Is Christine Fréchette making use of the trade war, or simply doing her task as Quebec premier?

The leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec, Christine Fréchette, has actually come under fire from her political challengers after disrupting her election project and assembling her cabinet in the middle of the continuous trade war with the United States.

Throughout the conference previously today, Fréchette wore her premier’s hat to talk about Quebec’s technique in the after-effects of Canada’s vindictive tariffs. She revealed brand-new steps to assist services and the economy cope as stress intensify.

Did the premier of a caretaker federal government cross a line? It’s a genuine concern, according to political expert Antonine Yaccarini.

Fréchette introduced her project coming off the back of 2 significant statements together with Prime Minister Mark Carney, consisting of a brand-new Churchill Falls offer worth an approximated $70 billion and a brand-new shipbuilding agreement for Chantier Davie shipyard, in Lévis, Que.

This enabled Fréchette to place herself as a financial leader, according to Yaccarini, and to press the tally concern on tariffs, making the trade war a main part of her project.

In the lead approximately Monday’s conference, Fréchette was implicated by competing celebrations– conserve for Québec Solidaire– of utilizing the tariff war to get traction amongst citizens.

Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon was important of Fréchette’s method, stating in a composed declaration that “worry was not a financial technique.”

He implicated Fréchette of utilizing “the Trump bogeyman” to distract from the Coalition Avenir Québec government’s record over the last eight years.

The criticism continued through the week.

Quebec Liberal Party Leader Charles Milliard pointed out that no other Canadian premier had held a cabinet meeting, a special meeting or a major news conference announcing new measures in response to the new tariffs.

“So, when there is talk of exploiting a crisis, you have a clear example of it right here,” he stated from the project path.

In an interview with Radio-Canada on Wednesday, Milliard once again slammed her actions, calling the cabinet conference “a charade.”

WATCH | Fréchette’s measures draw criticism:

Amid Quebec’s election campaign, Premier Christine Fréchette held a special cabinet meeting on Monday, announcing five measures to help the province cope with new 50 per cent tariffs from the U.S. as well as Canada’s counter-tariffs on U.S. products, which took effect just after midnight Tuesday.

Fréchette addressed the accusations this week.

“This is reality, and we require to face it, and we require to change our technique,” she said Tuesday. 

In her own interview with Radio-Canada, she argued that Quebecers expect a leader who defends their interests on issues such as the French language and supply management in U.S. negotiations.

Information hub ‘Damned if you do, damned if you don’t’

During an interview on CBC’s Breakaway, Yaccarini said that while Fréchette is clearly benefitting from the current crisis, she’s also just doing her job.

“She is still Quebec’s premier,” she said, adding that until a new cabinet is appointed, they remain the government and need to manage a number of issues.

“And that is the kind of issue right now that is very, very important and I think a lot of voters understand the situation,” she said. 

• Quebec votes 2026: Here’s what the main parties have promised so far

Yaccarini said Fréchette would also have been criticized if she did nothing. “So it’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation,” she said.

Daniel Béland, who heads the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, said however, that as a caretaker government, Fréchette needs to tread carefully. 

Because the National Assembly has been dissolved, there is no legislature to hold the government accountable, he said. 

Information hub Caretaker government needs to show restraint

Under the caretaker convention — an unwritten rule in Canadian politics — governments need to show restraint and not enact major changes that will tie the next government.

And while it’s relatively rare for leaders to suspend a political campaign, there is a precedent for it. Both Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford took time out of their respective campaigns to respond to Donald Trump’s tariff threats in 2025.

• Quebec ‘will use every tool available’ to cope with trade war, Fréchette says

Béland said while measures introduced by Fréchette — including giving Quebec-based companies an advantage in public tenders and buying local — did strengthen her political message, they were relatively limited in scope. 

Both the PQ and the Liberals, however, panned the new measures. The PQ fears retaliation will hurt Quebec companies that are doing business in the U.S., while the Liberals said the plan doesn’t go far enough.

Béland said even though Fréchette can act as premier and that announcing new decisions can get her quite a bit of exposure, it also opens the door to criticism and she has to show restraint.

“If she will suspend her campaign again and there is no strong apparent trigger for it, then yes, I think she will be more vulnerable politically and that could help her opponents,” he said.

LISTEN | Trade war becomes major focus in Quebec election:

The election project is getting speed. The leaders are getting ready for a very first argument. Tariffs have actually taken center phase in the project. And Christine Fréchette’s choice to momentarily suspend her project has actually drawn responses.

In the view of her challengers, the damage is currently done. Milliard stresses Fréchette is utilizing her function as leading to turn the election into a one-issue project. He stated he hopes that will alter after the leaders’ disputes.

The primary celebration leaders will be taking on in 3 French-language disputes arranged by Radio-Canada, TVA, Noovo and Crave. The very first dispute is arranged for Sept. 15 and Radio-Canada’s French-language dispute will happen Sept. 23 at 8 p.m.

Citizens head to the surveys on Oct. 5.