Pierre Arcand becomes the latest Quebec Liberal to not seek re-election

Another Quebec Liberal will not be running in this Fall's provincial election, joining 10 others who have already announced their departures.

Pierre Arcand, who represents the Mont-Royal—Outremont riding in Montreal, will be stepping aside, the party confirmed Sunday morning.

The former interim leader of the party has held the seat since 2007, most recently serving as Liberal caucus chair and as a critic of government administration and Quebec's Treasury Board.

He had been the Liberal critic for matters related to Montreal and for transportation up until January 2021, when his responsibilities were reassigned following a controversial holiday vacation to Barbados in late December.

He also held a number of ministerial positions while the Liberals were in office. 

The party is expected to present its new candidate in the Mont-Royal—Outremont riding on Monday.

Nearly a dozen elected members of the party so far have announced that they won't be running again, with the latest being Paule Robitaille, who made the announcement on Friday. 

She held Bourassa-Sauvé riding which covers much of Montréal-Nord for one term following a career as a journalist and correspondent with Radio-Canada.

The party's leader Dominique Anglade has dismissed the notion that their exits are symptoms of a reeling political party.

"Back in September, I met with my team, making sure I knew who was staying and who was leaving. These are things that were expected," Anglade said in mid-April.

"But at the end of the day, it's also an opportunity to renew the party."