When former premier Pierre-Marc Johnson quit politics in 1987 after losing the 1985 election, Chevrette became Leader of the Opposition.

In the 1989 election, Parizeau won a seat and replaced Chevrette as Leader of the Opposition.

After the PQ won the 1994 election, Chevrette served in various ministerial posts in the cabinet in the governments of Parizeau, Lucien Bouchard and Bernard Landry.

In 2003, he founded a lobbying firm with longtime chief of staff Pierre Chateauvert.

In 2005, he was appointed executive officer of the Quebec Forest Council, a private association defending the forestry industry.