Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, shown in the town of Lanoraie on Tuesday, said the federal Liberals largely ignored the requests of the Quebec government until the eve of the provincial election, set for Oct. 5.Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press
The leader of the sovereigntist Parti Québécois has accused the federal government of interfering in the Quebec election campaign to benefit the governing Coalition Avenir Québec, which is making a surprise comeback amid fears about the Canada-U.S. trade war.
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon suggested Friday that it’s no coincidence Prime Minister Mark Carney has made several recent announcements alongside Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette, ahead of a campaign in which the PQ is promising a third referendum on independence.
He said the federal Liberals largely ignored the requests of the CAQ government until the eve of the provincial election, which is scheduled for Oct. 5.
“I think we should be concerned about the possibility that this could be the greatest federal interference in our affairs and our election since 1995,” he told reporters in response to questions at a press conference in the northern town of Chibougamau. Quebeckers narrowly voted to remain in Canada during the 1995 referendum, and sovereigntists have long accused Ottawa of improperly meddling in the campaign.
Ms. Fréchette appears to have resuscitated her party as the trade dispute with the United States casts a long shadow over the campaign, and the CAQ now presents a real threat to the PQ.
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Before she was elected leader in April, the CAQ had collapsed in the polls and was projected to lose most or all of its seats in the upcoming election. But she has since positioned herself as a steady hand at the wheel in a time of crisis, and as someone who can work with Ottawa. Her leadership has drawn comparisons to Mr. Carney’s revival of the federal Liberals last year.
Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon, meanwhile, has worked to shift the focus of the campaign off his promise to hold another sovereignty referendum in a first mandate. His party has led in the polls for the better part of three years, but support for independence in Quebec is low, hovering around 30 per cent.
In August, he promised not to hold a vote on separation while U.S. President Donald Trump is in office.
Accompanied by Ms. Frechette, Mr. Carney announces a $11-billion contract for icebreakers at the Davie shipyard in Levis, Que., on Aug. 24.Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press
Mr. Carney has appeared alongside Ms. Fréchette several times recently. Last month, they both travelled to St. John’s to unveil a new energy deal between Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. Soon after, Mr. Carney announced an $11-billion contract with Quebec’s Davie shipyard to build icebreakers.
Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon said the “love-in” for Quebec marks a change from Ottawa’s previously dismissive attitude to the CAQ government, in power since 2018. He said Quebeckers should not “turn a blind eye” to the federal government’s “sudden interest in issues that had been stalled for eight years.”
Ms. Fréchette rejected the PQ Leader’s claims, saying there is “absolutely no” federal interference in the Quebec election. “The Parti Québécois seems to see a conspiracy where none exists. I’ve secured benefits from Ottawa through partnerships,” she told reporters. “What the Parti Québécois is really looking for is a fight.”
A spokesperson from the Prime Minister’s Office, in a statement, denied any election interference and said the government works with all premiers.
“The federal government does not interfere in provincial elections, and we will work with the Government of Québec to achieve these goals, regardless of which party is elected on October 5th,” read the statement.
This is not the first time Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon has accused the Prime Minister of taking an interest in Quebec for political ends. When Mr. Carney visited the province in June to announce infrastructure funding deals worth nearly $10-billion, the PQ Leader said he was trying to undermine support for sovereignty.
More recently, he cast doubt on Mr. Carney’s claim that French-language protections were one of the reasons trade talks broke down with the U.S., saying the Prime Minister was trying to present himself as the defender of the French language.
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Last week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Mr. Carney manufactured the language dispute to keep the PQ from winning the Quebec election.
Mr. Carney remains very popular in Quebec. Earlier this week, the Liberals easily won a by-election in the province’s Saguenay region, taking more than 50 per cent of the vote in what was expected to be a tight race with the Bloc Québécois.
Jack Jedwab, president of the Montreal-based Association for Canadian Studies, a non-profit think tank, said any comparison with federal involvement in the 1995 referendum is “laughable.” The federal government has had a low profile in the election campaign, he added.
Mr. Jedwab said Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon is trying to “lean into the friction with the federal government” as a tactic to gain momentum and defend his narrow polling lead.
“This is sort of a Hail Mary.”
With reports from The Canadian Press