The new PQ government plans to slash immigration. It wants permanent permits cut to 35,000, down from the 60,000 expected this year, and to halve non‑permanent quotas, aiming for 200,000‑250,000 while protecting agriculture, manufacturing and health care.

Immigration approvals are a federal power. St‑Pierre Plamondon wants those levers transferred to Quebec, but the federal government has rejected such a transfer before. "There's nothing that Ottawa can do that would make the PQ happy on immigration," André Lecours, a political science professor at the University of Ottawa, said.

The PQ also opposes the federal high‑speed rail line that would link Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City. Lecours warned that the project is unlikely to move forward with the PQ in power, saying "no way the federal government is going to do the project if the Quebec government is opposed to it."

The Supreme Court of Canada is expected to issue a ruling by the end of the year on whether to strike down Bill 21. Lecours called the potential decision "explosive." If the court overturns the law, the PQ says it will use the outcome as political ammunition for independence.

Within 100 days of taking office, St‑Pierre Plamondon said he would move to "abolish" the monarchy in Quebec and cut funding to the lieutenant‑governor’s office. The Constitution Act, 1982 requires any change to the monarchy or lieutenant‑governor to be approved by the House of Commons, the Senate and all ten provincial legislatures.

Together, these proposals put the PQ at odds with Ottawa on immigration control, a national transportation project, and constitutional arrangements. The clash could force the federal government to defend its jurisdiction and could reshape debates that affect all Canadians.