Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says a Parti Québécois government will not hold a vote on Quebec sovereignty while U.S. President Donald Trump remains in office.
The PQ leader took to social media Tuesday morning to reiterate his party’s priorities.
“Yes, a Parti Québécois government will consult Quebecers on Quebec independence during its first term if it is elected,” he said. “A Parti Québécois government will not hold a referendum as long as Donald Trump is president of the United States.”
St-Pierre Plamondon said the issue would not come to a vote before Jan. 20, 2029, the end of Trump’s second term at the White House.
“Because an issue as crucial as that of Quebec’s political future requires conditions that allow for an informed and serene debate,” he said. “It must not be hijacked by the upheavals of American politics, nor by the outbursts of an unpredictable president, nor by fear campaigns.”
Defusing the possibility of a referendum in the near future would allow the PQ to run based on its priorities that will benefit the people of Quebec, St-Pierre Plamondon said.
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“We will bring order back to our public services by reducing bureaucracy, tackle the cost-of-living crisis effectively, respond to the housing crisis, fight homelessness, put an end to the shameless waste of public funds, take care of the physical and mental health of our people, and give Quebecers back the taste for Quebec,” he said.
The PQ leader also took the opportunity to take a jab at the governing CAQ, expressing that the next government will have “plenty of challenges” from the start of its term.
“The challenges are numerous and colossal; there is a lot of work on the table,” he said.
“Our priority remains clear: govern Quebec with consistency and restore confidence to Quebec women and men.”
Latest polling shows the PQ is leading the way ahead of the provincial election, which must be held before Oct. 5.
Numbers released as part of a Leger/Le Journal/TVA poll show 30 per cent of voters would vote for the PQ if the election were held today.
The Quebec Liberal Party follows closely behind with 24 per cent.
St-Pierre Plamondon made an appeal to anglophone voters in a letter published in the National Post last week.
He asked English-speaking voters to keep an “open mind” about his party as the election approaches, adding that he would “even ensure that the rights currently enjoyed by the English-speaking community are entrenched in the constitution.”
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