Maltais mostly worked in the theatrical sector being a development agent for Video-Femmes and the director of the Periscope and the la Bordée theaters.

In this portfolio, she presided over controversial changes to the social assistance system in Quebec, that put the PQ government in conflict with some anti-poverty groups.

Maltais was also critical of changes to the EI system announced by the federal Conservative government in Ottawa.

Long identified with the left-wing of the Parti Quebecois, Maltais has been elected 6 times in the inner-city riding of Taschereau in Quebec City.

In 2003, Ms. Maltais became the first openly lesbian member of the National Assembly, when she came out to an audience at Laval University.