Latest news with #PartiQuebecois
CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Tom Mulcair: The Quebec Liberal leadership contender who could put a stop to a surging separatist tide
For those of us who've been through the wringer of very divisive referendums, the threat of separatism is devoid of charm. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, an able politician whose success is founded on an understated populism, has decided to put her own threat under wraps for the time being and that's a very good thing for Canada. Meanwhile, you guessed it, a resurgent Parti Quebecois has been sabre rattling again and the separatist threat is alive and well in La Belle Province. The PQ's current leader, Paul St. Pierre-Plamondon (PSPP for short), is a studious talkaholic who has managed to reignite his party's standing in the polls, if not support for separatism itself. At least not yet. PSPP is surfing easily on a very large wave of discontent with the hopelessly incompetent CAQ government of Francois Legault, as it stumbles to the end of its second mandate. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon Parti Quebecois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon sums up the spring session as it comes to an end, at the legislature in Quebec City, Friday, June 6, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot) PSPP is already starting to soft-pedal his supposedly rock hard promise to hold the province's third referendum on sovereignty if the PQ gets reelected. He now talks of a 'consultation,' not of a referendum. To the untrained eye, that's splitting political hairs, but there's a sucker born every minute and no one who knows the place is taking the threat lightly. Legault got just over 40 per cent of the vote in the last election. A perfect split of the remaining 60 per cent among four opposition parties gave his CAQ a massive majority. The Quebec Liberals had their worst showing ever but thanks to a strong concentration of Liberal votes amongst Montreal's Anglo and cultural communities, still managed to eke out official opposition status. The Quebec Liberals haven't had a permanent leader since former head Dominique Anglade stepped down right after the 2022 election debacle. That is about to change as Quebec Liberals will begin voting on Monday for their new leader, who will be announced at a convention in Quebec City on June 14. When former federal minister Pablo Rodriguez indicated he'd be running, the Trudeau government was some 25 per cent behind the Conservatives in the polls. Pablo Rodriguez, Karl Blackburn Quebec Liberal Leadership candidate Pablo Rodriguez speaks as candidate Karl Blackburn, right, looks on during a debate in Quebec City Thursday, May 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot That, of course, changed very rapidly after the arrival of Mark Carney, but Rodriguez was not in a position to have the second thoughts of a Sean Fraser or Anita Anand who both reversed their announced decisions to quit politics. Rodriguez had left what had been a sinking ship and his lifeboat was going to be the Quebec Liberals. He couldn't swim back. Rodriguez was himself a Montreal MP and he garnered early strong support from the Quebec Liberal caucus, which was concentrated in the Montreal area. That support and some general general polling results, led many to believe that Rodriguez would win in a romp. The problem for Rodriguez was that the polling in question was general and didn't zero in on party members. Another challenge was that under the leadership rules, each one of the 125 ridings was attributed the same number of points, irrespective of the number of members. Of the 3,000 points per riding, 1,000 were reserved for members under 25. Navigating those rules required hard work across the province and across age groups. The majority of Quebec ridings are located outside of the Montreal area. In fact, Legault only has two seats in Montreal and yet has totally dominated the rest of Quebec in winning his two majorities. Karl Blackburn It took forever for the team supporting Rodriguez to understand that math and it may now be too late as a tireless campaign across Quebec regions by former Member of the National Assembly, Karl Blackburn, is showing exceptional strength. Recent deep polling of a large sample of party members by Mainstreet shows Blackburn beating Rodriguez in the second, run-off ballot. Karl Blackburn Quebec Liberal Leadership candidate Karl Blackburn speaks during a debate in Quebec City Thursday, May 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot Only one other candidate, pharmacist and former Chamber of Commerce head Charles Milliard is considered to be a real, if unlikely, contender. Don't let the family name fool you, Blackburn is a dyed in the wool francophone Quebecer from the resource rich Saguenay-Lac-St. Jean region. I first met him when he won an implausible victory in Roberval as the Charest government rolled into power some 20 years ago. I was the environment minister and I got to see how Blackburn worked on what could easily have become a contentious file concerning competing uses for one of that area's majestic rivers. Blackburn always knew his files better than anyone and has an innate knack for keeping everyone on side. He doesn't divide, he always adds. He has held the highest offices in the Quebec Liberal party and went on to a career