(Drummondville) A third referendum defeat would lead to a weakening of Quebec’s balance of power against Ottawa, argues François Legault. The Prime Minister responded to PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon who affirmed Tuesday morning that not to “hold a third referendum […] It’s like losing him.”
” Oh come on ! When we lost a referendum in 1980 and 1995, it weakened Quebec’s balance of power against Ottawa. […] Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon, you have not understood that losing a third referendum on sovereignty would be irresponsible,” he said at a press briefing Tuesday afternoon in Drummondville.
François Legault says a referendum would divide Quebecers.
“The challenge is to bring Quebecers together to say: no matter who will be there at the federal level, we need, for example, more powers in immigration. We need to defend our language and our identity. And for me, the bet I am making is that there is much, much more chance of seeking majority support among Quebecers to repatriate powers, than to answer “Yes” to a referendum on the sovereignty of Quebec,” added the Prime Minister.
In an interview with Radio-Canada on Monday, François Legault brought up the idea of holding a referendum to demand full powers in immigration. However, he has blown hot and cold about this option in recent times.
An ardent independence activist in the past, François Legault set aside sovereignty by creating the Coalition Avenir Québec in 2011. Despite this, the Prime Minister affirmed last month that sovereignty was a “noble project”.
François Legault repeated on Tuesday that “the emergency right now is to halve temporary immigration”. He also indicated that the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, should return to him at the end of August or the beginning of September with figures regarding the drop in the number of immigrants.
“I ask him at least not to do any harm”
Tuesday morning, the PQ leader responded to Mr. Legault’s assertions the day before that losing a third referendum on independence would be “the worst thing that could happen” and that it would be “irresponsible.”
“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.
Citant la crise du logement, le recul du français et la difficulté à livrer des services publics à la population, le chef péquiste a rétorqué que ce qui est « irresponsable », c’est de « demeurer dans le Canada ».
Je lui demande au moins de ne pas nuire et de ne pas contaminer tout le monde avec un défaitisme malsain qui ne correspond à aucune vision claire de notre avenir.
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon
Le chef péquiste pense que François Legault est « très conscient des limites » de sa troisième voie qu’il veut tracer entre souverainisme et fédéralisme.
« Sa thèse aura été invalidée pour un fédéral qui n’en a rien à cirer des demandes du Québec », a-t-il soutenu.
« C’est malsain pour la nation québécoise »
M. St-Pierre Plamondon demande aussi au premier ministre de cesser de tergiverser sur des questions comme le troisième lien ou le référendum sur l’immigration.
« C’est malsain pour la nation québécoise de changer constamment son discours dans des périodes de temps aussi courtes. […] We need consistency. We need a prime minister who keeps his word,” said the PQ leader, accusing François Legault of following the polls.
He urged him to finally hold his referendum to demand full powers over immigration.
“Let him hold his referendum on immigration, and once again I will be happy to collaborate,” said the PQ leader.