(Quebec) The day after Premier François Legault declared that losing a third referendum on independence would be “the worst thing that could happen,” PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon asked him “not to do harm” and not to “contaminate everyone with unhealthy defeatism.”
“At this point in our history, not holding a third referendum and not achieving the independence of Quebec is like losing it, because our decline is planned and is already underway,” launched Paul St-Pierre Plamondon at a press briefing at the National Assembly Tuesday morning.
In an interview with Radio-Canada on Monday, François Legault said it would be “irresponsible” to hold another referendum on Quebec independence, arguing that it is not what the majority of Quebecers want.
“The Prime Minister is not saying that Quebec independence is a bad thing, he is simply saying that holding a third referendum would be irresponsible in the event that we lose it,” said Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon.
Citing the housing crisis, the decline of French and the difficulty in delivering public services to the population, the PQ leader retorted that what is “irresponsible” is “remaining in Canada”.
“I ask him at least not to do harm and not to contaminate everyone with an unhealthy defeatism which does not correspond to any clear vision of our future,” added Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon.
An ardent separatist in the past, François Legault put sovereignty aside by creating the Coalition avenir Québec in 2011. Despite this, the prime minister affirmed last month that sovereignty was a “noble project.”
The PQ leader thinks that François Legault is “very aware of the limits” of his third way that he wants to trace between sovereignty and federalism.
“His thesis will have been invalidated for a federal government that doesn’t care about Quebec’s demands,” he argued.
Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon also asks the Prime Minister to stop procrastinating on issues like the third link or the referendum on immigration.
“It’s unhealthy for the Quebec nation to constantly change its discourse in such short periods of time […] We need consistency. We need a prime minister who keeps his word,” said the PQ leader, accusing François Legault of navigating according to the polls.
He urged him to finally hold his referendum to demand full powers in immigration, a subject on which the Prime Minister has blown hot and cold in recent times.
“Let him hold his referendum on immigration, and once again I will be happy to collaborate,” said the PQ leader.
