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Quebec’s political landscape was shaken this week by the resignation of Premier François Legault, a move that has sparked immediate comparisons to recent leadership transitions at the federal level. According to Nicolas Gagnon, Quebec director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, the sense of déjà vu is hard to ignore.

“I think we can agree that we all have a feeling of déjà vu,” Gagnon said, noting that Legault’s departure mirrors the Liberal strategy seen in Ottawa. “It looks like what we saw last year, when a deeply unpopular leader stepped aside and hoped a leadership race could reset the political clock.”

Gagnon suggested Legault may have calculated that the same “miracle” could occur for the Coalition Avenir Québec. “The Liberals were at their lowest in the polls, and a few months later they were back with renewed momentum,” he said. “But for that to happen again, a lot of planets would have to align.”

He argued that Legault’s resignation was driven less by strategy than by declining confidence. “There was a lack of confidence not only among Quebecers, but within his own caucus,” Gagnon said, pointing to a string of high-profile departures. “When even Christian Dubé, his best friend, resigns just before Christmas, it becomes inevitable.”

Beyond personalities, Gagnon laid much of the blame on governance. “There were some good measures,” he acknowledged, citing tax cuts and the end of the gas price floor. “But they are overshadowed by record deficits, exploding public-sector costs, and a complete loss of control of government spending.”

Under Legault, he said, public and parapublic employment grew by more than 100,000 positions. “Expenses went from $45 billion to $65 billion a year in just a few years,” Gagnon stated. “That’s a 40 percent increase.”

Ultimately, Gagnon believes Quebecers are demanding more than a change of leader. “People are expecting a real change,” he said. “Not just a new premier, but a change in government culture.”