(Quebec) Faced with Justin Trudeau’s refusal to grant Quebec full immigration powers, or to transfer to it the six billion dollars per year that he demands to finance health needs, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is relaunching the The idea of organizing a transpartisan visit of the main provincial political parties to Ottawa in order to form a common front against the federal government.
In a letter sent Tuesday by Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to the government of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), Québec solidaire (QS), the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) and the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ), the PQ leader writes that Quebec is in “an impasse” and that we must “do everything in our power to re-establish a minimum balance of power with Ottawa.”
Friday, while Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Legault met in Montreal, the Canadian Prime Minister refused his Quebec counterpart’s request to cede all immigration powers to him, as the latter asked. The head of the federal government, however, opened the door to temporary workers who report to Ottawa being first approved in Quebec and to the tightening of visas for foreigners who come to Quebec, as is the case for Mexicans. . Mr. Trudeau would also be inclined to accelerate the processing of asylum seeker files.
For Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon, whose political project is to achieve independence for Quebec, these overtures from Ottawa are clearly insufficient.
“Given the importance of the situation and the urgency of having all our levers to fully control the planning of our immigration which was described by Prime Minister Legault as necessary for the “survival of the nation”, we believe that it is essential to take strong action in order to restore a minimum balance of power for Quebec,” wrote the PQ leader.
“It is in this context that I support the initiatives of the Coalition Avenir Québec, Québec Solidaire and the Conservative Party of Quebec and that I propose that we all go together to the Canadian Parliament as soon as possible in order to reiterate these two urgent and important demands for Quebec: obtain all immigration powers and obtain our fair share in health transfers,” he added.
Last Thursday, during question period in Parliament in Quebec, Mr. Legault responded to his PQ counterpart that he was evaluating all his options if Ottawa closed the door to ceding immigration powers to him. The Prime Minister did not specify what his options were. Mr. Legault and Mr. Trudeau must take stock of these issues by June 30.
During the general council of the Bloc Québécois last weekend in Quebec, Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet for his part threw a few arrows at Prime Minister Legault concerning his “autonomist” posture vis-à-vis the federal government.
“This is what happens when you commit to being a federalist. When we promise not to hold a referendum on sovereignty, we get a pat on the back of the head. We get told no and we will always get told no,” he said.
A few weeks ago, François Legault also questioned the usefulness of the Bloc in Ottawa. “What is the point of the Bloc Québécois in Ottawa? It’s used for ? It’s used for ? », Launched the Prime Minister during question period at the Salon Bleu.
With Alice Girard-Bossé, The Pressand The Canadian Press