Quebec Premier to Meet Prime Minister Carney After Summit Row

Quebec Premier Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon said on social media that he will meet PM Carney before the Francophonie Summit in November. The invitation comes after several days of tension over the premier’s exclusion from the Canada‑European Union summit held in Montreal on Thursday and Friday.

Why the meeting matters Carney told La Presse in an interview published Saturday that the meeting is intended to set common goals and preserve good federal‑provincial relations. St‑Pierre Plamondon, who became premier after his Parti Québécois won a minority government in last month’s provincial election, thanked the prime minister for what he called a change of tone.

Conditions for the talks The premier said he will accept only if the meeting is held in Quebec City, citing the Act Respecting the National Capital Commission, which requires such meetings to take place there. "Unsurprisingly, I simply ask that this meeting be held in accordance with Quebec law, specifically the Act Respecting the National Capital Commission, which stipulates that meetings of this nature must take place in Quebec City," he wrote.

Fallout Ottawa said Premier was invited to a dinner with EU representatives but was not given a speaking slot. The premier accused the federal government of muzzling Quebec, describing the dinner invitation as “serving shrimp cocktails at a reception” and saying it was insufficient to represent the province’s interests. "The federal government would have us believe that giving the Quebec premier permission to serve shrimp cocktails at a reception constitutes an acceptable and sufficient form of influence in representing Quebec's interests," he posted. He withdrew from the summit and sent newly‑appointed chief diplomat Pascal Paradis in his place.