The speaker of the National Assembly and Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) MNA for Lévis, François Paradis, has announced Friday that he will not be a candidate in the next provincial election.
His announcement comes on the same day it was confirmed that former Parti Québécois (PQ) minister Bernard Drainville will run with the CAQ.
A former television host, Paradis entered provincial politics in 2014, becoming the CAQ's health and social services critic.
He was then re-elected in 2018.
In a statement Friday, Premier François Legault paid tribute to Paradis' work.
"I am very proud of François for choosing to put his experience and determination at the service of the citizens of Lévis and Quebec for the last eight years," he said. "An excellent communicator, he made a difference at a pivotal moment for our political party. I also want to thank him for his great rigour as President of the National Assembly."
Paradis' term as president of the National Assembly, from 2018 to 2022, was most notably marked by the COVID-19 pandemic.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 3, 2022.
