Quebec political leaders address election debates and interference concerns

Quebec political leaders recently participated in a series of televised debates and a televised discussion on 'Tout le monde en parle' ahead of the provincial election on October 5. The discussions covered a wide range of themes, including allegations of foreign interference.

During the discussions, concerns were raised regarding the Defense Analyses and Research Corporation (DARC), an American think tank aligned with the MAGA movement. It has been suggested that the group might propose strategies to destabilize Canada and provide financial support to the Parti Québécois. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon denied any relationship with DARC or the Trump administration, stating he only learned of the group through recent media reports.

Public opinion polls following the three major debates showed varying levels of leader performance. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon initially led in reader polls for the first two debates. However, following the third debate, Charles Milliard and Ruba Ghazal saw increased support, with Milliard and Ghazal each receiving 28% of the votes in the final poll.