Quebec's provincial election is still seven weeks away, but Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon just answered a question that's been trailing him for months.
In a statement posted to social media Tuesday morning, he confirmed that a PQ government would still hold a referendum on independence within its first mandate, but not while Donald Trump remains in office.
That effectively rules out a referendum before January 20, 2029, when Trump's current term ends.
Plamondon explained the decision by saying a question as important as Quebec's political future shouldn't be "hijacked by the swings of American politics," nor overshadowed by an unpredictable president or fear-based campaigning. He also pointed out that whoever forms the next government will already be dealing with plenty on their plate from day one, citing the cost of living, housing, and public services as immediate priorities.
The last Quebec sovereignty referendum took place on October 30, 1995. The "No" side won out by a very narrow margin of 50.58%.
Just last week, Plamondon put out an open letter addressed directly to English-speaking Quebecers. In it, he argued that anglophones and francophones are dealing with a lot of the same pressures right now, writing, "We are all in the same boat." He also said a future PQ government would entrench protections for the English-speaking community's institutions directly into a Quebec constitution.
Quebecers will vote on October 5, and the PQ is currently sitting in a strong position heading into that campaign. Recent polling compiled by 338Canada puts PQ support at around 30%, ahead of the Quebec Liberal Party in the mid-to-high 20s, with the CAQ trailing in the low 20s, the Parti conservateur du Québec in the low-to-mid teens, and Québec solidaire further behind in the single digits to low double digits.
Plamondon said he'd be doing interviews throughout the day to answer more questions on the announcement, with Quebec's official election campaign expected to kick off in the days ahead.
