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He said Quebec is heavily reliant on oil and gas that travels through the United States, which he said is a risk given the threats to Canada from President Donald Trump. 

“We must, of course, remain committed to our values... to sustainable development and the fight against climate change,” he said. “But we must also strive for energy independence.”

Former federal minister Pablo Rodriguez also said Quebec will need to look at east-west energy projects, including possible oil and natural gas pipelines. Still, he said all projects will have to respect environmental norms and have social acceptability. 

“I think we need to be open to all of this today,” he said. “One thing has fundamentally changed: the United States... that great friend we had, no longer exists.”

Quebec has traditionally been staunchly opposed to pipeline development on its territory, but Premier François Legault has recently suggested that may be changing in the face of Trump’s economic threats.

In February, Legault said if a new pipeline were proposed, his Coalition Avenir Québec government would consider it. 

On Saturday, however, Rodriguez said any such development would require the Quebec government to “believe in Canada,” and argued Legault has no interest in working with other provinces. 

Fellow leadership candidate Charles Milliard, former head of the federation of Quebec chambers of commerce, took a more cautious approach to the issue. He said he’s open to energy development, but pointed out there are currently no major fossil-fuel projects under consideration. 

“When we ask politicians whether they agree or not with a project, the project must exist,” he said. 

One candidate, economist and farmer Mario Roy, said he would end Quebec’s cap-and-trade program, which he said is making local businesses uncompetitive. Quebec’s carbon pricing scheme has been under scrutiny since Prime Minister Mark Carney scrapped the federal carbon tax in April, though no major political party in the province has come out against it. 

Responding to questions from journalists after the debate, Blackburn, Rodriguez and Milliard — the likely frontrunners in the leadership race — all said they support the cap-and-trade system. 

The final contender, international trade lawyer Marc Bélanger, said Quebec must exploit its natural resources to enrich the province. The Quebec government passed legislation in 2022 banning oil and gas production. 

The Quebec Liberals are hoping the leadership race will reinvigorate the party, which has been languishing for years, with dismal polling among francophone voters. On Saturday, the candidates claimed Legault’s time is up and said they would reclaim the Liberals’ status from the CAQ as the party of the economy. 

Legault’s government recently tabled a budget with a record $13.6-billion deficit. Last month, ratings agency S&P Global downgraded Quebec’s credit rating from AA- to A+. 

“The (Liberals have) a date with history,” Milliard said. “The (party) must prove that it can constitute an alternative to the CAQ government, which is so worn out and tired.”

Milliard, a political newcomer, positioned himself as a “breath of fresh air,” while Blackburn, who was a member of the provincial legislature during the government of former Liberal premier Jean Charest, said he would help the party reconnect with the regions outside Montreal. 

Rodriguez leaned on his experience as a federal minister, saying he knows how to deliver for Quebec. But his rivals at times pointed to his close connection with former prime minister Justin Trudeau as a liability. 

Legault’s nationalist party has declined in the polls since forming government in 2018, and the sovereigntist Parti Québécois has been leading for well over a year. 

Saturday’s debate was the first of six before Liberal members choose their new leader on June 14. The next provincial election is set for October 2026.

- By Maura Forrest in Montreal, with files from Thomas Laberge in Laval

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3, 2025.