Jean charest’s quebec liberals, who have been trailing in the polls for the past two of their three years in power, are finally getting some respect.

Two recent polls indicate the Charest Liberals have momentum and are closing the gap on André Boisclair’s Parti Québécois. A CROP poll suggested the Liberals are ahead of the PQ, while Léger Marketing places the PQ in the lead, but only narrowly.

What is changing the tide for Charest is a series of “good news” announcements: a new transit policy, plans to reduce greenhouse gases, a ban on smoking in public places and the end of the long-standing pay-equity dispute, giving backpay to more than 250,000 public-sector workers, most of them women.

As well, Charest enjoys good relations with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Charest is banking on Boisclair’s rough start as PQ leader, combined with the new PQ program, to push his Liberals ahead.

The PQ program, adopted in June 2005 but overshadowed by the surprise resignation of party leader Bernard Landry, clearly sets out the party’s goal of making Quebec a country. This time, the PQ isn’t proposing itself as a new provincial government. A PQ win would set in motion a series of actions leading to a new referendum on outright independence “as soon as possible” — an option that leaves most Quebec voters cold.

But dissatisfaction with the Charest government also remains high. Charest is still the least popular of Quebec’s three main party leaders, scoring 35% in the June CROP poll.

Quebec’s most popular leader, at 46%, is Mario Dumont. His conservative Action démocratique du Québec party helped the Harper Tories win eight of their 10 seats in the province — in Quebec City and vicinity, where the ADQ is strong. But Dumont holds only five Quebec seats and the ADQ is in debt. Despite Dumont’s skills as a clipmeister, the party is stuck at 17% in the polls.

Boisclair’s popularity rating is 43% and, even though he hasn’t tired of telling his PQ troops that beating Charest will be a slam dunk, the PQ has been dropping in the polls.

Boisclair resigned his legislature seat in 2004 to do a one-year master’s degree in public administration at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He had planned to work in the Toronto office of the McKinsey & Co. consulting group, but Landry resigned at the party’s June 2005 convention after scoring 76% in a leadership review.

Charest wants Boisclair to get more exposure, hoping Quebecers will be disappointed when they see how awkward and pedantic he can be. The premier also wants to read aloud passages from the PQ program, which sets the party’s agenda for a new referendum.

To make sure that happens, Charest decided no Liberal candidate would oppose Boisclair in an August byelection, ensuring he will face the PQ leader when the assembly resumes its fall sitting. But when Boisclair was picked as his party’s byelection candidate, he was beaming to see Charest score a goal on his own net.

On an official visit to France, Charest was questioned on TV about Quebec independence and responded: “The question today is no longer whether we have the means [to become a sovereign country]. Yes, we do. No one questions that.” That left Boisclair chortling that the premier had given up one of Quebec federalists’ strongest arguments — that Quebec needs Canada.

Charest did add that the question now is “What is best for Quebec?” His conclusion was Quebec would be better off in Confederation. But Charest will have to avoid gaffes like this if his new “feel good” strategy is going to work.
IE