Anglophones have a place within the Parti Québécois (PQ), the party that will solve Quebec’s “decline” for the benefit of English- and French-speakers, Paul St. Pierre Plamondon says. Writing an open letter addressed to Quebec’s English-speaking minority in a pre-election pitch, the PQ leader says anglophones and francophones share the same concerns ahead of what he calls a “pivotal” vote on Oct. 5 and that he is hearing from more Quebecers who speak English who are throwing their support behind his party for the first time. “Public discourse has too often encouraged the mistaken belief that the concerns of French-speaking and English-speaking Quebecers are fundamentally at odds. Nothing could be further from the truth,” St. Pierre Plamondon wrote in his letter, published in the National Post on Tuesday. “We are all in the same boat. We live under the same institutions. We pay the same taxes. We deserve the same high-quality public services and individual financial well-being.” All Quebecers, he writes, should reject the declining quality of life over the past eight years, pointing to “neglected” roads, the soaring cost of homeownership, a struggling health-care system, and the homelessness crisis. Quebecers, including anglophones, looking for change should turn to the PQ to put the province on the right track, he says. “As we clearly stated in our blue book, the country of Quebec that we are building is one where the rights of the historic English-speaking minority will be fully protected. Its institutions will continue to exist and be called on to play their essential role,” the letter stated. “The Parti Québécois will even ensure that the rights currently enjoyed by the English-speaking community are entrenched in the constitution.” Political analyst Raphael Melançon isn’t so sure that anglophones are necessarily buying what St. Pierre Plamondon is selling. “It’s a reheated argument. It’s a tune we’ve heard over and over from PQ leaders in the past,” Melançon told CTV News. “Nobody buys that. It’s speaking from both sides of your mouth from the PQ leader because on one hand, when he speaks to his core base he’s all about a third referendum on sovereignty and when he tries to reach out to other audiences — which are less keen to support sovereignty — then it’s about having a good government and putting the nation back on track. So it’s hard to follow.” PQ still leading in new poll The open letter comes as the PQ continues its lead in the polls. A new Leger/Le Journal/TVA poll released Tuesday shows the PQ is in the lead with 30 per cent support in voting intentions if an election were held today. The party’s rise in the polls has stagnated, though, over the last few months. The Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) is not far behind with 24 per cent support, followed by the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) at 20 per cent, the Quebec Conservative Party (PCQ) at 13 per cent, and Québec solidaire (QS) at 11 per cent. Among the respondents who said they’d cast their ballot for the PQ, 11 per cent identified as non-francophones. The party has strong support from francophone voters (36 per cent). However, not everyone has made up their minds. According to the poll, nearly half of respondents (49 per cent) said their voting decision was not solid and they could end up voting for another party — a sign that the race is still very open despite strong support for the Parti Québécois. Support for Quebec referendum on sovereignty remains low In his open letter, St. Pierre Plamondon also addressed the question of holding another referendum on Quebec separating from Canada, which remains unpopular among the electorate. “In the years ahead, if Quebecers so choose, we will collectively resume our reflection on the place Quebec wishes to occupy within Canada and within the world, and we will decide that question democratically. But that conversation should not put aside the numerous urgent issues before us in this upcoming election,” he wrote. St. Pierre Plamondon has vowed to hold a third referendum within his first mandate if his party forms government after the Oct. 5 election. According to the Leger/Le Journal/TVA poll, support for Quebec sovereignty only stands at 31 per cent, with 69 per cent of respondents saying they would vote “No” on separation. Support for the No vote, which has been trending higher since the beginning of the year, is at 85 per cent for non-francophones and 64 per cent for francophones. The poll was based on an online survey of 998 Quebec adults who are eligible to vote, conducted between Aug. 7-9, 2026. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.10 per cent, 19 times out of 20. All parties are gearing up for an election campaign that could begin by late August. By law, an election campaign lasts between 33 and 39 days. With files from CTV News’ Maya Johnson
