The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that Quebec Premier-elect Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is vowing to push ahead with his promise to hold a sovereignty referendum by 2030, setting the clock ticking on a potential breakup of Canada that could affect business confidence. The Globe's Nicolas Van Praet writes that the mere spectre of a referendum could weigh on corporations' decisions to invest in Quebec, whether it be a new factory in the province's hinterland or a hotel in Montreal. It could also weaken Canada just as the country is staring down a barrel of threats from the White House. Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon has promised to drastically cut immigration, despite warnings from business people that such tightening could make it harder to meet labour needs. The party's fragile minority has also bond markets as investors see the PQ struggling to set the conditions for a secession vote. Couche-Tard chairman Alain Bouchard told reporters last week that angst over sovereignty is nothing new. He said he's more preoccupied with the need for the Quebec government to radically rethink its approach to economic growth, calling for an end to overregulation and business subsidies. "If it happens, it'll create uncertainty."