Washington has sought to keep its distance from Quebec’s election, saying the decision rests with Quebecers, while also declining to say which U.S. officials the Parti Québécois allegedly sought to meet.
The Gazette reported earlier Saturday the U.S. State Department had informed its consulates in Quebec the PQ requested a meeting with officials in Washington in February. It was around that time U.S. President Donald Trump was threatening a 100 per cent tariff on Canadian goods over Canada’s new deal with China. The PQ-U.S. meeting was expected to take place in early March, but was ultimately cancelled after “the trip was called off.”
Asked who the PQ had sought to meet, a State Department spokesperson told The Gazette: “The Department regularly meets with a wide range of representatives. All Department engagements are at our sole discretion.