The future of Quebec’s proposed provincial constitution is uncertain as political opposition intensifies and Premier François Legault prepares to step down.
The Quebec Liberal Party’s new leader, Charles Milliard, has urged all parties in the National Assembly to abandon the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government’s Bill 1 — legislation that would establish a constitution for the province.
In a letter sent to Premier François Legault, other party leaders and the two candidates seeking to replace him as CAQ leader, Milliard argued that the current environment is not suitable for building consensus around such a major constitutional project.
“The current conditions are not conducive to uniting Quebecers around a project that requires their concrete and profound support,” Milliard wrote.
The proposal was introduced last fall as part of a series of initiatives aimed at reviving the CAQ government’s declining popularity. However, Legault announced in January that he would resign as premier, raising questions about whether the constitution project will ultimately move forward.
Despite the leadership transition, Quebec’s justice minister, Simon Jolin-Barrette, has continued to push the legislation. Jolin-Barrette authored Bill 1 and oversaw public consultations at the National Assembly.
The proposed constitution would formally recognize key Quebec values, including the primacy of the French language, secularism, and equality between men and women. It would also prohibit publicly funded institutions from challenging provincial laws in court.
However, critics say the consultation process surrounding the bill has been deeply flawed.
Legal scholar Louis-Philippe Lampron of Université Laval described the hearings as inadequate, arguing the government drafted the legislation before consulting the public.
Laurence Guénette of the civil rights group Ligue des droits et libertés said that approach runs counter to international standards for drafting constitutional documents, which typically involve broad public consultation before legislation is written.
The National Assembly hearings on Bill 1 drew around 200 presentations from organizations and individuals, along with more than 300 written submissions. Despite that participation, many sessions were marked by heated exchanges between presenters and the justice minister.
Indigenous leaders strongly criticized the proposal, describing it as colonial in nature and saying they were excluded from meaningful consultation. Tensions also emerged when representatives from English-language school boards and human-rights groups raised concerns about the bill’s implications.
Some critics accused Jolin-Barrette of dismissing objections or engaging in confrontational exchanges during the hearings.
Supporters of the proposal, however, argue the process allowed for constructive discussion. Guillaume Rousseau, a law professor at the University of Sherbrooke who supports the bill, said the consultations included valuable contributions from both supporters and critics.
Opposition parties remain largely united against the legislation in its current form. Quebec Solidaire and the Conservative Party of Quebec have already rejected the proposal outright.
Meanwhile, Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon has indicated that the Parti Québécois would draft its own provisional constitution if elected to government.
The CAQ has already modified parts of the bill following criticism. One controversial article that would have entrenched abortion rights in the proposed constitution was removed after internal party concerns.
With Legault stepping down and limited time left in the legislative session, it remains unclear whether the CAQ will succeed in passing the bill before the next election.
Some legal experts warn the government could attempt to fast-track the legislation through the National Assembly if opposition parties try to delay it.
Others argue the government still has the authority to pursue its agenda until the end of its mandate.
For now, the question of whether Quebec will adopt its own constitution — and what it would look like — remains unresolved.
