The big news here yesterday was Pauline Marois' decision to quit politics. Marois, a twice-failed Parti Québécois leadership contender, is a major heavyweight in the Quebec separatist movement and her announcement was unexpected. Marois had made it clear she would run again after losing last year's leadership race to André Boisclair.
This is going to be seen as yet another setback to Boisclair, who hasn't really done much to improve PQ fortunes since taking over the leadership. In fact, despite what you hear about Jean Charest being a hated politician, a poll last week showed his Quebec Liberals within 10 points of the PQ in popularity. If that poll is accurate, that's an easily surmountable deficit in an election campaign, especially given Charest's formidable (demagogic?) campaigning skills. He can give a barn-burner of speech.
Watch for a possible election call this fall.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 6:58 AM
