Quebec separatist leader's letter to anglophones sparks call for trust and stability

Ahead of a fall election, Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon published an open letter addressed to Quebec’s English-speaking citizens, seeking dialogue across linguistic lines. One outlet paired his missive with a reply from the Montreal city council’s executive committee member responsible for anglophone affairs, who praised the gesture but highlighted a long-standing mistrust of separatist promises.

The reply noted that anglophones share the same worries as francophones—rising living costs, housing scarcity, health-care access, education, homelessness and public safety—and demand a government that delivers results. It argued that rights should not fluctuate with the party in power, referencing past language-law tightening by the Coalition Avenir Québec and quoting former Liberal cabinet minister Clifford Lincoln on the inviolability of rights. The letter also invoked René Lévesque’s view of English-Quebecers as partners, and warned that a promised referendum, which polls show lacks popular support, could undermine the broader desire for improved services and economic confidence.