In politics, a year is an eternity. But time marches on, and there are around 750 days left until the general election on October 5, 2026.

Slowly but surely, the fateful date is approaching. If we can't predict who will govern Quebec, one thing is certain: there will be changes, and you can start preparing for them now. The truth is, a transformation in the governmental context systematically affects organizations. It is now the ideal time to shape the next phase of your government relations strategy.

How does our governmental system impact your organization?

More concretely, an election necessarily means a realignment of your government relations strategy. As an organization, you can act in two ways: by changing your stakeholders, and by redefining your organization's government relations priorities.

The change in players and public office holders opens the door to a great positioning opportunity. This movement is also an occasion to highlight the importance of your issues to stakeholders. These new faces will certainly be open to understanding the challenges of multiple companies and their different realities, in order to forge their own opinions and orientations.

Furthermore, the changing context modifies and inevitably creates new priorities. An electoral campaign is the time to be accountable, but also to set the direction for the coming years. One year before the elections, in the fall of 2025, the tone and electoral atmosphere will already be felt, and it will no longer be the time to prepare. It will be the time to act. The next few months will be a crucial period for repositioning yourself on the chessboard.

Here are some of our recommendations:

• Define your issues and demands for public office holders.
• Be sure to set up a strategic watch on political news and the positions taken by each political party.
• Identify the stakeholders most likely to carry your message and contact them.

With two years to go before the provincial elections, a good understanding of the current political context is essential to prepare your public interventions. We suggest reviewing the issues and challenges that the different political parties will have to overcome in the coming months.

François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ)

After a more difficult spring, François Legault's troops should pull themselves together. Over the past year, many government decisions have been coldly received by the population. However, the CAQ has a trump card: it's in power. Mr. Legault's troops must regain control of the message. By holding the reins of government, the CAQ can push development projects that are dear to Quebecers, and thus, could have an interesting record to defend. The message needs to be refined, and the target electorate (essentially families living in the suburbs of major cities) must see themselves in the narrative that the CAQ will build in the coming months.

Another undeniable advantage for the CAQ is the scale of its caucus. As needed, the party can call on its eighty-eight MPs to carry its messages and defend its record. This important delegation should not be overlooked, as it can navigate the whole of Quebec with a team that is already mobilized and knows the terrain.

However, all the seasoned veterans will tell you, an enlarged caucus can also be a source of frustration for some who are not called upon to play the role they had hoped for. What's more, the CAQ team has an important mission: it needs to recenter itself on the issues that really matter to the population, particularly to the French-speaking middle class living in the suburbs, who form the bedrock of this political party.

One of the CAQ's top challenges will be to manage departures effectively, and use the opportunity of a vacant seat to attract new talent, that will allow them to reach a different audience. The departure of the Minister of the Economy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, had the effect of a small bomb on the Hill. Although his desire to leave active politics has made headlines several times in recent months, it's always risky for an organization to fill the departure of such a high-profile figure and manage the transition. In the wake of this news, the other leading figures should ensure that they remain front stage and demonstrate leadership.

Parti Québécois with Paul St-Pierre Plamondon (PQ)

The biggest challenge for Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and the Parti Québécois will be to maintain the momentum they currently enjoy. With this extraordinary popularity, will the PQ leader reach a plateau because of the national question? What's more, with a team of only 4 MPs in the National Assembly and a quite limited speaking time, the PQ will need to innovate in order to identify opportunities for public speaking.

Québec Solidaire with Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois (QS)

After the impactful departure of Émilise Lessard-Therrien, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois seems to have handled the situation well. His leadership is now cemented until the next electoral campaign. Québec Solidaire's biggest challenge resides in its positioning. Currently relying on the support of a predominantly young, Montreal-based segment of the population, strategists need to find a way to reach a wider audience in their positions, if they wish to increase their delegation. Québec Solidaire must, therefore, hit the road and pursue the work well begun by its MP Ruba Ghazal, who took advantage of the summer period to take a regional tour to meet citizens in different corners of the province.

The Quebec Liberal Party (QLP)

The leadership race will set the tone for this party, which is searching for a soul and, above all, a cause. For the PLQ, a crucial question is: how to redefine itself after so many years of existence? They will need to find candidates who want to talk about ideas and, above all, who want to travel across Quebec. Beyond his or her reputation, the new leader should manifest a strong willingness to travel our roads. This leadership race will be a perfect opportunity to work with all the regions. It's the time to build a platform with proposals and commitments that will bring back French-speaking voters, those who have abandoned the PLQ for other options for several years.

The coming years promise to be very interesting on the political scene and are unlikely to be smooth sailing. The four parties in the National Assembly have their work cut out for them, but so do you. Don't wait. Prepare your government relations strategies. Don't hesitate to put us to the challenge: our clan is ready to make you stand out to the government in the coming months!