With just a few days left in the campaign, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) is once again raising the specter of Donald Trump. This time, it was Minister France-Élaine Duranceau who compared PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to the U.S. president. “We’re starting to see PSPP’s [Paul St-Pierre Plamondon] true colours. When we don’t agree with him, it’s ‘fake news,’” she said Thursday, in reference to a term popularized by Trump. Duranceau made the comments during a press briefing in Montreal alongside her party leader, Christine Fréchette. In an op-ed interview with Le Devoir a few days ago, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said that “misinformation and distortion” of his remarks by the media and his political opponents were responsible for the deterioration of his image among certain immigrants. France-Élaine Duranceau launched a full-throttle attack against the PQ leader, asserting that “uncertainty” and “squabbling” would begin the very day after the election if the Parti Québécois (PQ) wins. She also pointed out that the PQ leader wanted to make “massive, across-the-board cuts to the civil service.” “I understand that people want change, but it’s important not to rush headlong into a precipice with this kind of change. A PQ government is what they’re proposing to us,” she said. Fréchette added fuel to the fire. “Would Donald Trump be saddened to see that Quebec is going to hold a referendum? I don’t think so,” she said. Earlier in the campaign, the CAQ leader claimed there was “convergence of views” between Donald Trump and Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, as both want to “weaken Canada.” The PQ still leads in voter intentions, while the CAQ could be wiped off the map on Oct. 5, according to the Qc125.com poll aggregator. Comments on foreign interference Earlier on Thursday, Fréchette admitted she had reacted too quickly to reports of possible foreign interference by the United States in the Quebec election campaign. “I should have waited for more information before speaking out, and that’s what I would do differently,” she said in an interview with Patrick Lagacé on 98.5. On Sept. 25, the Journal de Montréal caused a stir by reporting that Ottawa had warned the Quebec government about possible U.S. foreign interference in the election campaign. It is reported that in early September, a senior official in the Fréchette government received, from the federal government, documents from an American think tank, the Defense Analyses and Research Corporation (DARC). Among other things, this group proposed providing financial support to the Parti Québécois. A few minutes after the article was published, Fréchette issued a brief statement in which she solemnly affirmed that she was “very concerned” about “serious reports of possible risks of foreign interference.” Later that same day, her tone changed. The CAQ leader stated that “there is no cause for concern regarding the integrity of the Quebec electoral process.” “I should have limited myself to my comment late in the afternoon, because at that point I had more information and was reassured,” she added during Thursday’s interview. A few days prior, the CAQ leader also had to admit that it was a staff member on her team who had leaked this information to the media and that she had not been notified. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 1, 2026.
