Muhammad Amanullah
September 7, 2026
Quebec Premier and Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) leader Christine Fréchette suspended her election campaign activities on Sunday and resumed her responsibilities as premier to convene a special cabinet meeting in response to the latest developments in the Canada-US tariff dispute.
Emergency meeting to be held Monday
According to Radio-Canada, Ms Fréchette will chair the special cabinet meeting on Monday, a development also confirmed by Canadian Press.
Such an extraordinary cabinet meeting is rarely seen during an election campaign. The meeting has been called one day before Canada is scheduled to impose retaliatory tariffs on a range of US products.
Tariffs of up to 50 per cent on US products
Canada is set to impose retaliatory tariffs ranging from 15 to 50 per cent on various American products.
The measures will affect a range of goods, including dairy products, steel, copper and certain beauty products.
The move comes in response to US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose an additional 50 per cent tariff on nearly $28 billion worth of Canadian products.
Political opponents criticise decision
Leaders of several Quebec political parties have criticised Ms Fréchette’s decision to call the special cabinet meeting during the election campaign.
Quebec Liberal Party leader Charles Milliard said Quebecers would witness a “political drama” on Monday.
He accused the Fréchette government of failing to adequately prepare the province for the tariff war.
According to Mr Milliard, the current situation reflects decisions being made in haste rather than adequate preparation for the economic challenges facing Quebec.
Conservatives call move ‘political promotion’
Conservative Party leader Éric Duhaime also criticised the decision to hold the special cabinet meeting.
He accused Ms Fréchette of opportunism, arguing that the CAQ was attempting to use the current tariff crisis for political promotion and to divert public attention from the government’s previous performance.
Québec Solidaire raises concerns
Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said fear could not be used as an economic strategy.
He accused Ms Fréchette of spending several days highlighting fears over possible measures by Donald Trump in an attempt to divert public attention from the CAQ government’s record and the proposals of other political parties.
Mr Plamondon said the tariff issue should not be used as an excuse to avoid the election campaign or a transparent discussion with the public.
Call for federal government to brief political leaders
Mr Plamondon also called on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government to directly brief the leaders of all political parties in Quebec if the United States takes further retaliatory measures.
He said that on an issue of such importance, continuity of government and the protection of Quebec’s economic interests should remain above political differences between the parties.
Québec Solidaire takes a different position
Québec Solidaire spokesperson Ruba Ghazal adopted a more cautious position than some of the other opposition leaders.
She acknowledged that Christine Fréchette remains premier and that holding government meetings in that capacity is part of her responsibilities.
However, Ms Ghazal questioned what measures the government was proposing to support workers and address the impact of tariffs and broader economic pressures.
Similar example seen in 2025
There was a similar example of a political leader temporarily resuming government responsibilities during an election campaign in Canada’s 2025 federal election.
During that campaign, Prime Minister Mark Carney resumed his responsibilities as prime minister three times because of the US-Canada tariff war.
The situation in Quebec demonstrates how the continuing trade tensions between Canada and the United States are increasingly affecting provincial politics and election campaigns.
آپ کے فراہم کردہ مضمون کو مکمل طور پر professional Dawn-style English news article میں تبدیل کر دیا ہے، اہم معلومات اور اصل structure برقرار رکھتے ہوئے۔
Quebec Premier Suspends Election Campaign, Calls Emergency Cabinet Meeting Over US Tariffs
By Muhammad Amanullah
September 7, 2026
Quebec Premier and Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) leader Christine Fréchette suspended her election campaign activities on Sunday and resumed her responsibilities as premier to convene a special cabinet meeting in response to the latest developments in the Canada-US tariff dispute.
Emergency meeting to be held Monday
According to Radio-Canada, Ms Fréchette will chair the special cabinet meeting on Monday, a development also confirmed by Canadian Press.
Such an extraordinary cabinet meeting is rarely seen during an election campaign. The meeting has been called one day before Canada is scheduled to impose retaliatory tariffs on a range of US products.
Tariffs of up to 50 per cent on US products
Canada is set to impose retaliatory tariffs ranging from 15 to 50 per cent on various American products.
The measures will affect a range of goods, including dairy products, steel, copper and certain beauty products.
The move comes in response to US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose an additional 50 per cent tariff on nearly $28 billion worth of Canadian products.
Political opponents criticise decision
Leaders of several Quebec political parties have criticised Ms Fréchette’s decision to call the special cabinet meeting during the election campaign.
Quebec Liberal Party leader Charles Milliard said Quebecers would witness a “political drama” on Monday.
He accused the Fréchette government of failing to adequately prepare the province for the tariff war.
According to Mr Milliard, the current situation reflects decisions being made in haste rather than adequate preparation for the economic challenges facing Quebec.
Conservatives call move ‘political promotion’
Conservative Party leader Éric Duhaime also criticised the decision to hold the special cabinet meeting.
He accused Ms Fréchette of opportunism, arguing that the CAQ was attempting to use the current tariff crisis for political promotion and to divert public attention from the government’s previous performance.
Québec Solidaire raises concerns
Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said fear could not be used as an economic strategy.
He accused Ms Fréchette of spending several days highlighting fears over possible measures by Donald Trump in an attempt to divert public attention from the CAQ government’s record and the proposals of other political parties.
Mr Plamondon said the tariff issue should not be used as an excuse to avoid the election campaign or a transparent discussion with the public.
Call for federal government to brief political leaders
Mr Plamondon also called on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government to directly brief the leaders of all political parties in Quebec if the United States takes further retaliatory measures.
He said that on an issue of such importance, continuity of government and the protection of Quebec’s economic interests should remain above political differences between the parties.
Québec Solidaire takes a different position
Québec Solidaire spokesperson Ruba Ghazal adopted a more cautious position than some of the other opposition leaders.
She acknowledged that Christine Fréchette remains premier and that holding government meetings in that capacity is part of her responsibilities.
However, Ms Ghazal questioned what measures the government was proposing to support workers and address the impact of tariffs and broader economic pressures.
Similar example seen in 2025
There was a similar example of a political leader temporarily resuming government responsibilities during an election campaign in Canada’s 2025 federal election.
During that campaign, Prime Minister Mark Carney resumed his responsibilities as prime minister three times because of the US-Canada tariff war.
The situation in Quebec demonstrates how the continuing trade tensions between Canada and the United States are increasingly affecting provincial politics and election campaigns.
