Frederic Lacroix-Couture, The Canadian Press
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BOUCHERVILLE, Qc — The Parti Québécois (PQ) must stay the course for independence during the next election campaign despite the “adversity” facing the project, claimed Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.
The PQ leader was speaking Saturday morning to PQ delegates meeting in the national council in Boucherville, ahead of the October elections. He invited them to fully assume their convictions and remain authentic, which will win votes, according to him.
“We don’t back down, we don’t deviate, we don’t apologize, we don’t change our minds. We are going to fight, ”he declared in a room at the Mortagne hotel, before being applauded by the crowd.
In a press briefing, Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon deplored that he was “imposed the narrative that independence is not popular”, while about a third of Quebecers say they are sovereignists according to the latest polls.
Nevertheless, there is a significant gap between the 8% of voting intentions obtained by the PQ, according to Léger’s latest sounding, and support for sovereignty.
“Clearly, there is room for growth,” said the PQ leader, without being able to offer any further explanation for this discrepancy.
According to him, the news of the last few days demonstrates the relevance and urgency of independence. By refusing to talk about sovereignty, “Quebec will only get refusals from Ottawa and Quebec will unfortunately be condemned to linguistic and cultural decline,” argued the 10th leader of the PQ in his speech.
The delegates also voted in favor of a proposal to integrate into the electoral platform the holding of a referendum on independence in the first term of a PQ government.
“126 CAQ deputies out of 125?”
Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon did not fail to attack the CAQ government either, accusing it of “aplaventrism” and of having obtained “significant setbacks” against the federal government. He ridiculed François Legault’s wish to obtain a “strong mandate” to repatriate powers in immigration.
“As if the current mandate – majority with 76 deputies – was not enough, but especially as if getting a few more deputies was going to change anything about Justin Trudeau’s position. It’s really taking people for granted, ”launched the PQ leader.
His message had the support of Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet, who declared himself to be a PQ member, during a warmly applauded speech on Saturday afternoon before PQ delegates.
“Does Quebec need 126 CAQ deputies out of 125? he asked jokingly. This is not a reproach. We are going to an election, we want them all, everyone, it’s normal.
Mr. Blanchet, however, wondered if the current nationalism in the National Assembly is strong enough. If he were to be pushed in another direction before “an adversary in Ottawa who is often an enemy.”
“Doesn’t nationalism sometimes risk becoming a bargaining chip in exchange for a check? Shouldn’t this nationalism, on the contrary, be supported until its finality, the right to self-determination, the exercise of self-determination or frankly said independence? affirmed the leader of the bloquiste, arousing applause.
During the national council, the participants also heard speakers on the state of French and the actions to be taken in education and immigration as well as on the challenges and opportunities of the manufacturing sector.
Optimists
The Coalition avenir du Québec (CAQ) still sits at the top of the polls, with 46% of support, leaving the opposition far behind.
PQ MPs are nonetheless optimistic as the election approaches. Pascal Bérubé believes that the election campaign will shed more light on the opposition parties.
“In the past two years, we have mainly heard from the government, which is on the news channels continuously, which is constantly in front of the cameras. There, there will be room to express oneself. This election is far from over,” argued the MP for Matane-Matapédia, in a press scrum.
His colleague Joël Arseneau also believes that the tide will turn with the holding of substantive debates on important issues such as the environment.
“The one thing that’s certain with the polls is that they’re going to change. We will not be able to give the keys to parliament to 125 CAQ deputies. It will not happen,” he said, confident that his leader will win the support of Quebecers.
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This article was produced with the financial support of the Meta Fellowships and The Canadian Press for News.
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