Tensions have risen between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon over the province’s efforts to establish direct trade contacts with U.S. officials.
Carney was questioned at a Nov. 10 press conference in Montreal about Quebec’s plans to negotiate directly with U.S. state officials. The issue arose after St-Pierre Plamondon sent letters to 59 recently elected officials from states with which Quebec trades.
The premier’s letters outlined Quebec’s trade relationship with each state and encouraged state representatives to collaborate directly with a Quebec delegate on “new projects and initiatives for the benefit of our respective populations.”
Carney suggested he didn’t approve of the approach, saying, “in a negotiation, it’s always a good idea to have a single negotiator. And that is the government’s responsibility.”
“The people who decide on trade agreements are the executive in the United States over the next two or three years: The president, the executive and Americans, not necessarily legislators,” Carney added.
St-Pierre Plamondon responded to Carney’s comments later that day, following a meeting with Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, where they discussed plans to improve trade relations with the United States.
“Mr. Carney would prefer that we not put on our skates and never step onto the ice because he wants the rink all to himself,” the premier said, adding that “Mr. Carney is not my boss.”
He said other governments have launched letter campaigns before, and he believes he is acting in the province’s best interests.
“That’s why we’re coordinating” with the Bloc Québécois, he added. “It’s urgent, from an economic standpoint, to explore options to protect our businesses.”
St-Pierre Plamondon accused the federal government of trying to silence him earlier this month after Carney did not give him an opportunity to speak at the 21st Canada-EU summit dinner in Montreal.
He said on social media that “the federal government has decided to undertake negotiations with the European Union that directly affect Quebec, without consulting Quebec or allowing it a seat at the negotiating table.”
He subsequently chose not to attend, and instead sent Quebec’s chief diplomat, Pascal Paradis, to represent him at its events.
Carney told reporters on Oct. 27 that St-Pierre Plamondon was invited but declined to attend.
“It’s his decision to leave the chair empty,” the prime minister said.
St-Pierre Plamondon also did not participate in a meeting on Oct. 26 between the federal government, provincial premiers, and First Nations.
Carney and St-Pierre Plamondon are set to meet for the first time at the Francophonie Summit in Cambodia, which runs from Nov. 14-16. St-Pierre Plamondon has said he plans to discuss two key issues with Carney at the meeting: homelessness and immigration.
Quebec’s Immigration Minister Catherine Gentilcore criticized the immigration plan outlined by Carney’s government in the federal budget.
She cited a figure of 662,000 potential permanent residents, representing her estimate of the maximum number of admissions in 2027 when the federal government’s regular target is combined with additional pathways for people already in Canada and previously announced measures under its 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan.
“When a measure described as ‘one-time’ is renewed and expanded year after year, it ceases to be one-time,” she said in a social media post. “This hidden increase is neither explained nor justified. We expect greater transparency from the federal government, since the consequences could be felt here.”
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
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