PQ leader says he's worried Ottawa is meddling in Quebec election

Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says recent federal announcements suggest unprecedented interference

Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says he's worried the Canadian government is meddling in the Quebec provincial election, saying there is a “possibility that we are facing the greatest federal interference in our affairs and our election since 1995.”

St-Pierre Plamondon says during the eight years the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government was in power, the federal government quietly rejected every request from the province, but “for the past few months, the federal government has been multiplying announcements.”

Speaking during a news conference Friday while on the campaign trail ahead of the Oct. 5 election, St-Pierre Plamondon cited examples such as the $11-billion investment in the Davie shipyard, unveiled a few days before the campaign, and the recent agreement between Newfoundland and Quebec on Churchill Falls.

Then, he added, there was Wednesday’s announcement of a $4.7-billion investment to construct train cars in La Pocatière.

The PQ leader also suggested co-ordination between CAQ Leader Christine Fréchette’s campaign and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government on the issue of the tariff war between Canada and the United States as another example.

“The federal government and the CAQ are collaborating,” he said. “We cannot deny that the federal government is interested in the outcome of the Quebec election.”

He said the federal Liberal party doesn’t want a sovereigntist government taking shape, but the PQ has been leading in the polls. He said “you have to connect the dots” when you see the federal government taking sudden interest in files that have stagnated for years.

“I am worried, and I have the right to voice that worry,” said St-Pierre Plamondon.

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But the CAQ leader and province’s premier isn’t hearing it.

“Absolutely not,” Fréchette retorted when asked about possible interference from Ottawa in the campaign. She said the announcements over recent weeks are good for Quebec and would not have occurred under a Parti Québécois government.

“It is essential to have partnerships with the federal government when it is good for Quebec, and then to stand our ground when necessary.”

Repeating a phrase she has used several times before, she said, “I don’t work for Ottawa. I don’t work against Ottawa. I work for Quebec.”

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement that Canada's new government "will always be ready to work with all premiers, across party lines, to build a stronger economy, protect our workers and businesses, and make life more affordable."

The federal government does not interfere in provincial elections, and will work with Quebec's government to achieve its goals no matter who wins on Oct. 5, the statement says.

While the PQ has asked Élections Québec to investigate, the province’s Liberal Leader Charles Milliard accused St-Pierre Plamondon of seeing a conspiracy.

“But I don’t think there is a grand scheme behind all of this. In any case, no matter how many consultants the CAQ buys, they aren’t federalists. They are opportunists,” Milliard said.

St-Pierre Plamondon also called attention to alleged ties between the CAQ campaign and Mission Leadership Québec.

The group describes itself as a non-profit organization whose objective is to promote citizen participation, democratic dialogue and political awareness. It promotes itself as a non-partisan group that advocates for strengthening Quebec's place within the Canadian federation.

St-Pierre Plamondon described the group as a covert organization hijacked by figures linked to the federal Liberal Party. As proof, he cited a recent Journal de Montréal report stating that Mission Leadership Québec, which advocates for Canadian unity, received contracts to run campaign events for Fréchette’s team.

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The PQ asked Quebec’s chief electoral officer on Friday to investigate allegations of interference and illegal contributions by the group to benefit the CAQ campaign.

Asked Friday about her party’s ties to Mission Leadership Québec, Fréchette brushed off concerns, saying she doesn’t analyze how every group or company her party deals with runs its operations.

She said the CAQ has a contract with Mission Leadership Québec to organize two town halls and “that’s it. We don’t go beyond that."

Report by Radio-Canada's Jean-François Thériault, translated by Isaac Olson