A day after yet another byelection victory for the Parti Québécois, leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is being accused by his opponents of backtracking on his promise to hold a referendum during his first term.
While St-Pierre Plamondon reiterated his commitment to have a sovereignty referendum by 2030 if elected premier of Quebec, his uncertainty on the exact timing opened the door to criticism.
The PQ leader said his party would be smart about when to hold a referendum, including taking into account the political situation in the United States.
“We need to remain flexible and not commit ahead in terms of conditions or in terms of date,” he said. “Would it be the last year or the first year? We need to be flexible and take reasoned decisions when you know the facts.”
His political opponents jumped on those comments.
Liberal Leader Charles Milliard accused the PQ leader of committing a “political pirouette.”
“Article 1 of the PQ’s platform is to separate Quebec,” said Milliard. “I think he intends to stay true to his objective. Now, will he want to delay it during his first term? The best way to avoid that, obviously, is to elect a Liberal government in October.”
Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime, whose party came in second in Chicoutimi, called St-Pierre Plamondon’s words a “retreat” because “he sees that his option is heading for disaster.”
“What we were hearing was that people don’t want a third referendum for the Parti Québécois,” Duhaime said. “I observed yesterday that Mr. Plamondon began to back down because he realized that our message was indeed resonating, because we, the Conservative Party, weren’t promising them a third referendum they would lose.”
CAQ leadership candidate Bernard Drainville said St-Pierre Plamondon would decide on whether or not to hold a referendum based on his “mood.”
“We know the old strategy: tell sovereigntists that a referendum is coming, while letting others believe that there won’t be one,” Drainville wrote on X.
Hier, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon est revenu sur sa parole. Il proposait déjà de mettre à mal notre économie en plongeant le Québec dans l’incertitude, et là, il ajoute de l’incertitude à l’incertitude. Il dit : «élisez-moi et il y aura peut-être un référendum, ou peut-être pas.…
The PQ leader, in response, accused his rivals — and the Conservatives in particular — of trying to scare people, saying a referendum is not in the near term.
“When our adversaries try to spread fear, it’s clearly all they have, in saying it’s not the time for a referendum as if it was (happening) next week — it’s not very honest,” he said. “And the commitment to hold a referendum at a time that is intelligent and is chosen in a four-year window, it’s clearly very different.”
With less than nine months away from an election, political analyst Daniel Tran believes the Parti Québécois leader needs to choose his words carefully.
“Already we have concerns with cost of living and with the geopolitical tension with the United States makes it even less predictable for our businesses. My guess is that Paul St-Pierre Plamondon will really have to start refining his message,” said Tran, the director of communications and governmental relations at Casacom.
Montrealers who spoke to CityNews were mixed about what was best for Quebec under a possible PQ government.
“I’m glad they’re in the lead, but I’m against a referendum if they ever come to power. Not a referendum right now,” said Monique Ducharme.
“Before talking about holding a referendum, form a good government. After forming a good government, start talking about a referendum by showing people that you are capable of managing the country, the province, and it’s not the time to divide, especially with Donald Trump today. We need to come together,” said André Bélanger.
“The referendum is something that I don’t think is a good idea, whether it’s now or in the future. I think Canada should stay united, especially in these times. We need to be united. We don’t need to have anybody that wants to be apart from this country,” added Jo-Ann Troy.
“He really wants to work for the Quebecers and make something to help us about the Canada against the Quebec and prepare the road for the separation,” said Jean-Marc.
Ahead in the polls for months, the Parti Québécois showed no sign of slowing down when it claimed its fourth consecutive byelection victory – this time in Chicoutimi. Marie-Karlynn Laflamme was elected with more than 45 per cent of the vote.
“The people of Chicoutimi have decided to return to the larger family of the Parti Québécois,” Laflamme said on Monday night.
“It seems to me that the message is very clear again. In four different regions, but always the same message: the whole of Quebec is demanding profound change,” added St-Pierre Plamondon.
The Conservatives (26 per cent) came in second while the CAQ (12 per cent) – which won the riding in 2022 with more than 62 per cent of the vote – finished third. Quebec Premier François Legault did not respond to a reporter’s question about it on Tuesday.
“Some people want some change,” Tran said. “At the same time, Parti Québécois has been able to rise through this momentum with their leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. He’s known to be really connected to his values, what you see is what you get. And I think this is the thing that people want to see authenticity.”
–With files from The Canadian Press
