PQ threatens to withdraw Quebec from high-speed rail project if it forms government

The leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, speaks at the National Assembly in Quebec City on March 17, 2026. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

QUÉBEC — The Parti Québécois is threatening to withdraw Quebec from the federal government’s proposed high-speed rail network if the party wins the October provincial election.

PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says he can’t justify to Quebecers that their money be spent on what risks becoming a “financial fiasco.”

Although he did not explain how Quebec would withdraw from the project, the PQ leader’s opposition could create a serious obstacle for federal plans to start building the line before 2030.

St-Pierre Plamondon says the Bloc Québécois has estimated the project will end up costing $200 billion and that Quebecers’ share would be $40 billion.

However, the federal corporation overseeing the 1,000-kilometre rail line linking Toronto to Quebec City estimates it will cost between $60 billion and $90 billion.

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has called on the federal government to cancel the project, describing it as a “boondoggle” that would waste taxpayer dollars.

On Tuesday farm organizations from Quebec, Ontario and across Canada asked Ottawa to revisit the proposed rail corridor, saying the project could cost far more than projected and cause significant damage to agricultural land.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2026.