President of the National Assembly of Quebec

The president of the National Assembly of Quebec (French; Président de l'Assemblée nationale du Québec) is the presiding officer of the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada, which is modeled after the Westminster parliamentary system. In other Anglophone parliaments and legislatures the equivalent position is often called the "Speaker", which is why from 1867 to 1968, the presiding officer of the Assembly was known in French as "orateur," a translation of the English term "speaker".

Description

The president of the National Assembly is fifth in the Quebec order of precedence, after the king of Canada, the lieutenant governor of Quebec, the premier, and the deputy premier. The National Assembly elects the president at the beginning of a legislature, for the length of the legislature. The president is assisted by the vice presidents of the Assembly, who serve in the absence of the president. Parti Québécois Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Louise Harel made history by being appointed as the first female president on March 12, 2002. The current president of the Assembly is the CAQ MNA Nathalie Roy. Roy is the second woman to serve in the role after Harel herself.

Roles

The function of the president holds three major roles.

  • Presiding over Assembly hearings.
  • Administration of Assembly services.
  • Representing the Assembly, notably in relations with other parliaments.

List of Presidents of the National Assembly of Quebec

No. Portrait Name
Electoral district
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Party Legislature
Term start Term end
1 Joseph-Goderic Blanchet
MLA for Lévis
(1829–1890) 		December 27,
1867 		June 7,
1875 		Conservative 1st
2nd
2 Pierre-Étienne Fortin
MLA for Gaspé
(1823–1888) 		November 4,
1875 		November 9,
1876 		Conservative 3rd
3 Louis Beaubien
MLA for Hochelaga
(1837–1915) 		November 10,
1876 		May 1,
1878 		Conservative
4 Arthur Turcotte
MLA for Trois-Rivières
(1845–1905) 		June 4,
1878 		March 8,
1882 		Independent Conservative 4th
5 Louis-Olivier Taillon
MLA for Montréal-Est
(1840–1923) 		March 8,
1882 		January 23,
1884 		Conservative 5th
6 Jonathan Saxton Campbell Würtele
MLA for Yamaska
(1828–1904) 		March 27,
1884 		June 28,
1886 		Conservative 6th
7 Félix-Gabriel Marchand
MLA for Saint-Jean
(1832–1900) 		January 27,
1887 		April 26,
1892 		Liberal
7th
8 Pierre-Évariste Leblanc
MLA for Laval
(1853–1918) 		April 26,
1892 		November 23,
1897 		Conservative 8th
9 Jules Tessier
MLA for Portneuf
(1852–1934) 		November 23,
1897 		February 14,
1901 		Liberal 9th
10 Henri-Benjamin Rainville
MLA for Montréal division no. 3
(1852–1937) 		February 14,
1901 		March 2,
1905 		Liberal 10th
11 Auguste Tessier
MLA for Rimouski
(1853–1938) 		March 2,
1905 		March 23,
1905 		Liberal 11th
12 William Alexander Weir
MLA for Argenteuil
(1858–1929) 		April 25,
1905 		August 31,
1906 		Liberal
13 Philippe-Honoré Roy
MLA for St. Jean
(1847–1910) 		January 15,
1907 		June 8,
1908 		Liberal
14 Jean-Marie-Joseph-Pantaléon Pelletier
MLA for Sherbrooke
(1860–1924) 		March 2,
1909 		August 7,
1911 		Liberal 12th
15 Cyrille-Fraser Delâge
MLA for Québec-Comté
(1869–1957) 		January 9,
1912 		November 7,
1916 		Liberal
13th
16 Antonin Galipeault
MLA for Bellechasse
(1879–1971) 		November 7,
1916 		August 25,
1919 		Liberal 14th
17 Joseph-Napoléon Francoeur
MLA for Lotbinière
(1880–1965) 		December 10,
1919 		January 10,
