> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thecanadareport.ca/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Quebec Referendum Proposal by Parti Québécois Estimated at $130 Million - URL: https://www.thecanadareport.ca/quebec-referendum-cost/ - Published: 2026-09-15T12:49:18.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-15T12:49:17.000Z - Description: Quebec referendum plans could cost $130 million as the Parti Québécois faces attacks from rival leaders over its sovereignty. - Author: Steve Cogbill - Tags: Daily News, Quebec | Sourced from 5 independent sources · no points in dispute | | --------------------------------------------------------- | CityNews, Richmond News, Montreal Gazette, CTV News, and Azat TV Most key facts are confirmed by more than one independent source; a few details come from a single outlet. 8 key facts · 7 corroborated · none disputed This summary is compiled from the independent sources listed above. Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has put a price tag on the sovereignty question: at least $130 million to prepare for and hold a Quebec referendum if his party forms government after Quebecers vote on Oct. 5. The plan would see a PQ government hold the referendum in 2029 or 2030\. For St-Pierre Plamondon, the figure is not a political embarrassment, but the price of asking Quebecers directly about their future. ## PQ puts referendum cost at $130M The PQ estimate sets aside $20 million for preparatory work before the vote, including consultations and studies, and $110 million to run the referendum itself. “Holding an election, a referendum or any democratic exercise costs around $110 million. And being in a democracy has a price, but it’s a way better system than other systems,” St-Pierre Plamondon said. “And I’d rather pay for consulting the population than to do things without consulting the population.” The party plans to include the referendum figures in its financial framework, which is expected around the first leaders’ debate. For the PQ leader, the argument is straightforward: if Quebec reaches the point of deciding on sovereignty, the public must be consulted. “People will have their say, but we won’t apologize for living in a democracy and for consulting the people if we’ve reached that point,” he said. ## Rivals attack the price tag The announcement quickly gave rival leaders a concrete number to criticize. Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard called the planned expense a misuse of public money and argued the $130 million could be directed to other priorities. “There will be a hole of $130 million of misused money, and I can tell you what we would do with $130 million,” Milliard said. “Nearly one million hours of home care can be offered. We could probably build three primary schools and 1,300 off-market housing units.” Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime framed the proposal against household financial pressure. “People are struggling to pay for groceries, yet they’re going to spend $130 million on a referendum,” Duhaime said. “Come on, nothing could be more out of touch or unrealistic than that.” Coalition Avenir Québec Leader Christine Fréchette focused on what she said was missing from the PQ’s financial disclosure. “It is frankly not transparent to say that they will come to the debate next week without having presented the financial framework to Quebecers,” Fréchette said. ## Sovereignty consultation divides campaign Québec solidaire’s Ruba Ghazal defended the principle of a broad sovereignty consultation process, while laying out a much larger budget for her party’s own approach. Ghazal said Québec solidaire had budgeted $220 million for its process and argued that any serious discussion of sovereignty must include people who may have concerns about independence. “It’s important to make a big consultation with the First Nations, with those who are afraid maybe to be an independent country, with the Anglophones, with the whole social society,” Ghazal said. That places Québec solidaire in a different position from the Liberals, Conservatives and CAQ: critical space may remain over method, timing and cost, but Ghazal defended the need for a wide-reaching democratic process on sovereignty. ## Minority math could matter The referendum plan also raises a practical question: what happens if the PQ wins without a majority? According to CityNews, recent polls raised the possibility of a PQ minority government. Political analyst Daniel Tran told CityNews that a minority government would need support from other parties to move a referendum forward. “As a minority government, you will have to get the majority of the vote to be able to push for any item on the agenda,” Tran said. “For a referendum, especially of this nature, he will have to seek support from other parties to push forward.” Tran also told CityNews the issue could create pressure between the PQ and Québec solidaire if the PQ needed votes to advance the referendum process. ## Voters weigh democracy and stability The price tag has turned an abstract constitutional debate into a kitchen-table question: what is democratic consultation worth, and what else should government money buy? Some Quebecers quoted in source reporting sounded wary. Montrealer Luc Carmel said he did not support another referendum. “No, I do not want a referendum. It is an issue that leads to instability, whether political or social. I prefer the approach of living together,” Carmel said. Another Montrealer, Jean Ste-Marie, supported the principle but questioned the timing. “Well, yes, I support it, because we need to express ourselves. Expression is democracy,” Ste-Marie said. “But the question is … is now the right time to ask the question? Not for me.” That tension now sits at the centre of the campaign: St-Pierre Plamondon is asking Quebecers to accept the referendum cost as the price of democracy, while his opponents are asking whether the province can afford to reopen the sovereignty question at all. **Reader-funded. No ads. No paywall.** The Canada Report is independent, reader-funded Canadian news — no advertisers, nothing behind a paywall, kept free for everyone. If you value it, you can help keep it that way. [Support The Canada Report →](https://www.thecanadareport.ca/support/) --- [*Source 1*](https://montreal.citynews.ca/2026/09/11/pq-estimates-130m-to-hold-independence-referendum/?ref=thecanadareport.ca) *|* [*Source 2*](https://www.richmond-news.com/national-news/que-party-leaders-criticize-pqs-130-million-sovereignty-referendum-plan-12767111?ref=thecanadareport.ca) *|* [*Source 3*](https://montrealgazette.com/quebec-elections/third-quebec-referendum-would-cost-130-million-parti-quebecois/?ref=thecanadareport.ca) *|* [*Source 4*](https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/quebec-election-2026/article/pq-estimates-sovereignty-referendum-cost-at-130m-follow-for-live-updates/?ref=thecanadareport.ca) *|* [*Source 5*](https://azat.tv/en/quebec-election-sovereignty-costs-campaign-platforms/?ref=thecanadareport.ca) ## Sign up for The Canada Report Your modern digest of Canadian news. Friendly, clear, and in your inbox. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. 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