PQ rules out Quebec referendum until after Trump's presidency ends

A PQ government would not hold a referendum on Quebec sovereignty while Donald Trump is president, party leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said Tuesday, Aug. 18.

Plamondon announced the position on social media, saying he wants to remove concerns that Trump's unpredictability would make a referendum particularly risky for Quebec's political future. "I have chosen to completely defuse the argument that this would be the worst possible time to reflect on our future because of Trump," he said, noting the decision would let the PQ focus its campaign on policy proposals rather than "fear-mongering."

The move effectively rules out a referendum before January 20, 2029, when Trump's presidency ends. Plamondon also pointed out that whoever forms the next government will face immediate pressures on cost of living, housing, and public services — competing priorities that would make a referendum campaign difficult in the first mandate.

The last Quebec sovereignty referendum took place on October 30, 1995, with the "No" side winning by a narrow margin of 50.58 percent. Support for Quebec sovereignty currently sits at 31 percent, according to research from Léger.

Quebecers will vote on October 5, 2026. The PQ is currently polling around 30 percent, ahead of the Quebec Liberal Party in the mid-to-high 20s, with the Coalition Avenir Québec trailing in the low 20s.