Francois Legault, centre, with his Coalition Avenir Quebec caucus, raises his arm at the end of his speech Monday, Feb. 6, 2012 in Quebec City.
The leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec, François Legault urged supporters of all political stripes to rally behind his newly formed party and prepare for an election that he expects to be called this spring.
More than 200 former members of the provincial Liberals, the Parti Québécois and the now disbanded Action démocratique du Québec were on hand to attend the party's first rally, inspired by Mr. Legault's call for change.
"I sense a powerful drive towards change," Mr. Legault told his supporters . "Change is needed more now then ever before."
The task of bringing under a single umbrella people from various political parties who not so long were sworn enemies has been a difficult at times.
"I look around this room and I see a lot of people who I campaigned against. It's awkward at times but you get used to it," said François Benjamin a one-time PQ organizer and who was elected under the ADQ banner and defeated in 2008.
But everyone was united in the belief that Quebec voters have thrown-in the towel in demanding either sovereignty or renewed federalism and were more interested in tackling day to day concerns such as jobs, health care, education and protection of the French language.
The issues represent the backbone of Mr. Legault's remedy for change. But behind the slogans and the prepared speeches lies a body of disciplined and experienced organizers who have arrived straight from the federal Liberal organization to define Mr. Legault's strategy. No fewer than a half dozen federal Liberal organizers make-up the core of the backroom strategists who are charting the CAQ's course towards what they hope will be an election victory.
The objective was clear: attract as much nationalist support away from the PQ to render it a marginal party. Mr. Legault took aim at the PQ's decision to allow for citizen-led referendum that could allow for a vote on sovereignty. "With a PQ government we will be in a permanent referendum campaign," he argued. he called the proposal "irresponsible" adding that it will lead Quebec into a perpetual state of quarrels on its constitutional future.
The attacks on the PQ were combined with an aggressive charge against Premier Jean Charest in a bid to allow the CAQ leader to position himself as the only viable alternative to the Liberals nine year reign.
"What has Jean Charest done over the last 9 years? Nothing! Has education improved over the last 9 years? No! Has health care improved over the last nine years? No! Has the economy improved over the last nine year? No!." Mr. Legault driving home the message that he can offer change without embarking on a debate over Quebec sovereignty that he says "would only weaken Quebec."
But in order to consolidate the lead the CAQ has obtained in public opinion polls since officially becoming a party last November, Mr. Legault needs to strike at the heart of the Liberal government's re-election strategy based on the economy. For Mr. Charest, the development of the North or the so-called Plan nord remains a key component of his strategy.
Mr. Legault called the Plan nord nothing more than a "slogan" and a "marketing concept".
"The Liberals are trying to sell us the idea that the plan nord is the solution to all our problems, the key to the vault of our future. The plan nord is a diversion," Mr. Legault told his supporters. Under the Liberal government unemployment has reached one of the highest rates in Canada, he added and the province's debt was at an all-time high. Mr. Legault then struck at the issue of corruption, probably the one issue that could undermine Mr. Charest's re-election efforts.
"Over the past 9 years the Liberal party has managed day to day, it has been the party of last minute solution, the party of negligence and of collusion. We Quebeckers have had enough of the negligence, the cronyism, and inaction....the time has come to fire this irresponsible Liberal government," Mr. Legault said.
In the next few weeks Mr. Legault will begin unveiling some of the prominent candidates that he promised to recruit as part of a team he says will have the experience to govern the province.
But first the CAQ must seek to obtain consent from the other parties to obtain official party status in the National Assembly. The issue promises to trigger a bitter debate when the National Assembly reconvenes next Tuesday for the winter-spring session.
Rhéal Séguin