Parti Qu茅b茅cois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon speaks at a press conference during the party's convention in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
Parti Qu茅b茅cois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon speaks at a press conference during the party's convention in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
SAINT-HYACINTHE - Parti Qu茅b茅cois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says the referendum campaign for Quebec independence is already underway, suggesting it was the prime minister who launched it. 聽
Speaking to hundreds of party members at a PQ convention in Saint-Hyacinthe on Sunday, St-Pierre Plamondon blamed recent comments by Prime Minister Mark Carney for effectively launching the federalist 鈥淣o鈥 campaign.聽
Carney, speaking earlier this week about the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, described the 1759 battle as the start of a 鈥減artnership鈥 between French and English people in Canada and called for national unity.聽
St-Pierre Plamondon said Carney's comments are a sign of things to come.
"A new political cycle has indeed begun. A new chapter in our history is opening before us," said the PQ leader.
"Mr. Carney, Quebec does not exist because of Canada. In fact, Quebec has survived in its difference and specificity despite Canada," he added, to a standing ovation from the crowd of enthusiastic PQ supporters.聽
St-Pierre Plamondon sharply criticized Carney on Friday, accusing him of being part of a 鈥渓ong tradition of colonialism鈥 dating back to Lord Durham.聽
鈥淭his tradition is one of falsifying facts and history and constantly feeding us lies through federal institutions,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e will break with British colonialism and create our own country.鈥
This report by 好色tvwas first published on Jan. 25, 2026.
