Canadian leader Carney says Quebec should focus on economy, not a possible independence referendum

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that Quebec should focus on immediate economic challenges rather than wait for a possible independence referendum years from now, a day after the separatist Parti Québécois returned to power .

Carney said he would respond to the prospect of another referendum by working with Quebec through “cooperative federalism” while focusing on affordable housing, economic growth, infrastructure and support for workers affected by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

“This is a crucial time for our country. It is a crucial time for Quebec,” Carney said. “This is not a time to wait for something a few years down the road. It’s the time to act. It’s a time for boldness.”

Carney said he spoke Tuesday morning with Quebec Premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, congratulated him and discussed infrastructure funding and support for workers in the province affected by the U.S. trade war.

St-Pierre Plamondon has pledged to hold another referendum on Quebec independence, but has said he would wait until Trump is no longer in office. He reaffirmed his separatist ambitions in his victory speech, saying he continues to envision Quebec becoming a country.

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly also said Ottawa would work with the new Quebec government while stressing the economic pressures facing the province.

“Right now we are in a trade war that is affecting a lot of jobs in Quebec,” Joly said. “Our goal will be to protect jobs in Quebec and across the country.”

The Parti Québécois, or PQ, won 59 seats Monday, five short of the 64 needed for a majority in Quebec’s 127-member National Assembly. The minority government will need opposition support to pass key legislation and survive confidence votes. The Coalition Avenir Québec was swept out of power after eight years, failing to win a single seat.

Carney’s Quebec lieutenant and Cabinet minister, Joël Lightbound, said that the PQ victory shouldn't be interpreted as a mandate to leave Canada.

“A mandate for separation needs to go through a referendum, so yesterday (Monday) was an election, not a referendum,” he said. Lightbound said that Ottawa would continue making the case that “Quebec is stronger within Canada.”

The Quebec result comes less than two weeks before Albertans vote Oct. 19 on whether to hold a referendum on separation from Canada.

The Quebec election and the approaching Alberta vote have renewed questions about Canadian unity as Carney’s government confronts Trump’s tariffs and threats against the country.

Support for Quebec independence remains at about 30%, low by historical standards, according to Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University. He said that Monday’s election was driven more by voters wanting to oust the governing Coalition Avenir Québec than by increased support for sovereignty.