CAQ agrees to grant official party status to Parti Qubcois, Qubec Solidaire

The Coalition Avenir Qubec has reached an agreement in principle to grant the Parti Qubcois and Qubec Solidaire official party status.

Thiswould grant the two parties additional powersin the National Assembly, including official recognition of their leaders, more time to debate motions and the ability to make opening statements.

According to Radio-Canada, the two partieswill also each receive an operating budget of $1.6 million, and a car and security detail for their leaders.

The deal is expected to be ratified next week as the new government holds its first legislative session.

Neither party reached the 12 seats in the National Assembly, or 20 per cent of the popular vote, needed to automatically gain official status.

House Leader Simon Jolin-Barrette said on Twitter that the CAQ wants to ensure that MNAs of all political allegiances have the tools to do their job.

Both the PQ and QShold 10 seats in the provincial legislature, with the PQ receiving 17 per cent of the popular vote and QS 16 per cent.

"This is an important moment in the history of Qubec Solidaire," QS co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Duboissaid on Twitter.

It would be the first time the party gained official status, more than tripling its number of seats in the legislature in the Octoberelection.

Interim PQleader Pascal Berub thanked his negotiators for ensuring his party would not lose official status.

The party was the official opposition before the election, with28 seats in the legislature.

If this goes ahead, it would not be the first time a party would have official status without receiving the sufficient votes.

In 2009, the Action dmocratique du Qubec returned to the National Assembly with just seven seats but kept their official status.

The remnants of that party merged with the CAQ in 2011. The CAQ holds a majority in the National Assembly, with the Quebec Liberal Party serving as official opposition.