Threats from Trump | It is too early for aid to businesses, believes the Parti Québécois

(Terrebonne) The Parti Québécois (PQ) judges that it is still too early to offer financial assistance to businesses threatened by customs duties promised by President Donald Trump as of 1^is FEBRUARY.

In a press scrum Tuesday afternoon in Terrebonne, PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said he was also opposed to the implementation of “wall-to-wall” business aid programs which can lead to “waste and cost overruns.

Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon was reacting to Prime Minister François Legault, who promised Tuesday to protect Quebecers “at all costs” against customs tariffs of 25% on Canadian products that Mr. Trump could impose in a little more a week.

“It is too early to set up programs when we do not know what this negotiation is about,” said the leader of the PQ.

In addition, the CAQ government is recording this year “the worst deficit in the history of Quebec”, 11 billion, “that takes away our room for maneuver”, denounced the leader of the PQ, while we are refusing services to patients in the health network due to cutbacks.

According to him, we know the American president’s negotiating methods and the deadline of 1^is February could very well be pushed back further.

Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon said he felt the “concern” of businesses, but called for a common plan and a clear strategy from the government, in consultation with the opposition and businesses.

The independence leader believes that we must “keep a cool head” and keep as our first objective the avoidance, first and foremost, of the imposition of customs duties.

The leader of the third opposition in the House deplores that Alberta and Ontario are “more independent and proactive” than Quebec in wanting to defend their own interests, rather than sticking to the Canadian common front.

But he did not go so far as to call on Mr. Legault to stand aside. At most he noted that during this time, Alberta Prime Minister Danielle Smith was received at Donald Trump’s residence in Florida.

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Still on the American front, the leader of the PQ spoke about the X network and the controversy surrounding its owner, Elon Musk.

Read “Quebec organizations join the departure wave of X”

The richest man on the planet, expected to be named head of a department of government efficiency by Mr. Trump, performed a gesture akin to a Nazi salute during the inauguration ceremony Monday.

The four PQ elected officials were to meet Tuesday evening to analyze the decrees adopted by the new president on Monday and prepare proposals to defend Quebec businesses.

The news of the last 24 hours has thus come to shake up the game plan of the PQ, which is holding its caucus meeting from Wednesday to prepare for the parliamentary return at the end of January and which had chosen Terrebonne for strategic reasons.

In fact, the PQ wanted to hold partisan activities and campaign for the complementary election which should be called in the coming weeks.

The PQ candidate, Catherine Gentilcore, would have a chance of winning according to the polls.

Originally, a door-to-door canvassing had been organized Tuesday afternoon with the chief, but this outing was canceled due to the severe cold that persists in the metropolitan area.

The activity had been replaced by a telephone check-in in preparation for the upcoming election campaign, but this was also canceled. A tally consists of a party making telephone calls to voters to verify their allegiances and solicit their support.

The leader therefore instead met with journalists on Tuesday at the end of the day.

The seat for the Terrebonne constituency has been vacant since the resignation of CAQ minister Pierre Fitzgibbon in August and the PQ has been actively campaigning since then to regain this constituency which has long been PQ.

Alex Gagné will be the CAQ candidate, according to Quebecor media reports. Virginie Bouchard wears the colors of the Liberal Party and Nadia Poirier those of Québec solidaire.