‘We are ready for anything,’ federal minister says as Quebecers prepare to head to the polls with the PQ leading

OTTAWA — Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture Marc Miller said the federal government is prepared to work with whomever will win the trust of Quebecers in the election in early October — even if he has some personal beef with the frontrunner.

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“I am prepared for any eventuality. I have my own hopes, but we are ready for anything,” said the outspoken minister on his way to a cabinet meeting on Thursday afternoon.

The separatist Parti Québécois seems well on its way to forming the next government, possibly with a majority, judging by the most recent polling. Quebec Liberals are poised to be the official Opposition, while the incumbent Coalition Avenir Québec is sliding in the polls.

Miller said the federal government will be working with the incoming government in Quebec, “whether it is a minority government or otherwise.”

“What we’re hearing from Quebecers is that they want different levels of government to work together,” he said.

Miller still threw a bit of shade.

“That is why (Quebecers) loathe referendums, because they are immensely divisive, highly emotional,” he added.

Miller has some recent history with PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.

Last year, St-Pierre Plamondon accused the cultural sector in Quebec of “intellectual vacuity and spineless subservience” to Ottawa after some groups had welcomed Miller’s nomination as the federal minister for culture and official languages.

The PQ leader lashed out after Miller said, right after his nomination, that he was tired of the politicization of the debate around the decline of French in Quebec.

St-Pierre Plamondon went even further by suggesting that some in the cultural sector lacked loyalty to Quebec, which caused a firestorm in the province. Miller accused him of going too far with his comments, and the PQ leader apologized a few days later.

St-Pierre Plamondon has slightly toned down his attacks in the lead-up to the election.

But he still has an axe to grind with the federal government, which he accused of “interference” near the start of the campaign given the many announcements Prime Minister Mark Carney made with Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette before the writ dropped.

No Quebec-Ottawa joint announcement has taken place during the campaign.

The PQ leader is again making headlines since Wednesday night’s third and last debate, during which he reiterated his promise to hold a referendum in the first term of a PQ government, once U.S. President Donald Trump leaves office in 2029.

“Personally, I think we shouldn’t be afraid of democracy,” he said.

St-Pierre Plamondon said he wouldn’t back down on that promise, even if over 70 per cent of Quebecers currently say they would vote “No” to separate from Canada.

“I think it’s a secret to no one that we’re federalists,” said Carney’s Quebec lieutenant, Joël Lightbound, when asked if Ottawa should do more to advocate for a united Canada.

In terms of the Quebec campaign, he said “the election is not over, and we’ll be following closely.” He added there is still a large proportion of undecided or uncertain voters.

But Lightbound stuck his neck just a wee bit by saying he thinks “very highly” of Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard, which he said is in his view “a strong candidate.”

Miller said he has no “intimate links” with the Quebec Liberal Party nor will he profess his love for the CAQ, a party which whom he has also had strained relationships.

But he said he has worked quite well with Fréchette on the immigration file in the past. He was the federal minister when she was his counterpart in Quebec.

“We didn’t always see eye to eye, but she is someone who is a very hard worker.”

Miller said Quebec voters — including him — must first go to the polls. Advance polling begins this weekend.

The election is on October 5.

National Post
calevesque@postmedia.com

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