QUEBEC CITY – Is Pierre Karl Péladeau too big for this campaign?
In Lévis Thursday morning, he and PQ leader Pauline Marois took turns fielding questions, with Péladeau quickly stealing the show.
“We’re here to talk about economy,” he laughed when asked about a possible referendum. “I just mentioned to your colleague that this is the purpose of my presence here and this is the purpose also of what I consider my engagement in politics.”
The pair was trying to downplay sovereignty when a visibly frustrated Marois got physical. She shoved Péladeau to the side before he could answer another question.
Marois then insisted she is proud to have Péladeau on board, predicting his business profile and work with young entrepreneurs will resonate especially well with the conservative Quebec City crowd.
“He’s a man who built a great business and he’s an example of success in Quebec,” said Marois.
But those who thought Péladeau would galvanize the “Nordiques Nation” appear to be mistaken. A Léger Marketing poll conducted for the 93.3 FM suggests Péladeau’s presence on the campaign trail is hurting the PQ.
Program Director Pierre Martineau explained 39 per cent of Quebec City respondents said they would vote Liberal on April 7th. Thirty-two per cent will vote for the PQ and 19 per cent will go with the CAQ.
Passers-by Global News polled on Chemin Ste-Foy in Quebec City said they didn’t feel a “Péladeau effect” in the region.
Péladeau is behind the project to build a new amphitheatre and bring back an NHL team to the capital.
‘Le Soleil’ columnist and political analyst François Bourque told Global News the way Quebec City votes has always been mysterious, but Péladeau would have had a lot more support had he kept quiet about sovereignty.
“It could have been a different effect if he had talked about economy more than sovereignty,” Bourque said.
Downplaying sovereignty now seems like the PQ’s strategy.
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