DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. – Parti Quebecois Leader Pauline Marois served notice Sunday that if Quebec Premier Jean Charest cannot muster enough votes in the national assembly, she is prepared to defeat his Liberal government, provoking an early election.
“I would not hesitate one second,” she told reporters after a weekend policy conference held to prepare for a full PQ convention next April.
The expulsion of former family minister Tony Tomassi from the Liberal caucus has reduced Charest’s majority to 66, which is really 64 because Agriculture Minister Claude Bechard is absent, fighting a cancer recurrence, and Speaker Yvon Vallieres does not vote.
Together, the opposition now has 58 votes. Marois was speculating on a situation that would arise if a handful of Liberals were absent, giving the opposition a temporary majority.
Marois repeatedly called the Charest administration “a bad government,” saying it is in “permanent crisis-management mode,” dealing with problems of “ethics, corruption,” adding the government “should give up its place.”
In her closing speech to about 600 delegates and observers, Marois drew a parallel between her party’s goal of making Quebec a sovereign country and the Montreal Canadiens’ quest for the Stanley Cup.
“The whole nation is vibrating in tune with a team of players who were called too small, not talented enough, not proud enough to win,” Marois said. “I am talking about the Montreal Canadiens,” she said, winning applause from delegates, some of whom wore Habs sweaters.
“Today, like Quebecers, it is because they played as a team, that they sacrificed themselves for the team, that they can aspire to the highest honour,” she said. “And above all, (it was) because they believed in themselves. They realized that they can win.”
Marois talked about her own modest origins, saying that “with determination, everything is possible.”
“When we have solidarity, determination, pride we can succeed at everything, starting with the sovereignty of Quebec,” she said, winning applause and chants of “Pauline!” and “On veut un pays!” (We want a country!)
On Saturday, opening the conference, Marois served notice that when the PQ returns to power she will launch a public inquiry into the Charest years.
Marois intends to probe allegations of corruption and favouritism, from the construction industry to daycare, and suspected links between government contracts and Liberal fundraising.
Delegates rejected a proposal by Marois to reduce medicare coverage, as an economy measure.
PQ delegates were presented with a series of questions about ways to make more efficient the delivery of services such as health and education.
She said that Robert Salois, Quebec’s health commissioner, said in a report last week the province has sufficient financial and human resources to deliver health-care services. It just has to organize health care more efficiently.
Delegates said no to questions about eliminating regional health agencies and school boards, but Marois said the party executive will focus on making such bodies more efficient.
Marois also pledged that if the Charest government enacts user fees for health care, she will abolish them. She also promised to roll back the new $200 charge for health care, adopted in the government’s 2010-11 budget.
Montreal Gazette
kdougherty@thegazette.canwest
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