1928 		Liberal 15th
16th
18 Hector Laferté
MLA for Drummond
(1885–1971) 		January 10,
1928 		April 24,
1929 		Liberal 17th
19 Télesphore-Damien Bouchard
MLA for Saint-Hyacinthe
(1881–1962) 		January 7,
1930 		June 6,
1935 		Liberal
18th
20 Lucien Dugas
MLA for Joliette
(1897–1985) 		March 24,
1936 		October 7,
1936 		Liberal 19th
21 Paul Sauvé
MLA for Deux-Montagnes
(1907–1960) 		October 7,
1936 		February 19,
1940 		Union Nationale 20th
22 Bernard Bissonnette
MLA for L'Assomption
(1898–1964) 		February 20,
1940 		May 8,
1942 		Liberal 21st
23 Valmore Bienvenue
MLA for Bellechasse
(1894–1952) 		May 12,
1942 		November 5,
1942 		Liberal
24 Cyrille Dumaine
MLA for Bagot
(1897–1946) 		February 23,
1943 		February 7,
1945 		Liberal
25 Alexandre Taché
MLA for Hull
(1899–1961) 		February 7,
1945 		December 15,
1955 		Union Nationale 22nd
23rd
24th
26 Maurice Tellier
MLA for Montcalm
(1896–1966) 		December 15,
1955 		September 20,
1960 		Union Nationale
25th
27 Lucien Cliche
MLA for Abitibi-Est
(1916–2005) 		September 20,
1960 		December 15,
1961 		Liberal 26th
28 John Richard Hyde
MLA for Westmount–Saint-Georges
(1912–2003) 		January 9,
1962 		October 14,
1965 		Liberal
27th
29 Guy Lechasseur
MLA for Verchères
(1916–2005) 		October 22,
1965 		December 1,
1966 		Liberal
30 Rémi Paul
MLA for Maskinongé
(1921–1982) 		December 1,
1966 		October 21,
1968 		Union Nationale 28th
31 Gérard Lebel
MNA for Rivière-du-Loup
(1930–2020) 		January 1,
1969 		December 23,
1969 		Union Nationale
32 Raynald Fréchette
MNA for Sherbrooke
(1933–2007) 		February 24,
1970 		June 8,
1970 		Union Nationale
33 Jean-Noël Lavoie
MNA for Laval
(1927–2013) 		June 8,
1970 		December 14,
1976 		Liberal 29th
30th
34 Clément Richard
MNA for Montmorency
(1939–2022) 		December 14,
1976 		November 6,
1980 		Parti Québécois 31st
35 Claude Vaillancourt
MNA for Jonquière
(born 1944) 		November 11,
1980 		March 23,
1983 		Parti Québécois
32nd
36 Richard Guay
MNA for Taschereau
(born 1943) 		March 23,
1983 		December 16,
1985 		Parti Québécois
37 Pierre Lorrain
MNA for Saint-Jean
(1942–2004) 		December 16,
1985 		November 28,
1989 		Liberal 33rd
38 Jean-Pierre Saintonge
MNA for La Pinière
(born 1945) 		November 28,
1989 		November 29,
1994 		Liberal 34th
39 Roger Bertrand
MNA for Portneuf
(born 1947) 		November 29,
1994 		January 29,
1996 		Parti Québécois 35th
40 Jean-Pierre Charbonneau
MNA for Borduas
(born 1950) 		March 12,
1983 		March 12,
2002 		Parti Québécois
36th
41 Louise Harel
MNA for Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
(born 1946) 		March 12,
2002 		June 4,
2003 		Parti Québécois
42 Michel Bissonnet
MNA for Jeanne-Mance–Viger
(born 1942) 		June 4,
2003 		July 14,
2008 		Liberal 37th
38th
43 François Gendron
MNA for Abitibi-Ouest
(born 1944) 		October 21,
2008 		January 12,
2009 		Parti Québécois
44 Yvon Vallières
MNA for Abitibi-Ouest
(born 1949) 		January 13,
2009 		April 5,
2011 		Liberal 39th
45 Jacques Chagnon
MNA for Westmount–Saint-Louis
(born 1952) 		April 5,
2011 		November 26,
2018 		Liberal
40th
41st
46 François Paradis
MNA for Lévis
(born 1957) 		November 26,
2018 		November 28,
2022 		Coalition Avenir Québec 42nd
47 Nathalie Roy
MNA for Montarville
(born 1964) 		November 29,
2022 		Incumbent Coalition Avenir Québec 43rd

All but one speaker was born in the province (Valmore Bienvenue was born in the United States to Québécois parents). Henri-Benjamin Rainville died in the US and Cyrille Dumaine died in Ottawa.