(Quebec) The Parti Québécois (PQ) wishes to form a common front of all party leaders in Quebec so that they go to Ottawa as quickly as possible to demand full powers in immigration and a more generous amount in transfers in health.
In a letter sent Tuesday to other party leaders and to the Minister responsible for Canadian Relations Jean-François Roberge, PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon notes that on these two issues, Quebec is “at an impasse”.
Mr. St-Pierre-Plamondon believes that it is appropriate to “reestablish a minimum balance of power with Ottawa” on these requests which he describes as “vital”.
“Given the importance of the situation and the urgency of having all our levers to fully control the planning of our immigration […] we believe that it is essential to take strong action in order to restore a minimum balance of power for Quebec,” he wrote.
After a meeting last Friday, Prime Minister François Legault received a refusal from his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, regarding the repatriation of all immigration powers to Quebec. The Legault government judges that the influx of asylum seekers places Quebec in a critical situation, particularly in the education sector.
At a press conference, Mr. Trudeau clearly said that he would not grant more powers, affirming that Quebec already had more room for maneuver than all the other provinces and territories.
For his part, Mr. Legault said he was evaluating his options, without specifying which ones.
On the subject of health, Ottawa has committed to paying a much smaller envelope than the Quebec government wanted, which has still not signed an agreement with Ottawa on this aspect.