‘It is fantastic news’: With PQ set to take power in Quebec, the Bloc dreams of separation while Liberals stay quiet

OTTAWA — The Quebec election is two weeks away and the separatist Parti Québécois is well on its way to form government, with new polling showing they remain in the lead.

Sign In or Create an Account

While the Liberals either remain mum on the issue or claim that the situation can still change, Bloc Québécois MPs are already cherishing the idea of working with their provincial cousins to hold a third referendum for Quebec to separate from Canada.

“The election of the Parti Québécois will bring us closer to Quebec’s independence. And in that sense, for me, it is fantastic news, because it is a way to move toward our goal,” said Bloc MP Alexis Deschênes in an interview with National Post.

The PQ has promised to hold a referendum on separation in a first mandate, but only after U.S. President Donald Trump leaves office in January 2029. That means that the party would have a small window to hold one if it stays in power for a four-year term.

Deschênes said the last time the PQ took power with a promise to hold a referendum in the first mandate was in 1994 under Jacques Parizeau. He ended up holding a vote on separation a year later and nearly succeeded in Quebec seceding from Canada.

But for the moment, PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is not campaigning on independence, instead insisting on good governance and slashing taxes. He even refused to say the word “referendum” in the first debate of the campaign.

Despite support for Quebec independence being at historical lows, Deschênes believes the PQ will respect its commitment to hold another referendum in a first mandate.

“What we see coming is the election of a Parti Québécois government with a mandate to achieve independence. So, it is a vitally important mandate,” he said.

Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet has been busy campaigning this summer with some PQ candidates in the suburbs of Montreal. His MPs have been doing the same, giving a helping hand to their local candidates in events and meeting stakeholders.

“It’s an organic relationship, I’d say. We’re part of the same family,” said Deschênes, who represents the riding of Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj.

The federal Liberals are carefully not endorsing any of the provincial parties in the Quebec election to avoid any accusations of political interference from Ottawa.

Whilst there was speculation Prime Minister Mark Carney was backing incumbent premier Christine Fréchette because of their many joint announcements in the lead-up to the election, he has refrained from interacting with her since the writ dropped.

On Friday, Carney’s Quebec lieutenant Joël Lightbound said he was closely following the election in Quebec, but he said it is “too early to speculate on the election result” because there is still lots of time left and a large portion of voters are undecided.

“We will see what Quebecers decide, and then we will act in Quebec’s interest with the Quebec government,” he said.

But two more polls published on Monday are cementing the PQ’s lead as the frontrunner in Quebec, as has been the case for the last three years. Fréchette’s Coalition Avenir Québec and the provincial Liberals are still several points behind.

St-Pierre Plamondon is well on track to form a minority government as things stand right now, but he is now calling on voters to give him a majority mandate on Oct. 5.

Many federal Liberals questioned by the National Post would not comment on the scenario of another separatist threat looming in Canada, adding to the referendum in Alberta that could pave the way to another vote to secede from the rest of the country.

“My focus is here in Ottawa,” said Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, on his way to the first question period of the fall session on Monday. “There are so many things to do. It will be a very busy session,” he added.

Liberal MP Sameer Zuberi, from Montreal, simply said he will be casting his vote in the Quebec election and is encouraging every Quebecer to do the same.

The PQ has vowed to pull out of federal priorities, such as the Alto high-speed rail project between Toronto and Quebec City, and possibly review others, like the Churchill Falls energy deal between Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador.

His Liberal colleague Jean-Yves Duclos, from Quebec City, said that the federal government will do everything in its power to work collaboratively with the party that will form government in Quebec on Oct. 5, including working on those two priorities.

But he admits that, depending on the colour of the next government in the National Assembly, the federal level might have to “work harder” than with others.

On Monday, the federal Liberals were cheering in the House of Commons as they welcomed one of their newest additions to caucus, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord MP Daniel Gobeil, who won the byelection in Quebec with more than 50 per cent of the vote.

In the coming months, three more federal seats in Quebec will be up for grabs. And with Carney’s popularity in the province, Lightbound already sees more room for growth.

“I never take anything for granted, but you can see that people are satisfied.”

National Post
calevesque@postmedia.com

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our newsletters here.

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.