Quebec must step up a gear in the face of Trump’s threats: Parti Quebecois

Parti Quebecois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon questions the government during question period, Thursday, November 28, 2024 at the legislature in Quebec City. (Jacques Boissinot / The Canadian Press) (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

Parti Quebecois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says Quebec must move up a gear in the face of President-elect Donald Trump’s threats, especially as other provinces have not hesitated to enter into direct discussions with the future American administration.

“We have to start our own negotiations because the others are not shying away,” he said in an interview. “Ontario and Alberta are not waiting to coordinate with the other provinces to ensure that their own interests are protected.”

“We would be fools to wait and think that others will protect our interests,” he insisted.

This weekend, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith went to Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s stronghold, where she had the opportunity to discuss her province’s energy exports with him, she wrote on X on Sunday afternoon.

For the PQ leader, it is clear that there is no “Canadian unity” to find a strategy to deal with the tariff threats from the American president, who will be sworn in on Jan. 20.

While he acknowledges that Quebec diplomacy is nonetheless active, St-Pierre Plamondon believes that Premier François Legault must act before his planned trip to Washington with his counterparts from the other provinces next month.

“All I want is for us to mobilize our forces as much as possible and not wait until February 12 to deploy an audible and visible strategy for Quebec,” he said.

In a letter sent to Legault on Thursday, the PQ leader proposed the creation of a Équipe Québec, made up of opposition leaders, university experts and representatives of the economic and labour communities.

“We don’t need to be 40, but it’s just a matter of making sure that all avenues are considered, that the position becomes shared and that everyone contributes as best they can to ensuring that Quebec comes out on top,” he explained.

In his letter in which he offers his cooperation, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon stresses the risk that certain economic sectors in Quebec - notably aluminium, wood and the fate of Quebec SMEs - could be pushed aside in favour of the interests of other provinces when concessions are made in the negotiations.

Never too cautious

Trump is known for settling trade issues “piecemeal” and in line with the immediate interests of the United States, unlike the wall-to-wall agreements generally favoured by his predecessors, the PQ leader pointed out.

“An economic tariff threat can change the economic climate in Quebec enormously. If our Quebec SMEs are penalized overnight in terms of our exports, which are nonetheless important to the United States, the impact is not negligible,” he said.

St-Pierre Plamondon believes that the Republican’s comments should not be taken lightly.

“You have to remain very calm, very in control, but always take all hypotheses seriously. Even if they’re not likely, we still have to be prepared,” he said.

These threats have also raised questions in the Parti Québécois about what an independent Quebec would do in the same circumstances.

“You can say what you like about Donald Trump’s style, but when it comes to the fact that North America is poorly protected and that Canada has systematically failed to meet its obligations, both militarily and in terms of borders, over the past few decades, I think he’s right,” the PQ leader said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 13, 2025.