QUÉBEC — The Parti Québécois has lost a high-profile candidate in the upcoming provincial elections due to an ethics scandal.

PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon announced on social media that he was removing Vincent Marissal from the Taschereau riding due to an alleged lack of ethics.

Marissal is a former journalist who previously represented Québec solidaire in the legislature.

St-Pierre Plamondon says Marissal used his apartment, for which he received a National Assembly allowance, for a house exchange.

Plamondon says this does not respect the code of ethics, which forbids legislature members from profiting from National Assembly allowances.

Marissal had made a splashy entrance into the pre-election campaign on Monday, months after leaving Québec solidaire.

In the end, he was a candidate for the Parti Québécois for only two days.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 26, 2026.

Caroline Plante and Thomas Laberge, The Canadian Press