The race to form Quebec’s next government intensified on Wednesday night as the five main party leaders clashed in a high-stakes televised debate, with the spectre of a sovereignty referendum and the escalating Canada-US trade war dominating the proceedings. The 90-minute exchange, hosted by Noovo, saw Coalition Avenir Québec Leader Christine Fréchette come under sustained fire over her party’s record while Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon defended his pledge to hold a referendum on provincial independence.
The debate unfolded just hours after US President Donald Trump signed a memorandum instructing American federal agencies to strip all Canadian-origin products from government procurement — the latest volley in a trade dispute that has rattled businesses and citizens across the province.
A Referendum on the Agenda
The question of Quebec sovereignty anchored much of the evening’s drama. St-Pierre Plamondon has committed to investing more than $130 million to organise a referendum during the first four years of a PQ mandate, though he has made clear he would not trigger such a vote until Trump departs the White House in 2029.
Fréchette, who has not revealed how she would vote in a sovereignty contest, argued that the PQ leader’s plans risked injecting destabilising uncertainty into the province at precisely the wrong moment.
“Is it really the time to add uncertainty with the referendum of Paul St-Pierre Plamondon? Me, I’ll work on your priorities. Him, he’ll work at planning a referendum,” she said in her opening statement, which also saw her acknowledge that her party was far from perfect after eight years in office.
St-Pierre Plamondon pushed back forcefully, framing independence as essential to Quebec’s long-term survival.
“I think that consulting people and reflecting on our future, in light of the fact that Quebec is in decline regarding the French language and its culture, are fundamental levers,” he said.
The sovereignty question surfaced repeatedly throughout the debate, with Fréchette raising it even when she was supposed to be responding to other party leaders — prompting Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard to remind her she had drifted off topic.
“Right now, you’re debating me,” Milliard told her.
Trade, Tariffs, and Cross-Border Tensions
With the trade war intensifying, leaders were asked whether they supported cutting electricity exports to the United States in retaliation. Fréchette said she would not rule it out, though it was not her preferred course of action. St-Pierre Plamondon said he was “a bit surprised” to hear her entertaining the idea.
“Me, I’m not in that school of thought,” he said.
The exchange reflected a broader divide among the parties on how to respond to Washington’s escalating protectionism. The CAQ leader’s willingness to consider retaliatory measures puts her at odds with the PQ and potentially with federalist parties who fear economic disruption.
Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal and Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime also traded sharp words during the debate, particularly on climate strategy. Duhaime suggested Quebec should exploit its natural gas reserves through fracking to displace other fossil fuels — a position Ghazal dismissed as doing precisely what Trump wanted Quebec to do. She argued instead that the province should align itself with jurisdictions investing in clean energy growth.
Ghazal also highlighted that Québec solidaire was the only party proposing to maintain the current size of government rather than trim it, a point she underscored during a discussion about the role of the state during economic crises.
“When we’re in a crisis because of the tariff war, everyone including big businesses, who do they turn to? They turn to the state,” she said.
Health Care, Immigration, and Old Wounds
Healthcare proved another flashpoint. Both Duhaime and Fréchette expressed support for allowing patients to seek treatment in the private system without direct charges when public wait times become unmanageable. Milliard accused Fréchette of distancing herself from the public system, while St-Pierre Plamondon warned that doctors would simply “change address” from public to private practice “while charging 35 per cent more.”
Fréchette defended her position by noting the CAQ needed time to recover from budget cuts inherited from the former Liberal government, which last held power in 2018. Milliard was having none of it.
“You attended about 150 cabinet meetings since you’ve been in politics,” he said. “Stop blaming Pierre, Jean and his sister for all of the problems in health care.”
Duhaime, meanwhile, faced questions about his own candidates after Fréchette alleged he had “six or seven” who were sympathetic to Trump. The Conservative leader also drew criticism over his government’s decision to build a network of seniors’ homes “at $1-million per door,” which Duhaime characterised as emblematic of politicians who “like to cut ribbons because it looks better than taking care of our dilapidated infrastructure.”
On immigration, Duhaime promoted a plan to favour newcomers from democratic countries and said Quebec children should have priority for daycare spots over the children of asylum seekers. Milliard responded with a pointed rebuke.
“I’m not going to try to win this election on the backs of children of asylum seekers,” he said.
The leaders also disagreed on the protection of the French language, a debate that escalated into a tense exchange between Milliard and Duhaime over immigration priorities.
Looking Ahead
Wednesday’s confrontation was the second of three planned debates between the leaders of the five parties. The final exchange is scheduled to air on Radio-Canada on September 23, giving voters one last opportunity to see the province’s aspiring premiers go head-to-head before the October 5 election.
Why it Matters
This debate crystallised the defining tensions of Quebec’s election campaign: the enduring question of sovereignty, the province’s economic vulnerability in the face of American protectionism, and deep ideological divisions over healthcare, immigration, and climate policy. With the trade war reshaping the political landscape and a sovereignty referendum back on the table, Quebecers are being asked to choose not just between parties but between competing visions of what the province should become. The stakes could not be higher, and the final debate on September 23 may well determine how Quebecers position themselves on these critical questions heading into the ballot box.
