Nathalie Roy sworn in as President of the National Assembly

The former Minister of Culture, Nathalie Roy, was sworn in as President of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

• Read also: In Quebec, elected officials will have to “swear an oath” to Nathalie Roy

• Read also: National Assembly: place in the 43rd legislature

• Read also: QS ready to table a motion in favor of the PQ

She succeeds the former member for Lévis, François Paradis, who left politics at the end of the last mandate. Mr. Paradis had held this position since 2018.

“It is an immense privilege and a mandate that I take with great seriousness,” said Mr.^me Roy in the blue room.

In her speech, the new president explained that she « wishes to be a facilitator » for the work of elected officials « so that they can move forward with the reforms they want to undertake. »

In keeping with tradition, Mr.^me Roy was accompanied to the throne of the President of the National Assembly by Premier Legault, the Leader of the Official Opposition, Marc Tanguay, and the Leader of the Second Opposition, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.

Nathalie Roy will be supported as vice-president by the caquistes Chantal Soucy and Sylvain Lévesque, as well as by the liberal Frantz Benjamin.

Opposition parties showed signs of concern when the name of the member for Montarville began to circulate for the presidency last October, because of her “very partisan reputation”.

The tone was a little less cold, Tuesday, in the hours which preceded the election of M^me Roy. The interim leader of the Liberal Party, Marc Tanguay, praised Nathalie Roy’s « excellent judgment » and said he was convinced that she will be an « impartial » president.

For his part, the spokesperson for Québec solidaire, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, said he expected that M^me Roy is a « unifier » and that she enforces the rights of all members, including those of the opposition. « It’s even more important in the context of a large majority on the CAQ side, » he said.

Parliamentary business will continue this week and next week before adjourning on Friday, December 9 for the holiday recess. Premier François Legault will deliver his inaugural address on Wednesday, and the first question period of the 43^e legislature will be held on Thursday.

Nathalie Roy

• 58 years old
• Member of the CAQ for Montarville since 2012
• Previously journalist at TQS and Radio-Canada, then executive at LCN and TVA