Another referendum 'is coming sooner than you think' says PQ leader

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DRUMMONDVILLE — Quebecers will have one “last” chance before 2030 to prevent their language and culture from being “erased” by voting “Yes” in another independence referendum, the leader of the Parti Québécois said Sunday.

Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said that if the PQ wins power in the 2026 general election, the party will move quickly to organize the third referendum in Quebec's history because, in his opinion, Quebec has never had the conditions to become an independent country. clear, and Quebec's status in Canada has never been more ambiguous.

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Although recent polls show support for independence at between 33 and 36 percent, St-Pierre Plamondon said he never based his views on short-term polls.

“One thing is clear,” he said in an impassioned speech at the end of the party's two-day national council. “Our moment will come sooner than we think – not in some long-term, idealized day, but in a few years, by the end of the decade.

“History is asking us questions. Our destiny is calling.”

In a keynote speech setting the PQ's agenda for the coming months, St-Pierre Plamondon painted a bleak picture of Quebec's future in the federation.

He said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has decided to ignore the Constitution, which has repeatedly “accused” Quebec of encroaching on its jurisdiction over everything from housing to dental care.

“Our real adversary is the federal political regime that rejects us and is openly and clearly planning our downfall from now on,” St-Pierre Plamondon told 500 PQ members, who applauded him and waved to Quebec, chanting that they need a country. . flags.

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He said Trudeau is continuing the work of his late father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, to win Quebec. St-Pierre Plamondon said the younger Trudeau was never clear on his intentions.

“He says, 'We don't care and we do what we want,'” the PQ leader said. “Canada has gone from disdain for Quebec to a concerted effort to undermine us, even to erase us from all perspectives.”

He cited federal MPs' refusal to take the oath of allegiance to King Charles last week and their subsequent chant of “God Save the King” as evidence of MPs' attachment to British colonialism.

“This is an issue that Quebec needs to address for those who sing the anthem,” he said.

At a later press conference, St-Pierre Plamondon was asked about the dark tone of his speech. He defended himself by saying he wanted to be in front of Quebecers. Canada, he says, is moving from a decentralized federation to an overly centralized state.

“Canada is unhappy with us and promises us a dark history,” said Saint-Pierre Plamondon. “Atrocity is what is being done against Quebec.”

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He noted that while Quebec makes up 22 percent of Canada's population, that number is projected to drop to 18 percent by 2047, reducing influence within the federation.

“We cooked,” he said.

The reaction to the word was quick. Interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay declared St-Pierre Plamondon “Yet the most radical leader of the PQ”.

“In identifying the guilty parties, he relies on fear to promote his version of independence,” Tanguay said in a post on Platform X.

Stéphane Gobeil, an adviser to Prime Minister François Legault, also appeared and accused St-Pierre Plamondon of trying to predict a PQ victory in 2026.

“It's arrogance or uncontrollable euphoria,” Gobeil said at X.

But Saint-Pierre Plamondon, whose PQ leads all other Quebec parties, gained confidence over the weekend in the latest polls. His words showed that.

“The PQ is really the first political force in Quebec,” he said.

After losing the 1980 and 1995 referendums, he said, Quebecers are in danger of missing the boat this time. Their lives are on the line, he added.

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“Quebecers should know that our next encounter with history may be the key opportunity to ensure the longevity of our language and culture,” said Saint-Pierre Plamondon.

He urged Quebecers to think about their ancestors, saying last week that French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal had underestimated Quebecers' resolve when they predicted the demise of Francophone culture in North America.

St-Pierre Plamondon said the fear of losing another referendum or opening old wounds has been a paralyzing force in Quebec for too long. He says Quebecers can either be like Legault and bury their heads in the sand, ignoring how Quebec is treated in the federation, or they can take advantage.

He even used Franklin Roosevelt's famous quote, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” as a way to shift responsibility to the people.

“Our opponent is afraid of losing,” said St-Pierre Plamondon. “We cannot stand still. The status quo condemns us to decline.”

He argued that politics had changed since the 1980s, and Avenir said he hoped to persuade the Quebec Coalition, liberal and conservative voters, to join the Yes camp if the referendum passed.

St-Pierre Plamondon's speech ended at the weekend, where the PQ began to put the pieces in place for the 2026 election. He adopted a new housing policy designed to encourage construction while protecting the rights of renters.

One resolution said that if elected, the PQ government would fund 45,000 new housing units over five years, including 10,000 student housing units.

The PQ government is committed to converting vacant government and heritage buildings — even empty churches — into housing.

St-Pierre Plamondon also called on the Legoule government to freeze the number of temporary immigrants allowed into Quebec.

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