Trump derails the Quebec campaign, but the PQ leader would rather not talk about that

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Trump’s second term is set to end in January 2029, so a potential referendum would be held in the second half of a PQ government — either later in 2029 or in 2030.

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But the collapse of the trade talks between Canada and the U.S. only days before the start of the Quebec election campaign essentially derailed its start by propelling Prime Minister Mark Carney and Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette into the spotlight.

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Fréchette has gained some ground in the polls, especially with older voters who are fearful of the tariff war, but her party’s numbers have so far stalled while the PQ remains firmly in first place.

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St-Pierre Plamondon has accused Fréchette of using the Trump card to her advantage, while also criticizing her for standing by idly waiting for a call from Ottawa.

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In a recent interview, Jonathan Valois, a former CAQ chief of staff and PQ member of the National Assembly, said St-Pierre Plamondon’s messaging was a little muddled.

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He also questioned the idea of pushing back the referendum until after Trump is gone.

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“If Trump is the symbol of why independence is becoming increasingly relevant, why send the message that the referendum will be held only once he is no longer around?”

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Since the start of the campaign, the U.S. imposed additional 50 per cent tariffs, Canada retaliated with tariffs of its own and the U.S. is either banning or imposing more Canadian products. Carney has not yet said if Canada will be striking back yet again.

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“It would be naive to say that it didn’t derail the campaign,” said former PQ minister Rémy Trudel of the escalation of the trade war with the Trump administration.

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Trudel said he appreciates the signal sent by St-Pierre Plamondon that he intends to collaborate with Ottawa and the other provinces — whenever it is in Quebec’s interest, he specified — and the fact that he decided to to push the referendum to a later date.

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“It is useless in the current context. The enemy is right in front of us,” Trudel said.

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Still, St-Pierre Plamondon would not say if Trump has disrupted his campaign — and certainly does not want to delve into his personal feelings on the matter.

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“It’s not about sentiment,” he said on Thursday. “It’s about doing the right thing, doing the right policy, defending Quebec. So, it’s a different style.”

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He said that, as premier, he would be “reassuring” and put forward the best solutions to “deal with the situation intelligently.”

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“I will not go into sentiments to try to raise the level of uncertainty or the feeling of discomfort in order maybe to try to gain political profit. I’m not like that.”

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National Post
calevesque@postmedia.com

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