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Outgoing Quebec premier Christine Fréchette is seeking a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney and CSIS involvement over alleged U.S. interference in the Quebec election, after reports that a U.S. think tank proposed covert support for the Parti Québécois.
Outgoing Quebec premier Christine Fréchette says she wants to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney and involve Canada's spy agency CSIS over allegations of possible U.S. interference in the Quebec election.
Quebec Premier Demands CSIS Probe U.S. Interference
The allegations stem from media reports that a U.S. think tank proposed destabilizing Canada by supporting the separatist Parti Québécois. Fréchette said she is very concerned by the information and that no one other than Quebecers will choose who forms their government. Québecor media reported Friday that a highly placed civil servant in the Fréchette government met with a federal government official to discuss the Defense Analyses and Research Corporation, known as DARC.
The federal official gave publications from the think tank, based in Arlington, Virginia, and El Segundo, California, to the Quebec official. A blog post on the think tank's website specifically mentions the Quebec election. According to that post, published on Feb. 26, 2026, the United States should consider covert support for the PQ ahead of the election.
The post lists 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. It says the United States would commit to offering lower tariffs on Quebec than on the rest of Canada. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Fréchette said she wants CSIS involved.
She said that is the procedure in this type of situation and that the government does not have the tools to analyze this type of situation. She added that for her the situation was being handled by CSIS but is now becoming public and a matter of public interest because an article has been published.
The media report also claimed that the Quebec government knew about the possible interference at the beginning of the year, but the CAQ leader refuted that. In a post on her X account, Fréchette said serious information was made public regarding the risk of foreign interference in the Quebec election. She said one thing is certain: no one other than Quebecers will ever choose who forms their government. In a subsequent post on X, Fréchette clarified the sequence of events.
Fréchette Clarifies Timeline of Foreign Interference Reports
She said her team informed her of the DARC publication on Saturday and that her team contacted Quebec's Ministry of Public Safety. Her team then spoke with CSIS on Tuesday and a meeting was held with the federal spy agency on Wednesday. She added that she learned from the articles published today that the government had already been informed of possible interferences earlier this year. PQ leader Paul St. Pierre Plamondon questioned the timing of the information coming to light.
He said there was an obligation to act promptly if there was a genuine risk and that it was not done by the CAQ. He added that 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.
Frréchette also confirmed another report in Québecor that a U.S. representative tried to meet with Quebec directly to discuss reducing certain tariffs to get around negotiations with Canada during Trump's trade war. The tariffs in question include 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.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anand Weighs in on Allegations
Canada's foreign affairs minister, Anita Anand, reacted to the allegations on Friday, saying in Ottawa that the federal government takes the issue very seriously. She said protecting our democracy is of the utmost importance to our country. 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 U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. She added that right now she has not seen the evidence.
Voters in Quebec head to the polls on Oct. 5. Advance voting begins this weekend. The allegations have raised questions about foreign interference just days before voting starts. Fréchette said she wants the federal government and CSIS to analyze the situation because the province lacks the tools to do so.
The think tank's blog post outlines three specific options for the United States. They include overt financial support for the PQ in the election and psychological operations to foment Quebecois and Albertan separatism. The third option is 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. The post was published on Feb. 26, 2026.
The report also said the Quebec government knew about the possible interference at the beginning of the year. The CAQ leader refuted that claim. Fréchette said she learned from the articles published today that the government had already been informed of possible interferences earlier this year. She said her team informed her of the DARC publication on Saturday and contacted Quebec's Ministry of Public Safety, then spoke with CSIS on Tuesday and met with the agency on Wednesday.
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CTVToronto:‘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.
Quebec Election U.S. Interference Christine Fréchette Parti Québécois CSIS
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