PQ lead in polls won't last, referendum promise will turn off Quebecers, Legault says
CBC
Time may be running out for François Legault.
After seven years as the province's premier, the leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) is saddled with disastrous polling numbers that suggest his party will lose the next election and be wiped off the political map.
In an interview this week with Radio-Canada's Téléjournal host Patrice Roy, Legault reiterated that he wants to stay on as the party's leader.
He also spent a significant portion of the exchange zeroing in on Parti Québécois (PQ) Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon — the current favourite to become the province's next premier — and that party's plan to hold a referendum by the end of its first term, if elected.
Here are some takeaways from the interview.
Legault insisted that he's the right person to lead his party into the next election, even if Quebecers don't realize it yet.
"I think we're going to win in October," Legault said referring to next year's election. "I think that Quebecers will choose François Legault's team."
In defending his track record, the premier said it's normal for a party that's been in power for seven years to make decisions that draw the ire of voters.
He rattled off examples like the SAAQclic fiasco, the NHL pre-season game in Quebec City and the failure of the Northvolt battery plant project.
The Liberals have a poor track record when it comes to protecting French, the premier said, and the majority of Quebecers don't want another referendum.
He also said he believes the next election will ultimately become a two-party race between the CAQ and the Liberals, dismissing the PQ's commanding lead in the polls.
The Liberals are currently mired in a major political crisis, with its leader Pablo Rodriguez facing growing calls to step down.
When asked about the threat of his party being wiped out politically, Legault said "I don't believe in that."
He also said he doesn't think the PQ's lead in the polls will last.
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