Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette says she was not informed or consulted by Mark Carney’s federal government about its intention to hand over management of the Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport to the private sector. “It’s a federal asset,” she argued during a press briefing following the first televised debate of the Quebec election campaign on Tuesday. “Fundamentally, it is the [federal] government that is in a position to manage this asset. Of course, it would be welcome to be consulted or informed in advance.” Also speaking at a press briefing after the debate, Parti Québécois (PQ) Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said “it’s not normal” not to be consulted about the privatization of an airport “on our territory,” which is in “our backyard.” Fréchette suggested that the idea of privatizing the airport’s management was “in the air last spring,” adding that she wasn’t opposed to it outright. She did, however, make it clear that there were conditions, including that the project must not result in higher costs for users. “That’s something we’ll have to keep an eye on,” said the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) leader. St-Pierre Plamondon revealed that he had “instinctively” wondered whether Ottawa had consulted Quebec before announcing its decision. Earlier on Tuesday, during a major investment summit in Toronto, Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated that he wanted to entrust the management of Canada’s four largest airports — Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto — to private investors. He insisted that the federal government would retain ownership of the land and assets. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 16, 2026.
