Federal system is ‘illegitimate,’ claims PQ leader

Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon during question period at the legislature in Quebec City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

The constitutional debate continues at Quebec’s legislature, where PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon maintains that the federal system is “illegitimate,” and Liberal leader Pablo Rodriguez is open to signing the Canadian constitution.

The Parti Québécois leader stated that the federal system was “born of a British law, purely colonial in 1867, without the democratic consent of Quebecers.”

He pointed out that Quebec did not sign the Canadian constitution when it was repatriated in 1982.

St-Pierre Plamondon was asked at a press conference on Tuesday at the National Assembly whether he intended to comply with the Clarity Act with his third referendum.

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“It’s just not legitimate. I will not engage in manoeuvres that are essentially designed to deny Quebecers their democratic right to self-determination,” he said.

“Quebec has already responded to this Clarity Act, so the National Assembly has reiterated its right to self-determination. And that comes from international law. It is the right of peoples to self-determination,” added the PQ leader.

Québec Solidaire also considers the Canadian constitution to be “illegitimate.”

“It was written in the office of a few misogynistic, patriarchal, and very wealthy men. So it’s clear that it’s a totally illegitimate constitution, if only for First Nations. They were treated very poorly,” said spokesperson Ruba Ghazal.

At the other end of the spectrum, Pablo Rodriguez plans to sign the Canadian constitution when certain conditions are met.

“One day, when Quebec’s demands are accepted, yes. (...) It’s important because we are part of Canada, and I think that’s what Quebecers want,” he said.

However, the Liberal leader added that this was not a priority at the moment.

- Thomas Laberge, The Canadian Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 21, 2025.