Fréchette is betting big on Carney: Is it risky?

• Fréchette is banking on his close relationship with Carney.
• The CAQ wants to reassure voters amid economic turmoil.
• This strategy could, however, benefit the PQ.
• The PSPP could turn Ottawa against the CAQ.
• The Face-to-Face debate could put this strategy to the test.

The CAQ wants to project the image of a government that knows where it's headed at a time when the economy is going through a particularly uncertain period. And Christine Fréchette is clearly banking on an asset that extends beyond Quebec's borders: her relationship with Mark Carney.

In a campaign where tariffs, trade, and economic protection are major issues, the premier is seeking to reassure voters. Her message is simple: in times of turmoil, it's better to have direct access to the person negotiating on Canada's behalf than to remain at a distance.

Carney has precisely the profile that allows the CAQ to defend this approach. His government is currently facing a new trade escalation with the United States and is trying to protect Canadian sectors while diversifying trade.

For Fréchette, this closeness could therefore become a powerful campaign argument. But it also carries an obvious political risk. The more the CAQ emphasizes Carney's role, the more the PQ can pose a question that strikes directly at the heart of the campaign: Is it really Quebec that decides its economic future?

An ally… or ammunition for the PQ?

The problem for the CAQ is that this strategy leaves an opening for Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. The PQ leader can easily try to turn the argument against Fréchette by presenting dependence on Ottawa as a limitation rather than a strength.

In its messaging, the PQ can contrast two visions. On one hand, a premier who wants to work closely with Ottawa to weather the storm. On the other, a leader who asserts that Quebec must have more leverage to make its own economic decisions.

And that's where things get interesting. Carney can lend Fréchette an air of seriousness and stability, but he can also steer the debate back toward the federal government's role at a time when the PQ is precisely trying to make that issue central.

Is the Carney card enough?

Christine Fréchette is therefore playing a risky but logical card. In times of uncertainty, closeness to Ottawa can reassure a segment of voters who want stability above all else.

But an election campaign isn't won solely on perceived competence. It's also won on the narrative that each leader manages to establish.

If Fréchette turns her relationship with Carney into proof that she can better protect Quebec, she will have scored points. If the PQ instead succeeds in using it to demonstrate that Quebec still depends too much on Ottawa, that same relationship could become a weakness.

And with “The Future of Quebec” among the topics for the next Face-to-Face debate, this strategy could quickly be put to the test.