The possibility of his departure is the subject of numerous discussions within the government, he stressed The press in the last days. The principal involved did not respond to our calls or messages.

Internally, there is talk of a meeting between Joëlle Boutin and Prime Minister François Legault this Wednesday on the sidelines of the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers in Quebec – the last before the summer break. Mr. Legault’s office has neither confirmed nor denied the conduct of this interview.

It’s an open secret that Joëlle Boutin, 43, is disappointed not to be appointed to the Council of Ministers.

The PR specialist and former airline pilot, who holds a master’s degree in public administration from Concordia University, had to settle for becoming Pierre Fitzgibbon’s parliamentary assistant for science and innovation.

His absence was noticed during François Legault’s inauguration earlier this month of phase 3 of the Samuel de Champlain promenade, a vast park along the river and home to his Jean-Talon equestrian center. “Although this important announcement was made in my county, unfortunately I was unable to attend as I am on vacation with my children,” she explained on Facebook on the same day of the announcement, July 5. His only other message on the social network is from July 14, in which he wishes “everybody a happy birthday”. [ses] French friends.

The PQ goes up

Joëlle Boutin entered the National Assembly in 2019 thanks to a by-election caused by the departure of the liberal Sébastien Proulx. Jean-Talon has been a strong liberal château since its inception in 1965. This horse farm is located in the Sainte-Foy-Sillery-Cap-Rouge district.

Joëlle Boutin was re-elected in last year’s general election with almost 33% of the vote, ahead of Québec Solidaire (24%), the Parti Québécois (19%), the Liberal Party (14%) and the Conservative Party (10%).

According to polls by the Léger company in May and June, the Parti Québécois (PQ) has taken the throne in the Quebec region.

The collapse of the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) came after the abandonment of the third highway link between Quebec and Lévis, a flagship promise by François Legault in the region.

A Jean-Talon by-election, if necessary, would spark a bitter struggle.

According to election forecasting site Qc125, the PQ would lead Jean-Talon with 31% of the vote versus Québec Solidaire’s 27%. The CAQ would be third with 25%, while the Liberal Party would settle for 11%. The Conservative Party would only have 4%.