Parti Québécois (PQ) leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says Quebec’s fight for independence is rooted in democratic self-determination, cultural survival, and a rejection of federal overreach — themes he believes Albertans will recognize as the debate over Alberta’s relationship with the federal government rages on.“What does Quebec want? Self-determination through democracy. It’s plain and simple,” Plamondon said Thursday in an address at the University of Calgary’s downtown campus.Plamondon, who has led the PQ since 2020 and is a member of the National Assembly of Quebec for Camille-Laurin, argued that Quebec’s limited influence in Ottawa makes it impossible to secure policies tailored to the province’s needs.“We don’t think it’s viable to have a parliament that is not ours, in which we hold only about 20% of the seats,” he said.“Voting for the Bloc Québécois will never lead to forming a Canadian government. This is about pure democracy and self-determination.”He linked Quebec’s grievances to Alberta’s frustrations with Ottawa, suggesting both provinces share discontent over representation and federal power.“I don’t think there’s any future for Francophone Quebec culture if we stay in Canada,” Plamondon stated, criticizing federal immigration policies and what he called an “ideological dream” of multiculturalism..The 48-year-old has called for direct, respectful dialogue between Quebec and Alberta, emphasizing that the two provinces could build mutual trust despite political differences.“Respect is about democracy and our respective parliaments,” he said.“It’s much better to respect that we don’t agree and do our own thing than to have a federal government trying to impose things that will never satisfy everyone.”The PQ leader praised Premier Danielle Smith for “playing her cards very well in representing Alberta’s interests,” he did, however, note he doesn’t agree with her on every issue.“Where it leads in terms of independence of Alberta, that’s up to Albertans. But clearly it’s a relevant debate in the current context,” he stated.Speaking to the Western Standard, Plamondon said English Canadians often misunderstand the motivations behind Quebec’s sovereignty movement, which he argues are rooted less in ideology and more in the need for self-determination.Plamondon described the PQ as a moderate, centrist party that has historically pushed for independence to protect Quebec’s culture and language.“If you can’t make your own policies and spend your own money where you think it belongs, you will see very important challenges in sustaining the French language and Quebec culture.”He added that Ottawa’s frequent intrusion into provincial matters such as immigration and social issues undermines Quebec’s autonomy, as its democratic choices are “overruled by a federal government that abuses its powers."“They really sabotaged our immigration system,” Plamondon said, citing the Roxham Road controversy.“They were warned by provinces. They were warned by their own public servants, you will create the worst housing crisis we've seen in decades. Don't do it. And they did it anyway. So why would I negotiate with these people? Why would I give them legitimacy?”.MACLEOD: Guided by principles, Alberta’s future as an independent nation.Plamondon rejected attempts to place the party neatly on the left–right spectrum. “We’re anti–radical left, social democrats,” he said.“You could say we’re moderate left. Sometimes we’re right. One model that might be comparable is some of the Scandinavian countries.”Western Standard CEO Derek Fildebrandt noted that nationalism in Western countries is often associated with the political right, but in sub-national contexts, he said, it more frequently leans left — pointing to the Scottish National Party and Catalonia’s independence movement as examples.Alberta and Quebec, by contrast, present a different story.Fildebrandt observed that support for independence in Alberta is concentrated among predominantly right-wing supporters while left-leaning parties and voters are almost exclusively federalists.From Quebec’s point of view, Plamondon said, it is baffling that a left-of-centre party like Alberta’s NDP would back Ottawa’s centralization of power.“If your goal is to have funding for services and a better safety net, why would you send a substantial part of your income tax to a government that just wastes your money, giving you very few services in return?”On the heated topic of equalization, Plamondon insisted Quebec would be stronger outside of Canada and admitted that while Quebec did receive equalization payments, they “hinder our economy.”“I don’t want charity from any other province...I don’t want Alberta’s money,” he insisted, saying there is a lot of waste and mismanagement at the federal level and getting free handouts hinders economic growth and entrepreneurship.“If Quebec would get back the $90 billion that we now send to Ottawa, we’d take care of health care, education, and social services, and we’d be able to work with Alberta and other provinces on several topics where we agree.”Plamondon cited a document put together by six economists from various Quebec universities and argued that focusing only on equalization payments paints an incomplete picture of the economic situation.He stated under “conservative estimates” that Quebec could continue to thrive even without federal equalization payments, potentially remaining slightly ahead economically.“If you limit your analysis to equalization, you’ll call this a scandal,” he said.“We’ve come to the conclusion that even though we wouldn't get equalization payments, other factors such as direct investment in the economy, stopping this duplication, having our own monetary strategy, and our own international commerce strategy, would make us richer.”He feels that what counts is whether the “fundamentals are sound, and the reasoning is solid” and that he will be glad when the issue has been resolved because of the “contempt” over several decades that has come with this topic..RYAN: Alberta independence is possible — but not via the courts.Much has also been made of the political language surrounding sovereignty in Alberta as well, with some factions saying the terms “independence” and “sovereignty” carry very different meanings.Premier Smith has previously emphasized “sovereignty within Canada,” suggesting more autonomy for the province without full separation from confederation.However, Plamondon warns that such middle-ground approaches invite pushback from Ottawa and the federal government could respond aggressively.“[Ottawa] will not help you, because they see it as a threat to their power,” he said.He feels that with independence, “you gain the legitimacy of self-determination and the ability to negotiate agreements with others on equal footing.”Fildebrandt pointed to the failures of national constitutional reforms like the Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords, saying they were broadly rejected by Westerners on Ottawa expanding its federalist power, while Quebecers voted them down because they didn’t go far enough to secure their independence and culture.Plamondon concurred, arguing that previous negotiations were motivated more by preserving central power than by improving the lives of Quebecers or Albertans.Going forward, Plamondon suggested that as both Alberta and Quebec’s independence movements gather steam, people will find federal politicians becoming nervous and coming to the bargaining table in the hopes of renegotiation.“Anything under self-determination in terms of our laws, our finances and international relations will not work for Quebec,” he confirmed.“Once Quebec declares independence, and I think if Alberta declares independence, Quebec will follow and vice versa.”
