QUEBEC CITY – A new poll indicates more bad news for struggling Parti Québécois (PQ) leader Pierre Karl Péladeau: support for the party under the media baron’s leadership is continuing to drop.
According to a new Léger poll, support for the PQ has dipped from 32 per cent to 29 per cent since November 2015.
The Liberals have inched up to 36 per cent from 35 per cent.
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After a difficult start to the new year for Péladeau, including the recent announcement of his divorce from Montreal TV producer Julie Snyder and headlines about his involvement in off-shore tax evasion, some newspaper columnists are calling it the “PKP factor.”
“Let’s face it. He’s got three, four months to change the situation. If we have this kind of poll at the end of June, we’ll be in for a very difficult summer,” said Gilbert Lavoie, a columnist with Le Soleil.
However, PQ MNAs are not putting much stock in the the Léger numbers.
“Our task is to harness this dissatisfaction and show that we would be much better than Mr. Couillard at handling the affairs of Quebec,” said one-time leadership candidate and now PQ social services critic Jean-François Lisée.
“I think we have a very good shot at that.”
The numbers could also reflect a general dissatisfaction with all political parties.
Philippe Couillard’s Liberals are up one per cent, but the Premier himself is down one per cent from 24 per cent to 23 per cent.
“People aren’t very impressed by what he’s doing. However, they don’t see any alternative if there was an election today,” said Lavoie.
Couillard insisted he doesn’t pay much attention to polls.
“We govern according to our principles,” he said.
However, where the two main parties lack in leadership, other opposition parties are looking to fill the gap.
“We’re here,” said Québec Solidaire leader Françoise David, adding she’s certain that in 2018, her party will be a strong alternative.
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