TORONTO—With the ultimate state of the U.S.-Canada trade relationship still very much in flux, with no one really sure what will happen from here, Prime Minister Mark Carney must be grateful for at least one bit of runway that he can count on: a delay, at least, before the next Quebec sovereignty referendum.

As announced last week by Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, Quebec will not have a referendum so long as U.S. President Donald Trump remains in office. In theory, that will take us as far out as early 2029. We live in very unsettled times, so we shouldn’t assume anything in particular about that date. Trump leaving office before then wouldn’t shock us, nor would we be particularly stunned if he tried to find a way to stay in office even longer.

But if only for planning purposes, St-Pierre Plamondon has said that Canada will not be subjected to another Quebec referendum before then. And that is a very excellent thing.

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There are all kinds of self-serving reasons for this decision. The Parti Québécois is doing well in the polls, much more so than its signature issue, that, of course, being Quebec sovereignty.........

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