Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, leader of the Parti québécois, said he will withdraw Quebec from the high-speed rail project linking Quebec City and Toronto.
The proposal represents a significant shift in provincial infrastructure strategy that could derail a major federal transportation initiative if the PQ wins the upcoming provincial election.
Plamondon said the project is a "financial fiasco" with an estimated cost of 200 billion dollars [1]. He said the initiative primarily serves a logic of "nation-building" rather than the practical needs of taxpayers [1].
The leader of the Parti québécois said he will remove the province from the project if he is elected in the provincial election scheduled for autumn 2026 [2].
This stance positions the PQ against the current trajectory of the rail corridor, which aims to connect major urban centers across the region. Plamondon said the scale of the investment is unjustifiable for the public [1].
The high-speed rail link is intended to modernize travel between Quebec and Toronto, but the PQ leader said the financial burden outweighs the benefits. He said the project is a waste of resources that does not align with the province's priorities [1].
Plamondon's commitment to withdraw Quebec from the agreement is now a central plank of his platform as the province moves toward the autumn vote [2].
“C’est un fiasco financier à 200 G$”
This pledge highlights a growing tension between federal Canadian infrastructure goals and Quebec's provincial sovereignty. By framing the high-speed rail as a federal 'nation-building' exercise rather than a local utility, Plamondon is leveraging economic criticism to reinforce a nationalist political identity ahead of the 2026 election.