at the top level in the forestry industry before becoming president and CEO of the Conseil du Patronat (Quebec's larget employers' group). Blackburn also has a unique openness for the ethnocultural reality of Montreal. I reconnected with him last year when we met during an important event for the large Maghrebine community. No longer in politics, Blackburn was not obliged to spend his Saturday evening attending an event of this type. He stayed throughout because of his strong interest in understanding the rich fabric of Montreal's diversity. Blackburn was late into the race. A bout with prostate cancer sidelined him from the first months. Many in the party thought it was too late for him to throw his hat into the ring. When he decided to run, he collected the necessary signatures in the required number of ridings in record time. He prevailed in his fight against the disease and and has campaigned across the province relentlessly, with special emphasis on the regions outside of the big cities and it's worked. One of the jobs that Blackburn held at the Liberal Party was that of chief organizer, and it shows. He has brought back, and brought together, an A-Team of seasoned political pros that the Quebec Liberals haven't seen in years. Keep an eye on Blackburn. He represents the very best of the party of Robert Bourassa, able to build bridges where the separatists are promising to blow them up. A man for his era, if he does win the leadership, he could well lead the Quebec Liberals to victory in next year's general election.
CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Tom Mulcair: The Quebec Liberal leadership contender who could put a stop to a surging separatist tide
For those of us who've been through the wringer of very divisive referendums, the threat of separatism is devoid of charm. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, an able politician whose success is founded on an understated populism, has decided to put her own threat under wraps for the time being and that's a very good thing for Canada. Meanwhile, you guessed it, a resurgent Parti Quebecois has been sabre rattling again and the separatist threat is alive and well in La Belle Province. The PQ's current leader, Paul St. Pierre-Plamondon (PSPP for short), is a studious talkaholic who has managed to reignite his party's standing in the polls, if not support for separatism itself. At least not yet. PSPP is surfing easily on a very large wave of discontent with the hopelessly incompetent CAQ government of Francois Legault, as it stumbles to the end of its second mandate. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon Parti Quebecois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon sums up the spring session as it comes to an end, at the legislature in Quebec City, Friday, June 6, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot) PSPP is already starting to soft-pedal his supposedly rock hard promise to hold the province's third referendum on sovereignty if the PQ gets reelected. He now talks of a 'consultation,' not of a referendum. To the untrained eye, that's splitting political hairs, but there's a sucker born every minute and no one who knows the place is taking the threat lightly. Legault got just over 40 per cent of the vote in the last election. A perfect split of the remaining 60 per cent among four opposition parties gave his CAQ a massive majority. The Quebec Liberals had their worst showing ever but thanks to a strong concentration of Liberal votes amongst Montreal's Anglo and cultural communities, still managed to eke out official opposition status. The Quebec Liberals haven't had a permanent leader since former head Dominique Anglade stepped down right after the 2022 election debacle. That is about to change as Quebec Liberals will begin voting on Monday for their new leader, who will be announced at a convention in Quebec City on June 14. When former federal minister Pablo Rodriguez indicated he'd be running, the Trudeau government was some 25 per cent behind the Conservatives in the polls. Pablo Rodriguez, Karl Blackburn Quebec Liberal Leadership candidate Pablo Rodriguez speaks as candidate Karl Blackburn, right, looks on during a debate in Quebec City Thursday, May 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot That, of course, changed very rapidly after the arrival of Mark Carney, but Rodriguez was not in a position to have the second thoughts of a Sean Fraser or Anita Anand who both reversed their announced decisions to quit politics. Rodriguez had left what had been a sinking ship and his lifeboat was going to be the Quebec Liberals. He couldn't swim back. Rodriguez was himself a Montreal MP and he garnered early strong support from the Quebec Liberal caucus, which was concentrated in the Montreal area. That support and some general general polling results, led many to believe that Rodriguez would win in a romp. The problem for Rodriguez was that the polling in question was general and didn't zero in on party members. Another challenge was that under the leadership rules, each one of the 125 ridings was attributed the same number of points, irrespective of the number of members. Of the 3,000 points per riding, 1,000 were reserved for members under 25. Navigating those rules required hard work across the province and across age groups. The majority of Quebec ridings are located outside of the Montreal