Fracking becomes campaign issue as Quebec leader opens door to shale gas development

Fracking emerged as a flashpoint on Quebec's election trail Saturday when Coalition Avenir Québec leader Christine Fréchette claimed public attitudes are shifting toward shale gas development.

At a news conference in Trois-Rivières, Fréchette said: "I think Quebecers have shifted their perspective a bit and I believe there's greater openness to these possibilities." But she hedged her position, adding: "Is that openness enough to say we should consider moving forward? I'm not there yet, but I would say that if we ever get to that point, there will also need to be social acceptance."

Fréchette's comments reference recent polling by La Presse showing Quebecers are divided on fracking, though support increases when fracking is framed as a tool to gain autonomy from American markets. The CAQ itself banned shale gas exploration and production in 2022 under then-Premier François Legault. Fréchette raised the possibility of revisiting that ban during the party's spring leadership race.

The position puts her at odds with every other major party contesting the October 5 election. Québec Solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal countered Saturday in Montreal: "To stand up to Donald Trump, we have to highlight what makes us strong. That's clean energy, hydroelectricity, wind power, and geothermal energy. We're sitting on a gold mine called clean energy."

The Quebec Liberal Party and Parti Québécois are also firmly opposed to fracking for shale gas. Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime, however, is a staunch advocate, though the source does not detail his argument.