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Quebec premier’s boycott of Canada-EU summit turns heads
Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-10-30 01:43:00.0
Tags: [National, Quebec, Trade, Governance, Economy]Quebec Premier Paul St-Prime Plamondon boycotted the Canada-European Union summit held in Montreal, declining an invitation to sit at the head table alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa because he was denied an official opportunity to speak or negotiate on Quebec's behalf. Instead, the premier sent Quebec chief diplomat Pascal Paradis to represent the province while issuing a critical letter to European representatives arguing that the federal government, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, had marginalized Quebec. Prime Minister Carney pushed back against the exclusion claims, stating that four meetings had been held with Quebec officials to discuss the summit and emphasizing a commitment to cooperative federalism.
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Canada welcomes EU leaders to Montreal for talks on next steps in relationship
Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-10-29 11:47:19.0
Tags: [National, Quebec, Trade, Economy, Technology, Energy]Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting European Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen and EU leaders in Montreal for bilateral talks aimed at forging closer strategic and economic ties. While full European Union membership is off the table, officials are negotiating an "alliance for the future" partnership focused on business, technology, clean energy, and critical minerals. The high-level summit has also sparked domestic political tension, with Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon pressing the federal government to secure a speaking role at the event.
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Quebec premier wants Carney to 'do the right thing,' let him speak at Canada-EU summit
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-28 17:20:17.0
Tags: [National, Quebec, Trade, Governance, Economy]A diplomatic and jurisdictional standoff has emerged between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon ahead of the 21st Canada-EU summit in Montreal. Premier St-Pierre Plamondon is refusing to attend or speak unless granted formal speaking time to address international delegates regarding Quebec's negative trade balance with the European Union, invoking the Gérin-Lajoie doctrine. Prime Minister Carney rejected the speech request—citing federal jurisdiction over geopolitics while offering the premier an invitation to dine and welcome European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen—leaving Quebec's official participation in the international trade negotiations in limbo.
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Canada facing carbon tariff threat from European Union: internal documents
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-28 08:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Trade, Economy, Environment]Internal Global Affairs Canada documents reveal that Canadian iron, steel, and aluminum exports face imminent carbon tariffs under the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), as Canada's national carbon price of $95 per tonne is not linked to the EU's $134 per tonne system. The incoming import levy exposes approximately $2.8 billion worth of Canadian goods annually, hitting the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec particularly hard with $885 million and $792 million in exposed exports, respectively. Global Affairs Canada estimates that Canadian exporters will face substantial administrative and compliance costs, with experts warning that EU carbon tariffs could eventually add up to $150 per tonne of steel by 2034. Canadian diplomats continue to engage with the European Commission during the Canada-EU Summit in Montreal to seek exemptions or recognition for domestic industrial carbon pricing systems.
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PQ accuses Ottawa of muzzling Quebec during upcoming Canada-EU summit
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-27 12:20:33.0
Tags: [National, Quebec, Trade, Governance, Economy]Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon publicly denounced the federal government's refusal to allow him to speak or host a reception at the Canada-EU summit held in Montreal on October 29 and 30, 2026. Prime Minister Mark Carney defended the federal position, stating that Quebec had already participated in three trade consultations and that the premier was invited to attend summit dinners. The diplomatic friction arises amid broader European Commission proposals to grant Canada associate membership status and federal initiatives to strengthen bilateral alliances in critical minerals, defence, artificial intelligence, and energy security.
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Carney speaks with incoming Parti Québécois premier about priorities and working together
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-06 17:19:07.0
Tags: [National, Quebec, Governance, Economy, Trade]Following the Parti Québécois's minority government victory in the Quebec provincial election, Prime Minister Mark Carney and premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon held discussions regarding intergovernmental cooperation on affordable housing, critical infrastructure, electricity capacity, and mitigating U.S. tariffs. The election results left the Parti Québécois with 59 seats in the National Assembly, the Quebec Liberals with 40 seats, the Conservative Party of Quebec with 19 seats, and Québec Solidaire with 9 seats, while the Coalition Avenir Québec lost all its seats. Despite the Parti Québécois's platform committing to a third referendum on sovereignty at the end of the current U.S. administration's term, federal officials including Industry Minister Mélanie Joly and Cabinet Minister Marc Miller emphasized a cooperative federal approach focused on regional economic resilience and protecting jobs.
