Carney offers three dates to meet Quebec premier

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office has proposed three dates for a first meeting with Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, but none of them is in Quebec City, where the premier says it should be held.

The dates are Nov. 9 in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, Nov. 10 in the Montreal region and Nov. 20 in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, La Presse reported Monday night. The Journal de Montréal and Radio-Canada also reported that the prime minister’s office has declined, for now, to hold the meeting in the provincial capital.

A government source, who spoke to La Presse on condition of anonymity, said Carney’s schedule does not allow a trip to Quebec City before December or early January 2027. The source said the prime minister is in the country only about two weeks between now and December because of international summits and other commitments.

St-Pierre Plamondon accepted Carney’s invitation on Sunday, on the condition that the meeting take place in Quebec City, the seat of the National Assembly. He made the statement in a written message on Facebook. His office said Monday night that talks with the federal side were continuing to settle a date.

Carney left Ottawa on Monday for the Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda and is due back overnight Wednesday into Thursday, La Presse reported. He is to attend the tabling of Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s second budget on Thursday and travel to Winnipeg on Friday. After Remembrance Day ceremonies on Nov. 11, he leaves for three international summits, including the Francophonie summit in Cambodia from Nov. 14 to 17.

The location has become a point of debate among Quebec’s parties. Conservative Party of Quebec Leader Éric Duhaime backed the premier. “The minimum is to do this in the national capital,” he told reporters in Quebec City (translated from French).

Liberal Leader Charles Milliard said he agrees meetings of this kind should mostly be held in Quebec City, but argued the location should not become a pretext for delay given the short time before the Francophonie summit, La Presse reported. Québec solidaire also wants the meeting in Quebec City, and Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand sided with the premier.

The standoff is the latest friction between Ottawa and the new Parti Québécois government. St-Pierre Plamondon skipped the Canada-EU summit in Montreal last week after a dispute over a dinner invitation.

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Sources: La Presse, Journal de Montréal, Radio-Canada.