Cultural sector ‘ready to work’ with Quebec’s new chief negotiator

Canada’s leading cultural advocacy group is welcoming the appointment of Pascal Paradis as Quebec’s new trade lead. Paradis, a former Parti Québécois (PQ) MNA who lost his re-election bid in the Quebec City riding of Jean-Talon earlier this month, was named to the province’s chief diplomat and trade negotiator by premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon on Monday. Pascal Paradis, chief negotiator for Quebec. Handout photograph Paradis replaces longtime Canadian diplomat Louise Blais, who often engaged with cultural stakeholders during recent bilateral negotiations between Canada and U.S. officials. In a statement, the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions “congratulated” Paradis on his appointment. “In this role, he will be instrumental in preserving Quebec’s ability to adopt the cultural policies of its choice within its territory, notably by defending a comprehensive cultural exemption in all our trade agreements with other countries,” read the statement. “The CDCE stands ready to work with him to ensure that cultural issues are represented in international trade relations.” The CDEC has been a vocal proponent of maintaining the Online Streaming Act, enhancing copyright protections for creatives, and bolstering the cultural exception negotiated in the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. On social media, Paradis said he looks forward to “working in collaboration with the relevant ministers and stakeholders” from various industries. The PQ formed a minority government after the most recent provincial election, in which the sovereigntists received 28 per cent of the vote and unseated the incumbent Coalition Avenir Québec. Trade discussions between Canada and the U.S. abruptly collapsed in August after disagreements remained unresolved on a variety of sectoral issues, including cultural discoverability measures and French-language protections. news@thewirereport.ca

Cultural sector ‘ready to work’ with Quebec’s new chief negotiator

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By Wire Report Staff
|October 20, 2026

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Cultural sector ‘ready to work’ with Quebec’s new chief negotiator

People | By Wire Report Staff |October 20, 2026

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By Wire Report Staff
|October 20, 2026