Canadian Party of Quebec to Hold National Press Gallery Conference on Federal Disallowance Power
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Canadian Party of Quebec to Hold National Press Gallery Conference on Federal Disallowance Power
MONTREAL, QUEBEC – The Canadian Party of Quebec (CaPQ) announced today that it will hold a press conference at the National Press Gallery in Ottawa on May 25 to call on the Government of Canada to consider exercising its constitutional power of disallowance in response to the continued pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause in provincial legislation.
The press conference will focus on the constitutional basis for the federal disallowance power and its possible application in situations where provincial legislation is seen as infringing upon fundamental rights protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
CaPQ Leader Joseph Cianflone, joined by candidates Will Twolan (Pontiac) and Danilo Velasquez (Hull), will argue that federal use of the disallowance power is a measured and necessary response when provincial governments make repeated pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause to shield legislation from judicial review.
“Governments should not be able to suspend fundamental freedoms indefinitely without meaningful constitutional safeguards,” said Joseph Cianflone, Leader of the Canadian Party of Quebec. “The federal government has both a constitutional role and a moral responsibility to defend the rights of Canadian citizens when those rights are placed at risk.”
“Young Canadians are increasingly being told that fundamental freedoms can be suspended whenever governments find them inconvenient,” added Will Twolan, Youth President of the Canadian Party of Quebec and CaPQ candidate for Pontiac. “That is not the kind of constitutional culture we should be passing on to the next generation.”
Danilo Velasquez, CaPQ candidate for Hull, stated that constitutional protections are especially meaningful to many Canadians who chose this country because of its democratic traditions and civil liberties. “Many immigrants come to Canada believing in the strength of its freedoms and institutions,” he said. “Those protections should apply equally to every Canadian, in every province.”
The Canadian Party of Quebec maintains that the repeated pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause undermines confidence in constitutional protections and weakens the balance between parliamentary authority and individual rights.
The party will also present its position that the federal disallowance power, while rarely discussed in modern political discourse, remains part of Canada’s constitutional framework and merits renewed public discussion in light of current constitutional debates.
The party maintains that the discussion surrounding disallowance is ultimately about preserving constitutional safeguards and protecting equal rights for Canadians across the country.
The press conference will take place at the National Press Gallery, Room 135-B Press Conference Room, West Block, Parliament Hill, Ottawa, on Monday, May 25, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Participation in the question and answer portion of this event is in person or via Zoom, and is for accredited members of the Press Gallery only. Media who are not members of the Press Gallery may contact pressres2@parl.gc.ca for temporary access