area. In fact, Legault only has two seats in Montreal and yet has totally dominated the rest of Quebec in winning his two majorities. Karl Blackburn It took forever for the team supporting Rodriguez to understand that math and it may now be too late as a tireless campaign across Quebec regions by former Member of the National Assembly, Karl Blackburn, is showing exceptional strength. Recent deep polling of a large sample of party members by Mainstreet shows Blackburn beating Rodriguez in the second, run-off ballot. Karl Blackburn Quebec Liberal Leadership candidate Karl Blackburn speaks during a debate in Quebec City Thursday, May 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot Only one other candidate, pharmacist and former Chamber of Commerce head Charles Milliard is considered to be a real, if unlikely, contender. Don't let the family name fool you, Blackburn is a dyed in the wool francophone Quebecer from the resource rich Saguenay-Lac-St. Jean region. I first met him when he won an implausible victory in Roberval as the Charest government rolled into power some 20 years ago. I was the environment minister and I got to see how Blackburn worked on what could easily have become a contentious file concerning competing uses for one of that area's majestic rivers. Blackburn always knew his files better than anyone and has an innate knack for keeping everyone on side. He doesn't divide, he always adds. He has held the highest offices in the Quebec Liberal party and went on to a career at the top level in the forestry industry before becoming president and CEO of the Conseil du Patronat (Quebec's larget employers' group). Blackburn also has a unique openness for the ethnocultural reality of Montreal. I reconnected with him last year when we met during an important event for the large Maghrebine community. No longer in politics, Blackburn was not obliged to spend his Saturday evening attending an event of this type. He stayed throughout because of his strong interest in understanding the rich fabric of Montreal's diversity. Blackburn was late into the race. A bout with prostate cancer sidelined him from the first months. Many in the party thought it was too late for him to throw his hat into the ring. When he decided to run, he collected the necessary signatures in the required number of ridings in record time. He prevailed in his fight against the disease and and has campaigned across the province relentlessly, with special emphasis on the regions outside of the big cities and it's worked. One of the jobs that Blackburn held at the Liberal Party was that of chief organizer, and it shows. He has brought back, and brought together, an A-Team of seasoned political pros that the Quebec Liberals haven't seen in years. Keep an eye on Blackburn. He represents the very best of the party of Robert Bourassa, able to build bridges where the separatists are promising to blow them up. A man for his era, if he does win the leadership, he could well lead the Quebec Liberals to victory in next year's general election.
National Post
21-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Chris Selley: Central Canadians are practically goading Alberta to consider separation
Of all the problems Canada faces in 2025, the prospect of Alberta sovereigntists winning a referendum and plunging the country into constitutional hell does not appear to be one of them. A Postmedia-Leger poll released last week, found just 29 per cent of Albertans supported the province 'becoming a country independent of Canada,' which is what the straightforward referendum question recently proposed by the separatist Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) would ask. That's even fewer than the 36 per cent of Quebecers who would vote Yes in their own sovereignty referendum, according to a Leger poll released before last month's federal election. Article content Article content But good grief, Central Canada could hardly be doing more to try to pump the APP's tires. Ironically, that includes some Quebec separatists. Article content Article content Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has offered support, in principle: 'I totally agree with provinces that stand up, that are loyal to their own parliament, that are capable of showing a strong hand,' he said earlier this month. This seems like the only logical strategic position for Quebec sovereigntists to take if — like the PQ, which is in pole position to win the next provincial election — they're actually planning on holding and winning a referendum and commencing divorce proceedings with Ottawa, the other provinces and First Nations. Article content Others in the Quebec sovereignty movement, however, haven't been able to resist broadcasting their contempt for Alberta. Legalities aside, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet averred earlier this month, a proper sovereignty-seeking entity 'has to have a culture of their own.' Article content Article content 'I am not certain that oil and gas qualifies to define a culture,' he added disdainfully. Article content Article content 'In Quebec, we have a nation, a language, a culture, a distinct history,' Marie-Anne Alepin, president of the arch-nationalist Société St-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal, told The Canadian Press earlier this month. 'They want an oil-based future. We have no common goals. We're not alike.'
