Justin Trudeau's refusal to grant more powers to Quebec in immigration rekindles the debate on sovereignty. The Parti Québécois asks François Legault to brandish the threat of independence, while elected CAQ members profess their desire for a strong Quebec in a united Canada.

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PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon challenged the Prime Minister on Thursday morning, recalling that several of his predecessors, including Robert Bourassa, left the possibility of independence hanging over to establish a balance of power against Ottawa.

“I ask that François Legault name this possibility, explicitly mention the possibility that, if Justin Trudeau does not change his mind quickly on the question of immigration powers, well, it will be our freedom, it will be our independence, let him say it, federalist people like Robert Bourassa were able to do it,” he said at a press briefing.

François Legault said last weekend that the repatriation of immigration powers was a matter of survival for the Quebec people, recalls the PQ leader.

"The day the Prime Minister says that, formally, that it's a question of survival, he has to go through with the reasoning when the Prime Minister of Canada says no to him for a third time within 48 hours," he said. -he explains.

Nationalists within Canada

Questioned shortly after, François Legault reiterated that he has no intention of claiming the sovereignty of Quebec. "We are a nationalist party within Canada," he said.

“There is no appetite [for independence],” he added.

At the Blue Room, the Prime Minister added in response to questions from the PQ: “We are confident of making gains in immigration. Then it will help protect the future of French and then of our nation.

Federalism

In general, the watchword among the elected caquistes was to emphasize that they are "nationalists".

Within the Coalition avenir Québec, the question of sovereignty divides. Some are known for their past support for independence, while others are staunchly in favor of the Canadian federation.

“I really like Canada. We are in Quebec, we must have Quebec respected, but in a Canada”, underlined in particular the Minister for the Economy, Lucie Lecours.

Same story on the side of his colleague Sylvain Lévesque. “We are part of Canada. We are currently moving the files forward. We are part of English Canada and French Canada together and our goal is to move Quebec forward,” he said.

Mr. Lévesque believes that his government has made “a lot of gains” against Ottawa. As for Ottawa's refusal to grant more powers in immigration, "politics is evolutionary," he argues.