Quiksketch: A look at Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard

Education: He obtained a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Université Laval in 2002 and a master’s from HEC Montréal in 2007.

Family: Milliard is openly gay and has a partner.

Political record: Milliard joined the party in 2010 and announced a bid for the Quebec Liberal leadership in 2024, saying he was committing himself to Quebec politics for the next decade. He finished a close second to Rodriguez in the 2025 vote, taking 47.7 per cent of the points on the second ballot compared with Rodriguez’s 52.3 per cent.

After Rodriguez resigned in December 2025, Milliard entered the race to replace him and was crowned the party’s 17th leader on Feb. 13, 2026, after no other candidate qualified. He has described himself as a nationalist, regionalist and federalist and has made the economy, public services, regions, culture and housing his main priorities.

Milliard had also been approached by the federal Liberals to run in a 2024 byelection in the Montreal riding of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun but declined to focus on provincial politics.

Riding: Orford, in Quebec’s Eastern Townships.

Quote: “The plan I have in mind is a 10-year plan, so it’s a long-term project,” he said in 2025 ahead of the Liberal leadership race. “No matter what happens in the leadership race, although I intend to win it, and then in the general elections of 2026 and 2030, we don’t know what lies ahead, but I’ll definitely be there.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 27, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Quiksketch: A look at Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard

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