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Outgoing Quebec premier Christine Fréchette says she is very concerned about possible US interference in the Oct. 5 election after reports a US think tank proposed covert support for the Parti Québécois, and confirms a US official sought direct tariff talks with Quebec.
Outgoing Quebec premier Christine Fréchette says she is very concerned about possible interference in the Oct. 5 provincial election by the United States, following media reports that a US think tank proposed destabilizing Canada by supporting the separatist Parti Québécois.
Québecor media reported Friday that a highly placed civil servant in the Fréchette government met in early September with a federal government official to discuss the Defense Analyses and Research Corporation, a think tank based in Arlington, Virginia, and El Segundo, California. The federal official gave publications from the think tank to the Quebec official, according to the report. One post, published Feb. 26, 2026, reads: The United States should consider covert support for PQ ahead of the election.
Think Tank Proposals Include Tariff Offers
The post outlines options including overt financial support for the PQ in the election, psychological operations to foment Quebecois and Albertan separatism, and behind-closed-doors trade negotiations with the PQ where the United States commits to offering lower tariffs on Quebec than on the rest of Canada. Fréchette said there is nothing to lead us to believe that these allegations, these hypotheses, are true.
She said she raised the issue with Prime Minister Mark Carney and that her party approached the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. She said that is the procedure in this type of situation and that Quebec does not have the tools to analyze this type of situation. For me, the situation was being handled by CSIS, but now it is becoming public, she said, adding it is now a matter of public interest because an article has been published.
In a statement, CSIS told CTV News it remains vigilant against foreign interference and espionage threats from foreign actors. This is why in June we proactively offered briefings on foreign interference to all political parties in Quebec, spokesperson Eric Balsam said in an email. The agency did not provide details about being approached by the CAQ party. Fréchette refuted the media report's claim that the Quebec government knew about the possible interference at the beginning of the year.
In a post on her X account, she said serious information was made public today regarding the risk of foreign interference in the Quebec election, adding she is very concerned by what she is hearing. One thing is certain: there is a principle that must guide us all, no one other than Quebecers will ever choose who forms their government, she said.
Premier Details Internal Security Briefings
In a press scrum Friday evening, she clarified that her team informed her last Saturday about the DARC publication, but that her staff had been tipped off before she was. Minister of Domestic Security Mr. Lafrenière had been made aware of it, but he did not inform me, she said. She said her team then spoke with CSIS on Tuesday and a meeting was held with the federal spy agency on Wednesday.
She insists the matter is not closed and that analyses are underway. Fréchette says she still hopes to receive clarification from the federal government. She also said she wants to ensure that the full truth about this issue comes to light, and that the decision must remain in the hands of and be decided by the people of Quebec. PQ leader Paul St. Pierre Plamondon questioned the timing of the information coming to light.
There was an obligation to act promptly if there was a genuine risk. It was not done by the CAQ, he said. And then if there is no risk and that is why they did not do anything, why are they sending out this information two days before the voting?
Franchise also confirmed another Québecor report that to get around negotiations with Canada during Trump's trade war, a US representative tried to meet with Quebec directly to discuss reducing certain tariffs, including those affecting aluminum, an important industry in the province. She said when her team told her about it, she shut the door immediately, adding that it is important to have a united front.
Federal Minister Responds To Allegations
Canada's foreign affairs minister, Anita Anand, reacted to the allegations Friday, saying in Ottawa that the federal government takes the issue very seriously. Protecting our democracy is of the utmost importance to our country, she said. She said she had not received any proof of foreign interference and that when any issues arise, she will raise them with her counterparts, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Right now I have not seen the evidence, Anand said.
Voters in Quebec head to the polls on Oct. 5, with advance voting beginning this weekend. Nanos Research Chief Data Scientist Nik Nanos said Quebec parties have not seen any real knockout punches 10 days before the election.
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CP24:‘Very concerned’: Fréchette responds to allegations of U.S. interference in Quebec electionThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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