QUÉBEC — Quebec Transport Minister Benoit Charette is adding his name to the growing list of Quebec cabinet ministers who won’t be running again in the fall provincial election.

Charette says he will be stepping back from political life at the end of his term for family reasons.

A Quebec election campaign is expected to begin by the end of the month.

More than 30 of the Coalition Avenir Québec’s legislature members have said they won’t run again, including a number of cabinet ministers.

Charette says he delayed announcing his departure until the last minute to minimize the impact on his family, but that Premier Christine Fréchette was aware.

He was first elected in the Deux-Montagnes riding north of Montreal in 2008 as a Parti Québécois member before leaving to sit as an independent and later joining the Coalition Avenir Québec.

He has held a number of cabinet positions including environment, anti-racism, infrastructure and transportation.

Charette says he plans to continue to work with Fréchette and the party after the October election.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2026.

Thomas Laberge, The Canadian Press