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Canada is investing $150M to make AI safer. Will it work?
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-09-16 23:58:11.0
Tags: [National, Quebec, Technology, Industry, Economy]The federal government is investing $150 million in LawZero, a Montreal-based non-profit AI lab founded by Yoshua Bengio, alongside a 100 million euro investment from the German government. The funding is directed toward developing "Scientist AI," a new safety-focused AI model designed to operate on objective truths without autonomous goals. This initiative coincides with a merger agreement between Canadian AI firm Cohere and German AI firm Aleph Alpha to bolster sovereign technological capacity.
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Frechette holds mid-campaign cabinet meeting ahead of counter-tariffs
Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-09-06 21:40:26.0
Tags: [Quebec, National, Trade, Economy, Industry, Governance]Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette called a special virtual cabinet meeting for Monday, putting her provincial election campaign temporarily on hold ahead of retaliatory Canadian tariffs taking effect on September 8, 2026. The counter-tariffs, ranging from 15 to 50 per cent on U.S. goods including dairy, steel, copper, and select beauty products, are a direct response to U.S. President Donald Trump's 50 per cent tariffs on $28 billion worth of Canadian goods. The federal government previously briefed its advisory committee on Canada-U.S. economic relations—including chief U.S. trade negotiator Janice Charette—on planned support for affected workers and businesses, while federal and provincial opposition leaders criticized the timing as political positioning.
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Feds announce $4.7B for new VIA Rail cars to be built in Ontario, Quebec
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-09-03 18:05:42.0
Tags: [National, Ontario, Quebec, Transportation, Infrastructure, Economy]Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a federal investment of more than $4.7 billion for Via Rail to acquire and maintain 313 new passenger rail cars from Alstom Canada under the Buy Canadian Policy. The contract marks the first time in four decades that Via Rail passenger cars will be built entirely in Canada, replacing existing cars that are roughly 70 years old. The manufacturing and assembly will take place at facilities in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and La Pocatière, Quebec, with design and engineering conducted in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec. The project is projected to generate over $1.6 billion in economic benefits and support nearly 700 jobs across Ontario and Quebec.
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Will auto tariffs be a permanent roadblock for a Canada-U.S. trade deal?
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-08-27 21:22:28.0
Tags: [National, Ontario, Quebec, Trade, Industry, Economy]Canada-U.S. trade negotiations broke down following disputes over American tariffs on finished vehicles and auto parts, with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer confirming that the Trump administration aims to re-industrialize and shift auto manufacturing jobs to states like Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Canadian officials, including Ambassador to the U.S. Mark Wiseman and Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, maintain that preserving assembly and parts capabilities in Ontario and Quebec is critical, specifically protecting plants operated by Ford and General Motors employing roughly 20,000 workers. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to double tariffs on Canadian-made vehicles and non-CUSMA-compliant auto parts in the new year as trade talks remain stalled.
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LeBlanc welcomes U.S. decision 'withdrawing positions' on language, culture
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-08-27 13:05:31.0
Tags: [National, Quebec, Trade, Culture, Economy]Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc stated that the federal government welcomes the United States withdrawing its positions on French language and culture after U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer clarified that Canadian streaming laws and bilingual labeling requirements are not a "red line" for the American side. The diplomatic shift follows the collapse of trade negotiations triggered by U.S. tariff actions impacting approximately $27 billion worth of Canadian goods, alongside Canada's announcement of dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs on more than 700 U.S. imports set for September 8. Despite the modified U.S. stance on language and culture, both nations noted that formal trade talks remain stalled with no open channels currently active to resume negotiations.
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