What happened
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, the incoming premier of Quebec, has stated that a growing economy does not necessarily make ordinary citizens richer. He argues that mass immigration can push down wages by increasing the labor pool, making workers more plentiful and driving down the price of labor.
St-Pierre Plamondon's comments target the Century Initiative, a nonprofit organization that aims to increase Canada's population to 100 million by 2100 through higher immigration. He believes that this approach is flawed, as it focuses on growing the overall economy rather than improving the prosperity of individual citizens.
The Parti Québécois, led by St-Pierre Plamondon, won approximately 59 seats in the recent election, allowing them to dominate Quebec's National Assembly. The party's platform includes sharp cuts to immigration, including a moratorium on new economic immigrants, and instead proposes drawing permanent residents from temporary foreign workers and international students already living in the province.
St-Pierre Plamondon has also promised a third independence referendum during his term, although he has stated that he will wait until U.S. President Donald Trump leaves office. Support for sovereignty in Quebec currently sits at around 30 percent, which is relatively low by historical standards.
