Re-elected CAQ MNA for Montarville Nathalie Roy is hoping to become the 47th president of the Quebec national ssembly.
Roy served as culture minister in the first Legault government and will run for the presidency, TVA Nouvelles reported Monday, a report confirmed by The Canadian Press.
Premier François Legault sees Roy's candidacy in a positive light, and said he would be in favour of a woman becoming president, he told The Canadian Press.
Last week, Québec solidaire (QS) called for a female candidate.
In the history of Quebec, only one woman has briefly served as president of the national assembly: PQ member Louise Harel in 2002, 20 years ago.
QS co-spokesperson Manon Massé stressed that the election of a female president would send the right message to the women of Quebec, that women have their place "in the highest places."
The Oct. 3 election went down in history as the largest number of women ever elected to the National Assembly, with 58.
Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) alone elected 41 women, 21 of whom already have parliamentary experience.
The person chosen must be elected by the national assembly to conduct its business, administer its services and represent it.
She or he must maintain the members of the national assembly's confidence when presiding over debates and must ensure that all members, regardless of their political affiliation, have a voice.
The last person to hold this position was CAQ MNA François Paradis, who chose not to run for re-election this year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 17, 2022.
