Liberals heading for minority govt. in Quebec?

THe ADQ certainly seems to be giving the PQ and Liberals a real battle. As for the referendum it surely would be disastrous for the PQ to hold a referendum at this point in time.


PQ minority could hold referendum
Boisclair says `democratic authority' would exist even without a majority

Mar 17, 2007 04:30 AM
Sean Gordon
Quebec Bureau Chief

MONTREAL–With a new poll pointing to an increasing likelihood of a minority government, Parti Québécois Leader André Boisclair said yesterday he would still have the legitimacy to hold a sovereignty referendum even if he wins by the slimmest of margins.

At a campaign stop in the Gaspé region of eastern Quebec, Boisclair said "of course" when asked if he would have the democratic authority to propose a referendum even if his party only won with a simple plurality of votes.

But he refused to go into greater detail, saying "you're asking me to speculate. I think we're going to have a majority PQ government."

Later in the evening, on a flight to the Magdalen Islands, Boisclair nuanced his comments by telling reporters, "I never raised the eventuality of a minority government – we will win a majority government."

Action démocratique du Québec Leader Mario Dumont scoffed at the possibility of a referendum in the case of a minority government, saying "anyone who follows politics has understood there will not be a referendum during the next mandate. That much is clear."

A new Léger Marketing poll this week, that places the PQ, Liberals and ADQ in a statistical tie, gives weight to the prospect of a minority government.

The poll also showed the Liberals trail the PQ and ADQ by 10 percentage points among francophone voters with nine days to go before the March 26 vote.

Liberal Premier Jean Charest was loath to even utter the word "minority" as he made a campaign stop in the eastern Quebec city of Rimouski, sticking to his standard response that he refuses to comment on polls.

"I have a very good feeling about this election campaign ... We will have a Liberal majority government," he said.

Dumont said he wouldn't read too much into the poll, which also reports that almost 70 per cent of respondents expect a minority government, and more than 60 per cent believe Charest will lead it.

But for the time being, the momentum is behind Dumont and Boisclair, who have narrowed the gap with the front-running Charest in recent days.

The ADQ leader said he isn't interested in forming a coalition in the event of a minority.

"In the case where we don't have a majority government, the one with the most seats makes the decisions that need to be made, and must find, on each policy matter, allies to act in the best interests of the population," he said.

The Léger poll, released late Thursday, showed the Liberals at 33 per cent support, and the PQ and ADQ with 30 per cent apiece. The survey contacted 1,000 people and is considered accurate within 3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Muslim group visits Quebec town residents to discuss controversial code.

Surely the requirement that a man cannot stone a woman to death is not controversial. Redundant but not controversial! Hopefully the two groups can work out a compromise without the need for the Muslims to file a complaint.

Muslim women visit Quebec town to address contentious code
Last Updated: Sunday, February 11, 2007 | 10:28 PM ET
CBC News
A group of Muslim women visited a rural Quebec town Sunday to try to dispel myths about the Islamic faith after Hérouxville adopted a controversial code of norms aimed at immigrants.

About 14 women from the Canadian Islamic Congress met with approximately 50 residents to tell them about their faith. On Jan. 25, Hérouxville's town council adopted a code of societal norms that would-be immigrant newcomers would have to follow if they choose to settle in the Mauricie town outside of Trois-Rivières.

Among the norms, a man cannot stone a woman to death and faces are not to be covered except at Halloween. Children are not allowed to carry weapons to school, including the traditional Sikh kirpan, which is a ceremonial dagger.

"We came here to confirm and affirm that we are Quebecers too," said May Haider, one of the Muslim women from the Montreal area.

She said that following the gathering, the delegation of women met with town councillors including André Drouin, who spearheaded the code of norms, for a two-hour meeting in which they helped draft a revised code of norms that wouldn't offend minorities.

Drouin said the council may modify the code somewhat. The council plans to discuss the norms at the next town meeting and make changes if warranted.

The Canadian Islamic Congress still hasn't decided whether to lodge a formal complaint with Quebec's Human Rights Commission.

With files from the Canadian Press