Two prominent Parti Québécois (PQ) members of the National Assembly will not run in this year’s provincial election amid reports several of his colleagues are also leaving the political scene.
Alexandre Cloutier, 40, said Tuesday morning he will see out his mandate but not be a candidate for the Oct. 1 election.
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Cloutier, who sought the PQ leadership twice in recent years, says he is not excluding a return to politics in the future.
Fellow PQ member Nicole Léger, 62, fought back tears as she announced she will quit politics.
PQ Leader Jean-Francois Lisee was by her side as she made the announcement in Montreal.
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Several reports published today suggest other longtime PQ members are also weighing their political futures.
Montreal Le Devoir says François Gendron, the dean of the National Assembly, won’t seek re-election. He was first elected in 1976 and has held his seat since.
Meanwhile, Le Journal de Québec reports that Agnès Maltais and Nicolas Marceau, a former finance minister, are pondering their political futures.
Maltais announced her resignation Tuesday afternoon, saying she wanted more time to focus on her personal life.
The PQ currently holds 28 seats in the 125-member legislature.
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