Why Quebec’s election has been turned upside down

In just over a month, Quebecers will head to the ballot box. And, until recently, this election seemed like a foregone conclusion: the Parti Quebecois, running on a promise to hold another independence referendum, had been ahead in the polls for the better part of three years. Then, the Canada-U.S. trade talks collapsed, and Quebec’s political future suddenly looks uncertain. The governing Coalition Avenir Quebec has surged from a distant fourth place, the PQ has shelved its referendum until after Donald Trump leaves office, and the U.S. commerce secretary has accused Mark Carney of “manufacturing” a fight over the French language to stop the sovereigntists from winning. Paul Journet is a political columnist for La Presse, and he unpacks what this election means for the province – and for the rest of the country. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts