PQ Leader pledges to pursue referendum whether ‘in a minority or majority’ government

Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said he would push ahead with a referendum on Quebec sovereignty even without a majority government.

The PQ leader made the comments while campaigning in Quebec City, with less than a month to go before the provincial election on Oct. 5.

“Whether we’re in a minority or majority, that commitment doesn’t change,” he said on Tuesday.

St-Pierre Plamondon told reporters that he was still urging voters to elect a majority PQ government, arguing it would give his party greater freedom to act on issues including health, education and homelessness.

St-Pierre Plamondon and the other four party leaders are all scheduled to be in Quebec City on Wednesday evening for back-to-back interviews airing on Radio-Canada.

The PQ leader’s latest musings about a referendum were promptly criticized by his opponents.

Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime called on voters Tuesday to give his party the ”balance of power” in a minority legislature so it could “block any referendum project.”

“If they’re a minority, I’m telling you right now, if we hold the balance of power, there won’t be instability because there won’t be a referendum,” Duhaime said.

Speaking in Magog on Tuesday, Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard accused St-Pierre Plamondon of having “one single obsession” — holding a referendum.

“I have a message for Quebecers: if people don’t want a referendum, there’s only one address, and that’s the Quebec Liberal Party,” Milliard said.

The televised interviews in Quebec City will come at a pivotal moment in the campaign, with many voters still undecided.

The campaign has been dominated by concerns over U.S. tariffs, the cost of living, education and language.

Polls show voters are paying close attention to how leaders are addressing affordability, which has also become a central theme in the campaign.

The leaders are also scheduled to participate in their first debate, broadcast on TVA, on Sept. 15. The following day, the leaders will face off in a second debate on Noovo. The final Radio-Canada debate will be held on Sept. 23.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2026.

—with files from Erika Morris in Montreal

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