Quebec's premier-designate says an independence vote is no early priority. Carney tells Quebec to focus on the economy
On Tuesday Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said an independence referendum will not be an early priority for his incoming minority government, according to the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star. The PQ holds 59 of 127 seats and has said any referendum would wait until Donald Trump leaves office in January 2029. Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke with him that morning, called it a crucial time for the country and said it is not a time to wait for something years down the road. His Quebec lieutenant Joël Lightbound said a mandate for separation must go through a referendum. The Star also reported Mr. Carney said his mandate is bigger than the PQ's and that Ottawa remains optimistic about high-speed rail. CTV News reported a first move toward abolishing the monarchy in Quebec.
Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon is setting a low bar on purpose. A minority government that opens with a referendum fight risks losing a confidence vote and an election. Mr. Carney is setting out his own terms: federalism as delivery, with money and projects, rather than a constitutional argument.
Nothing in your daily life changes. The things to watch are practical: federal funding deals with Quebec, the fate of the high-speed rail plan, and any change to the oath that members of the National Assembly swear to the King.
Quebec voted for change, not for leaving. By playing down the referendum, the premier-designate is respecting what the 28% who voted PQ and the majority who did not both told him.
A party founded to make Quebec a country says it is in no hurry. That is a tactic until a better moment arrives, and Ottawa should not mistake patience for abandonment.
Two things will show whether the calm holds. First, whether the PQ's first throne speech mentions a referendum at all. Second, whether Mr. Carney offers Quebec something concrete, such as infrastructure funding, within weeks rather than months. Rhetoric about boldness is cheap; a cheque is not.
DailyDrop Canada edition No. 2 · Morning · TUE., OCT. 6, 2026