandal involving cost overruns at Quebec’s auto insurance board. In February, the auditor general revealed cost overruns of at least $500 million in the creation of the board's new online platform, SAAQclic, for a total cost of more than $1.1 billion.
In March, Legault announced he would launch a public inquiry to shed light on the affair. That inquiry, which began in April, has produced a steady trickle of embarrassing headlines.
Amid dismal polling, Legault has leaned heavily into immigration and identity issues, claiming his government is protecting Quebec values.
Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge launched the spring session by tabling a bill on the integration of immigrants that requires newcomers to embrace the "common culture" of Quebec. And on Thursday, Roberge closed the session by announcing a plan to slash permanent immigration targets to as low as 25,000 people per year.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Bernard Drainville tabled a new bill that would extend Quebec's religious symbols ban to everyone who works in schools or on school property. Detailed study of the legislation will continue in the fall.
"I think people are worried about their language, but also about their values, gender equality and secularism," Legault said on Friday.
The Coalition Avenir Québec has billed itself as the party of the economy — a message Legault repeated on Friday — but the government was criticized for tabling a record $13.6-billion deficit this spring. Shortly after that, in another setback for Legault, S&P Global downgraded Quebec's credit rating.
"Everything he touches turns into a disaster," Tanguay said. "I don't think he's the man for the job."
The government has also faced major pushback from opposition parties on an energy bill they say was poorly designed, intended to help Québec's hydro utility boost production. On Friday, the governing party invoked closure on the bill to get it through the legislature before the end of the session.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
— With files from Thomas Laberge and Caroline Plante
Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press
