PQ leader calls Doug Ford’s 'disaster' warning melodramatic as party stages Beauce visit
PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon called Doug Ford’s warning that a PQ win would be a 'disaster' melodramatic as the party meets in Beauce to prepare for the Feb. 3 session.
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By Torontoer Staff
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon accused Ontario Premier Doug Ford of melodrama after Ford warned that electing the Parti Québécois would be a "disaster" for Canada. The exchange came as the PQ gathered in Saint-Georges, Beauce, for a pre-session caucus ahead of the legislature opening on Feb. 3.
Ford made his comment on the sidelines of a Council of the Federation meeting, and other premiers joined his criticism, prompting the PQ leader to call the intervention a fear campaign and an attempt to sway Quebec voters.
Premiers warn a separatist government would be harmful
Ford said on Wednesday that Canada would have a lot to lose if a sovereigntist party came to power in Quebec. His statement was echoed by Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt.
It would be a disaster for our country if the separatists were elected. (...) We must be a united Canada.
Doug Ford
I think breaking up Canada would be a disaster.
Tim Houston
Unity is strength.
Susan Holt
PQ frames the comments as fear-mongering
St-Pierre Plamondon said he expected "fear campaigns" and "defamatory attacks" aimed at discouraging voters. He described the premiers' statements as caricatures and criticised external interference in Quebec's political debate.
It’s a bit of a caricature that the Premier of Ontario and other premiers are coming onto the Quebec political scene to tell Quebecers how to vote in a climate of panic.
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon
The PQ leader maintained that a sovereign Quebec would still seek close ties with Canada, and that a future PQ government would keep channels of dialogue open over shared interests.
Beauce visit underlines outreach to regions that have not favoured the PQ
Six PQ MNAs travelled to Saint-Georges to prepare for the upcoming parliamentary session and to consult local stakeholders. The party is active in Beauce-Sud, a riding that has never elected a PQ MNA and is currently held by CAQ member Samuel Poulin.
In the previous election the Conservative Party of Quebec finished second in the riding. Despite that history, the PQ says it has been talking with regional actors, focusing on economic and labour priorities for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Policy priorities: SMEs, exports and immigration
St-Pierre Plamondon outlined questions raised by Quebec entrepreneurs who export to the United States and other markets. He said the party is examining how trade shifts and new markets could affect local businesses, and how tax and regulatory changes might be used to support them.
One of the questions we asked ourselves with Quebec entrepreneurs who export a lot to the United States is: 'What should Quebec’s policy be to protect our interests?'
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon
The PQ also addressed the fallout from the abandonment of the Quebec Experience Program, a move that has affected some temporary workers and recent arrivals. St-Pierre Plamondon said the party is open to offering targeted grandfather clauses for people left in difficult situations, while ruling out blanket measures.
However, let’s be clear: we cannot give a grandfather clause to all federal temporary workers and asylum seekers.
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon
- PQ MNAs are meeting in Saint-Georges through Friday to prepare for the Feb. 3 session.
- The party is holding a citizens’ assembly in Saint-Georges on Thursday evening.
- Local consultations focus on SMEs, export strategy and labour needs.
Next steps and what to watch
The PQ’s pre-session caucus continues through Friday and the party will host a citizens’ assembly in Saint-Georges. With the legislature scheduled to reopen on Feb. 3, the exchange between provincial leaders frames a contentious lead-up to the spring campaign for many Quebec voters.
This report is based on coverage by The Canadian Press, first published in French on Jan. 29, 2026, with reporting assistance from Émilie Bergeron in Ottawa.
Parti QuébécoisDoug FordQuebec politicsBeaucePaul St-Pierre Plamondon
