From Nationalpost · · 50s
Quebec Premier Swears Loyalty to People, Not King
Quebec's new leader pledges allegiance to 'the people of Quebec' instead of King Charles III during swearing-in.
In brief
Quebec's new leader pledges allegiance to 'the people of Quebec' instead of King Charles III during swearing-in. Quebec premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and 58 PQ caucus members swore loyalty to 'the people of Quebec' under a 2022 law, bypassing the constitutional requirement to swear allegiance to the King…
PQ Swearing-In Ceremony
Quebec premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and 58 PQ caucus members skipped swearing allegiance to King Charles III.
“Quebec premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and the 58 members of the Parti Québécois caucus did not pledge allegiance to King Charles III at the swearing-in ceremony for the incoming PQ government on Thursday.”
Loyalty to Quebec People
They pledged loyalty to 'the people of Quebec' under a 2022 law that made swearing to the King optional.
“Instead, they pledged their loyalty to 'the people of Quebec', something that is technically possible to do under a provincial law that was adopted four years ago in the National Assembly of Quebec, but that constitutional lawyers remain skeptical about.”
Constitutional Skepticism
Constitutional experts say the move is unclear and is being challenged in court.
“Philippe Lagassé, a professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University who is an expert in the Westminster system, said the constitutionality of the act remains 'unclear' but is being challenged in court.”
Legal Challenge
A lawyer filed an injunction to force PQ members to swear allegiance to the King.
“Last week, Lawrence David, a professor at the University of Ottawa’s faculty of law and president and founder of the Public Interest Litigation Institute, filed an application in Quebec Superior Court for an injunction to force MNAs to swear the oath to the King.”
The one thing
Quebec premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and 58 PQ caucus members swore loyalty to 'the people of Quebec' under a 2022 law, bypassing the constitutional requirement to swear allegiance to the King.
