Charles Milliard: The pharmacist who caught the political bug

MONTREAL – On Monday, Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard will try to join the ranks of the provincial legislature as the province’s premier and turn the tide for the Liberal party, which has been plagued by poor showings and scandals for years. 

Milliard became the party’s leader in February 2026 acclamation, following an earlier attempt he lost. Along with Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime, Milliard is one of the two major party leaders campaigning from outside the walls of the national assembly, having never held elected office. 

“I want to be premier of Quebec … to create wealth in Quebec, to redistribute it, to finance our social model, to support our regions and to nurture our culture,” Milliard said when he announced his second leadership bid. “I also want to reunite Quebecers. I want everyone to feel at home here, and to put an end to the divisions that slow us down and that frankly bother me.”

In debates, Milliard has presented himself as the only federalist among Quebec’s major party leaders. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon of the Parti Québecois and Ruba Ghazal of Québec solidaire run sovereigntist campaigns. The Coalition Avenir Québec’s Christine Fréchette and Duhaime have described themselves as “autonomist” and have closed the doors to a third independence referendum. 

Milliard told The Canadian Press on Thursday that he wasn’t a die-hard federalist and that he also identified as a nationalist. 

“For some people, the maple leaf is the most sacred thing on earth. For others, Canada is a good ‘deal’ or a convenient political arrangement. I lean much more towards the ‘Quebec-first’ end of the spectrum. But I’m convinced that Canada is something exceptional to which we have to contribute,” he said.

In his run for the Liberal leadership, he promised to renew the party, which had fallen out of favour with large swaths of the francophone majority.

Although Milliard caught the political bug at a very young age, he waited until his 40s before running for office. 

Born in 1979 in Lévis, on the south shore of Quebec City, he began his career as a pharmacist. He quickly rose through the ranks at the pharmacy Uniprix, notably by writing health columns in Quebec media. In 2013, at age 33, he was named executive vice president of the pharmacy chain. 

After a stint at the public relations firm National, he was appointed CEO of the federation of Quebec chambers of commerce in 2020. There, he voiced the concerns of the business community to the Coalition Avenir Québec government.

His work at the federation allowed him to broaden his focus beyond healthcare to include the economy, entrepreneurship, education, transportation and the environment. 

He finally entered partisan politics in 2024, announcing his intention to run for the leadership of the Liberal party. 

During the race, he defied the odds by giving the front-runner a run for his money. Former federal minister Pablo Rodriguez narrowly won in the second round. 

A few months later, the expulsion of House Leader Marwah Rizqy and the “brownies scandal,” during which Rodriguez was accused of paying for votes, shook Rodriguez’s leadership, leading to his resignation. 

Milliard won the leadership role by acclamation in a second leadership race. 

“We have gone through a difficult period, but today we look forward,” Milliard said a few days after becoming the party’s leader. “Under my leadership, integrity, transparency, and accountability will be the watchwords because the party I want to lead must be above reproach, and trust is earned, not requested.”

If the Liberals emerge victorious from the election campaign, Milliard would become the first openly gay leader of a Quebec government. 

An art lover, Milliard has served on the board of directors of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the TransAmérique Festival. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2026.