The battle of wills between Mark Carney and Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is just beginning

The Globe and Mail · Konrad Yakabuski · 2026-11-06 12:00 UTC

Questions have arisen about whether the Prime Minister is insufficiently attentive toward political sensitivities in Quebec

In 2006, Quebec’s then-Liberal premier did not mince words about the political significance of a deal with Ottawa to allow the province to appoint its own permanent representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

“The federal government is formally recognizing Quebec’s capacity to act on the international front,” Jean Charest said at a ceremony at Quebec’s National Assembly with then-Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper.

Previous Quebec governments had sought official status within UNESCO, as part of longstanding efforts to gain a voice within multilateral institutions. Mr. Harper, only months into his first term and at the helm of a minority government, moved quickly to grant Quebec its wish.

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