Duhaime Urges Milliard to Clarify Stance on Quebec Immigration Powers

More than 75 percent of Albertans rejected the idea of holding a referendum on provincial independence, yet 55 percent endorsed securing greater powers over immigration in preliminary results.

Duhaime Presses Milliard on Ottawa Powers

Éric Duhaime, leader of the Parti conservateur du Québec, publicly challenged Liberal leader Charles Milliard to state whether he favors reclaiming federal immigration powers from Ottawa. Mr. Duhaime criticized a message posted by Mr. Milliard on the platform X following the Alberta referendum results. According to the conservative leader, Mr. Milliard focused solely on the defeat of the independence question while ignoring the clear mandate for regional control over immigration.

He took one of the ten questions, then he began to applaud and play his “Captain Canada.” There were nine other questions on autonomy, Mr. Duhaime stated.

For the conservative leader, the western province’s support for managing its own newcomers is an opportunity that Quebec’s Liberals have bypassed. Mr. Duhaime pressed the issue directly: Where does the Liberal Party stand on immigration? Do they want Quebec to be the master builder or not? Because the other parties, we all agree.

Photo: lesoleil.com

Competing Visions for Provincial Autonomy

Immigration in the province remains a shared constitutional jurisdiction. Quebec currently determines its own permanent immigration targets and shares control over certain temporary foreign worker programs with Ottawa, while the federal government retains responsibility for refugees, asylum seekers, and family reunification.

While Mr. Duhaime demands full control over all immigration powers to establish a genuine balance of power with the federal government, the Liberal platform has favored a more measured approach. During the provincial campaign, Mr. Milliard advocated for acquiring specific partial authorities, notably full control over the temporary foreign worker file, rather than a complete repatriation.

In his post on X, Mr. Milliard defended the structure of the Canadian federation, writing that the results demonstrate a desire to unite and build Canada rather than divide it. The Canada is the envy of the world. At the Quebec Liberal Party, we have the firm conviction that the Canadian federation constitutes the best option for Quebec men and women, he wrote.

Conservative Plan Seeks to Reduce Non-Economic Immigration

The conservative immigration strategy unveiled in Montreal aims to reduce non-economic immigration such as family reunifications without initially establishing fixed permanent numeric thresholds. Instead, the Parti conservateur du Québec proposes compiling regional immigration plans through newly formed regional tables.

Mr. Duhaime argued that setting rigid multi-year caps is a trap, pointing out that general consensus in the province points to an excess of temporary residents and asylum seekers in recent years. However, he distinguished these groups from foreign workers, praising their essential contributions to the agricultural, manufacturing, and public service sectors.

The conservative platform also emphasizes protecting local values by introducing tougher screening criteria that favor candidates from democratic nations where fundamental rights, including women’s rights and the rights of sexual minorities, are actively respected. The party also proposes reducing social assistance and prioritizing citizens for public services like subsidized daycares to curb the appeal for asylum seekers.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Party has focused its campaign announcements elsewhere, introducing pledges to enhance shareable parental leave and convert private spaces into subsidized childcare facilities, while taking aim at government management of digital transformation projects in the healthcare sector.

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