Third referendum: PQ leader's speech is full of 'catastrophism,' says QS
Despite sharing the Parti Québécois (PQ)'s desire to make Quebec a country, Québec Solidaire (QS) parliamentary leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois has roundly criticized PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon's speech, calling it "conservative."
On the weekend, St-Pierre Plamondon said that the federal government was "posing an existential threat" to Quebecers.
According to Nadeau-Dubois, the PQ leader's remarks were tinged with "sentiment," "fear" and "disaster."
"I even think that a speech like that could drive many young people away from the independence project," he said at a press briefing at the National Assembly on Tuesday.
Interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay was equally outspoken in his attack on his PQ opponent, saying his speech was "clearly exaggerated," "out of touch" and "radical."
"It's clear that Paul St-Pierre Plamondon (...) wants to capitalize on fear: fear that the French fact will die if Quebec doesn't separate; fear that today we are threatened more than ever by the federal government," he said.
Over the weekend, at his party's national council in Drummondville, the PQ leader was fiercely critical of the federal government, accusing it of wanting to "crush those who refuse to assimilate."
He also hinted that the next referendum he promises to hold in a first PQ mandate could very well be the last opportunity.
The PQ leader denied that he was trying to scare voters.
"I'm describing very verifiable facts. You have to distinguish between fear and facts," he maintained. "I want to rise above partisanship."
LISTEN ON CJAD 800 RADIO: PQ leader accuses Canada of 'disrespecting the competencies of provinces'
Asked whether his speech was too stark a portrayal of Quebec's situation, St-Pierre Plamondon said, "There's certainly a negative part in what I said, but the negative part comes from the federal government's decisions, which I'm only describing."
Less vehement than QS and the Liberals, Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette was keen to stress that his party, the CAQ, was making gains for Quebec, while the PQ was simply waiting for the big night of the referendum.
"We're not resigned like Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon and we're taking concrete action so that Quebec can make gains," he said.
- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 16, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Parents of infant who died in wrong-way crash on Ontario's Hwy. 401 were in same vehicle
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
'What have we done?' Lawyer describes shock at possible role in Trump's 2016 victory
A lawyer who negotiated a pair of hush money deals at the centre of Donald Trump's criminal trial recalled Thursday his "gallows humor" reaction to Trump's 2016 election victory and the realization that his hidden-hand efforts might have contributed to the win.
B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
New scam targets Canada Carbon Rebate recipients
Fake text message and email campaigns trying to get money and information out of unsuspecting Canadian taxpayers have started circulating, just months after the federal government rebranded the carbon tax rebate the Canada Carbon Rebate.
Universities grapple with the complicated politics of campus encampments
Montreal police are facing pressure to move in and dismantle a pro-Palestinian encampment on McGill University campus on Thursday, as a growing number of universities across this country grapple with the tough decision of how to handle the protests.
Police order B.C. woman who praised Hamas not to protest for 5 months, says her group
A pro-Palestinian activist group says its international co-ordinator, who was arrested in a Vancouver hate-crime investigation, was released with an order not to attend any protests for the next five months.
Conservative MP says Chinese hacking attack targeted his personal email
A Conservative MP is challenging claims by House of Commons administration that a China-backed hacking attempt did not impact any members of Parliament, because the attack was on his personal email.
Loblaw leaders call criticism 'misguided,' say they aren't to blame for high food prices
Loblaw chairman Galen Weston and the company's new CEO are pushing back against critics who blame the grocery giant for soaring food prices, as a month-long boycott of the retailer gets underway.