The Parti Québécois has announced that they will refrain from organizing a referendum for as long as Donald Trump remains the President of the United States, as confirmed by party leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon on Tuesday. St-Pierre Plamondon emphasized the need to prevent the Quebec political future discourse from being influenced by American political fluctuations. He stressed the importance of a well-informed and composed debate when discussing such a critical matter as Quebec’s political destiny. The PQ leader highlighted the multitude of challenges awaiting the upcoming government, making it unsuitable to initiate a referendum at this time. He explicitly stated that the party will not consider holding a referendum until the conclusion of Trump’s second term in January 2029. If elected, St-Pierre Plamondon plans to engage Quebecers in consultations about independence during his initial term only after Trump’s departure from office.
This announcement precedes the official launch of the Quebec provincial election campaign by just over a week, with the voting day scheduled for October 5. Meanwhile, negotiations are ongoing to avert the implementation of anticipated American tariffs this week, with Prime Minister Mark Carney describing the discussions as delicate and intense. The Prime Minister intends to engage with his American counterpart before the impending deadline to secure a mutually beneficial agreement.
The Quebec Liberal Party Leader, Charles Milliard, responded to the PQ’s decision by characterizing it as an attempt to manipulate public sentiment and portraying the party as vacillating in its stance. Despite the PQ’s lead in the polls according to 338Canada, the Conservative Party of Quebec Leader, Éric Duhaime, expressed skepticism about the PQ’s credibility in light of potential future changes in U.S. administration policies. Coalition Avenir Québec Leader Christine Fréchette criticized St-Pierre Plamondon’s referendum timing as irresponsible, especially given the looming American tariffs.