Quebec’s separatist leader threatens to play spoiler at Carney’s EU summit
Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says Ottawa would rather he “serve shrimp cocktail” at a function than stage one, and alleges a “serious lack of respect.”
Quebec's separatist leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, threatened to undermine EU-Canada summit talks, accusing Ottawa of barring the province from participating. The dispute arose when Quebec's Justice Minister Marie-Claude Sarrazin cited Ottawa's refusal to allow his address at the summit, which begins on Thursday. St-Pierre Plamondon tweeted that the decision demonstrated "serious disrespect," adding he would rather "serve shrimp cocktail" at a function rather than address one.
Ottawa also declined a September request from the previous Quebec government to host a reception during the summit. Prime Minister Mark Carney countered that St-Pierre Plamondon had rejected his own invitation to the Thursday night dinner. The tiff jeopardizes an international gathering that Carney and other leaders have hailed as a significant step forward in relations, driven by the US's trade policies.
The dispute brings back memories of the 1965 Gérin-Lajoie doctrine, which grants Quebec the right to conduct its own foreign affairs in areas assigned to provinces by the Canadian Constitution.
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