CAQ member Joelle Boutin quits politics, setting stage for byelection faceoff with PQ
A member of the governing Coalition Avenir Québec party is quitting politics to take on a job in the private sector.
The departure of Joëlle Boutin sets the stage for a byelection in Quebec City, where the Parti Quebecois is newly resurgent.
The PQ, which won three seats in the last election, received 30 per cent support in the Quebec City area in a Leger poll taken in mid-June, good for first place and three points higher than the CAQ.
Boutin, 43, was first elected in a byelection in December 2019, capturing the once-Liberal stronghold of Jean-Talon for the CAQ.
She was re-elected in 2022 when the CAQ swept to power capturing 90 of the province's 125 seats.
Boutin, who held the role of parliamentary assistant to the energy minister, says she will step down at the end of the month and take a job in the private sector.
According to Quebec election rules, a byelection must be called within six months of the vacancy.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Alberta RCMP officer charged with 2 counts of sexual assault
Const. Bridget Morla, a Leduc RCMP officer, has been charged with two counts of sexual assault in connection with an incident that happened two years ago.
Ontario dad removes hockey rink at heart of neighbour dispute
A Markham dad who drew the ire of neighbours and the city after installing a hockey rink in his backyard says the rink has now been taken down.
Motivated by obsession: Canadians accused in botched California murder plot in police custody
Two Canadians are in police custody in Monterey County, California, after a triple stabbing police say was motivated by a B.C. man's obsession with a woman he played video games with online.
Kingston, Ont. doctor in 'disbelief' after being ordered to repay $600K for pandemic vaccination payments
An Ontario health tribunal has ordered a Kingston, Ont. doctor to repay over $600,000 to the Ontario government for improperly billing thousands of COVID-19 vaccinations at the height of the pandemic.
More RCMP and CBSA ‘human resources’ destined for border, Public Safety Minister LeBlanc says
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc says the federal government will 'absolutely' be adding more Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and RCMP ‘human resources’ at the border.
Belly fat linked to signs of Alzheimer’s 20 years before symptoms begin, study says
As the size of a person’s belly grows, the memory centre of their brain shrinks and beta amyloid and tau may appear — all of this occurring as early as a person’s 40s and 50s, well before any cognitive decline is apparent, according to new research.
Toronto Zoo shifts toward conservation, but critics want to eradicate animal captivity
The Toronto Zoo has been making a gradual, yet seismic shift towards prioritizing conservation and climate-change, focusing on breeding rare and endangered animals in the past few years. But critics say the zoo should focus all its resources on breeding animals for eventual release instead of keeping animals in captivity for display.
Trump demands immediate release of Oct. 7 hostages, says otherwise there will be 'HELL TO PAY'
President-elect Donald Trump is demanding the immediate release of the Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza, saying that if they are not freed before he is sworn into office there will be “HELL TO PAY."
AC/DC reveals 2025 North American tour. This Canadian city is the only one to make the cut
Big news for AC/DC fans as the heavy metal bigwigs announced Monday they will hit the road next spring. But as of now, there’s only one Canadian show on the docket.