Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, leader of the sovereigntist Parti Québécois, has accused Ottawa of wading into the Quebec election campaign to bolster the incumbent Coalition Avenir Québec, which is mounting an unexpected resurgence amid anxieties over the Canada-U.S. trade war.
Speaking to reporters on Friday in the northern town of Chibougamau, St-Pierre Plamondon suggested the timing was no accident. He pointed to a string of recent joint appearances by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette in the run-up to the Oct. 5 provincial vote, in which the PQ is pledging a third referendum on independence.
“A Love-In That Raises Concerns”
St-Pierre Plamondon alleged the federal Liberals spent years brushing off the CAQ government’s requests, only to spring into action on the eve of the election.
“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 said.
Quebeckers narrowly rejected sovereignty in the 1995 referendum, and independentists have long accused Ottawa of improperly meddling in that campaign. St-Pierre Plamondon’s invocation of that history signals how seriously he views the current moment.
In recent weeks, Carney and Fréchette have made several high-profile joint announcements. Last month, the pair travelled to St. John’s to unveil a new energy agreement between Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. Shortly after, Carney announced an $11-billion contract with the Davie shipyard in Lévis, Que., to construct icebreakers.
St-Pierre Plamondon called the flurry of activity a “love-in” for Quebec, a stark departure from Ottawa’s previously frosty posture toward the CAQ government, which has held power since 2018. He urged Quebeckers not to “turn a blind eye” to the federal government’s “sudden interest in issues that had been stalled for eight years.”
Fréchette Pushes Back
Fréchette, who took over the CAQ leadership in April when the party was cratering in the polls and projected to lose most or all of its seats, dismissed the accusations outright. She has since recast herself as a steady hand in turbulent economic times, drawing comparisons to Carney’s own revival of the federal Liberals last year.
“There is absolutely no federal interference in the Quebec election,” she told reporters. “The Parti Québécois seems to see a conspiracy where none exists. I’ve secured benefits from Ottawa through partnerships. What the Parti Québécois is really looking for is a fight.”
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office echoed that denial in a statement, insisting the federal government works with all premiers and does not interfere in provincial contests. “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,” the statement read.
Carney’s High Profile in Quebec
This is not the first time St-Pierre Plamondon has accused Carney of using Quebec visits for political purposes. In June, when Carney toured the province to announce nearly $10-billion in infrastructure funding, the PQ leader accused him of trying to erode support for sovereignty. More recently, he cast doubt on Carney’s claim that French-language protections were behind the collapse of trade talks with Washington, suggesting the Prime Minister was posturing as the defender of French to win favour with Quebec voters.
Last week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick went even further, saying Carney had manufactured the language dispute to keep the PQ from winning the election.
Carney remains hugely popular in the province. Earlier this week, the federal Liberals cruised to victory in a by-election in the Saguenay region, capturing more than 50 per cent of the vote in a race that had been expected to be a tight fight with the Bloc Québécois.
A “Hail Mary” Strategy?
St-Pierre Plamondon has spent much of the campaign trying to shift attention away from his own pledge to hold a sovereignty referendum within a first mandate. His party has held a polling lead for roughly three years, but support for independence hovers at just 30 per cent in the province. In August, he vowed not to hold a separation vote while U.S. President Donald Trump remains in office.
Jack Jedwab, president of the Montreal-based Association for Canadian Studies, said any comparison with the 1995 referendum is “laughable,” noting Ottawa has kept a low profile throughout the campaign. In his view, St-Pierre Plamondon is simply trying to stoke friction with the federal government to defend a narrowing lead.
“This is sort of a Hail Mary,” Jedwab said.
Why it Matters
The accusation lands at a fragile moment in Quebec politics, where the CAQ’s revival has put the PQ’s long-held lead in jeopardy. By invoking the 1995 referendum, St-Pierre Plamondon is betting that allegations of federal interference will rally sovereigntist voters and shift the conversation away from his own referendum pledge. Whether the strategy gains traction or simply reinforces perceptions of him as combative could determine whether the PQ holds its ground, or finds itself on the losing side of a historic upset.