MONTREAL — Federalism was top of mind for party leaders on Wednesday, the seventh day of the Quebec election campaign. Sovereigntist Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon found himself on the receiving end of quips from opponents following revelations he had donated multiple times to the Liberal Party of Canada between 2004 and 2008. Elections Canada records show St-Pierre Plamondon donated over $2,000 to the party in that time. In 2023, he donated $1,000 to the Bloc Québécois. St-Pierre Plamondon has been open about his journey away from and back to sovereignty throughout his life. He voted for Quebec to separate in 1995 before joining federalist circles and then ultimately returned to the sovereigntist movement, he told The Canadian Press in 2023. Emmanuel Renaud, St-Pierre Plamondon’s spokesperson, said the leader has described himself as a “disappointed federalist.” St-Pierre Plamondon made donations during fundraising events when he was a lawyer at the firm Stikeman Elliot, Renaud said Wednesday in an email. “That he made donations at that time was part of the common practices of fundraising events that take place in firms or because of his ties with acquaintances in the party,” Renaud said. The revelations about St-Pierre Plamondon's donations to the federal Liberals were first reported by Le Journal de Montréal. His opponents reacted to the news on the campaign trail, but did not question his current sovereigntist beliefs. “We can see that his allegiance to the sovereigntist faith wasn’t always there, clearly,” said Coalition Avenir Québec leader Christine Fréchette. Charles Milliard, leader of Quebec's Liberals, chuckled when asked about the donations. "In all seriousness, I want to reassure Mr. Plamondon, if he's listening this morning: I don't think he's a federalist," Milliard said. Quebec Conservative party leader Éric Duhaime said the donations were getting too much attention and voters are not interested in money given more than a decade ago. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2026. Marieke Glorieux-Stryckman, The Canadian Press