National Post
06-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Parti Québécois leader stands with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and her ‘strong hand'
OTTAWA — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has an ally in Quebec and his name is Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, the Parti Québécois leader. Article content Article content A day after Smith threatened the federal government of including a referendum question on separation in 2026 if her province didn't have the Accord, she thinks it deserves with Ottawa, St-Pierre Plamondon said Smith made a 'striking gesture' for the 'autonomy and defence of her own province.' Article content 'It doesn't matter what referendum they hold, because obviously it's under construction. But I totally agree with provinces that stand up, that are loyal to their own Parliament, that are capable of showing a strong hand. And that's the key word, strong hand,' said St-Pierre Plamondon, who is often called PSPP in Quebec. Article content Article content In a in a livestreamed address Monday, Premier Smith called on Prime Minister Mark Carney to negotiate a new deal between Ottawa and Alberta guaranteeing more pipelines and changes to equalization. Article content 'We hope this will result in a binding agreement that Albertans can have confidence in. Call it an 'Alberta accord',' said Smith who then called Alberta's separation 'the elephant in the room.' 'The vast majority of (separatists) are not fringe voices… They are loyal Albertans,' she said. 'They're … our friends and neighbours who've just had enough of having their livelihoods and prosperity attacked by a hostile federal government.' Article content At a press conference at Quebec's National Assembly, St-Pierre Plamondon said it was a 'good thing' if other provinces are able to 'stand up to the federal government'. Article content Article content He added that 'other provinces are showing' that Canada has issues that affect all provinces in terms of 'abuse of power'. Article content St-Pierre Plamondon then went on the offensive against the province's journalists for not covering the rebound in support of Quebec secession. Article content A recent Postmedia-Leger poll revealed that support for Quebec independence, which had fallen below 30 per cent in recent month, sits back at nearly 40 per cent. Article content Even though Canada is engaged in a tariff war with its closest ally, support for Quebec independence has reached 36 per cent according to new data. Article content 'The most recent and most precise information is the independence of Quebec at 40 per cent, it is the increase in independence in Alberta,' he said. Article content Léger also polled Canadians from all provinces about their opinion about their province's independence. The result was that 29 per cent of Albertans supported Alberta sovereignty while an overwhelming majority of the 2,309 respondents (71 per cent) were opposed. Article content Article content
Toronto Sun
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Quebec sovereigntist party cheers on possible referendum in Alberta
Published May 06, 2025 • 1 minute read Parti Quebecois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon during question period Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 at the legislature in Quebec City. Photo by Jacques Boissinot / THE CANADIAN PRESS/ The leader of the sovereigntist Parti Quebecois is throwing his support behind a possible referendum in Alberta, saying Premier Danielle Smith is standing up for her province. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says Smith has used the possibility of a referendum to give her province leverage as she makes demands of the federal government. He says Smith has done more to defend her province's autonomy than Quebec Premier Francois Legault, who promised not to hold a referendum on sovereignty before he was first elected in 2018. Plamondon says provinces have the right to consult their population on the question of independence if they feel the federal government is abusing its power and not respecting them. Smith says she does not support Alberta separating from Canada, but she says she will hold a referendum on separation next year if citizens gather enough signatures on a petition. She also wants to negotiate with Ottawa to demand guaranteed access to tidewater for Alberta's resource exports, including oil and gas.
