National Assembly would be a 'mess' without officially recognizing QS, PQ: Manon Masse

If the 11 members of Québec solidaire (QS) and three members of the Parti québécois (PQ) were forced to sit as independents, the National Assembly would be paralyzed, warns Manon Massé.

It would be a "mess," the QS co-spokesperson said in an interview with The Canadian Press Wednesday.

Massé appealed to Liberal leader Dominique Anglade's "sense of responsibility," asking her to recognize QS and the PQ as parliamentary groups.

François Legault's Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) has already expressed its support for such recognition, which would guarantee the parties resources and speaking time.

Currently, neither the PQ nor QS meet the definition of a parliamentary group in the National Assembly, which require a party to win at least 12 seats or 20 per cent of the vote.

QS won 11 seats with 15.43 per cent of the vote, while the PQ won three seats with 14.61 per cent of the vote.

However, parliamentary group status can be granted to the two parties if the others agree.

"Anglade, what she is telling us is that a Parliament that is already in imbalance of democracy, that she alone [...] will make Parliament work?" questioned Massé.

"I think there is something she does not grasp," she added. "If we have 14 independent members, it will be a mess and that, Anglade knows. She has to stop this irresponsibility."

In addition, unlike the PQ, QS MPs will seek to "avoid" swearing in King Charles III, but will not refuse to do so, Massé said. 

This report was first published in French by The Canadian Press on Oct. 12, 2022.