QUEBEC - Fuelled by favourable results in the polls and an upcoming byelection for their new party leader, the Parti Quebecois began a two-day caucus on a strong note.
Members were are smiles as they arrived on Wednesday, with a La Presse-CROP poll suggesting the PQ, the Bloc Quebecois, the sovereignty movement and the popularity of new PQ leader Pauline Marois are all on the rise.
The poll signalled an apparent shift in the intentions of Quebec voters, with 33 per cent of respondents saying they would vote for the PQ, 29 per cent for the Action democratique du Quebec and 27 per cent for the Liberals, who currently lead in a minority government.
"A poll always shows a beautiful picture and it looks beautiful this morning, I love this picture,'' said Francois Gendron, the newly minted PQ house leader.
Thirty-seven per cent of respondents said they believed Marois would make the best premier, followed by 25 per cent for the ADQ's Mario Dumont and 22 per cent for Jean Charest, who currently holds the job.
The poll surveyed 1,003 Quebecers between Aug. 16-26. The results are considered accurate within plus or minus three percentage points, 19 times in 20.
Meanwhile, former house leader Diane Lemieux was not present on Wednesday. She announced to her staff that she intended to quit when the national assembly begins sitting in October, but has not made a formal announcement.
"We can only hope that she comes back and stays with us. We need her,'' said Sylvain Simard.
Meanwhile, Marois goes to the polls Sept. 24 in a byelection in the Quebec City-area riding of Charlevoix, held by the PQ's Rosaire Bertrand before he stepped down for Marois.
The ADQ, going against custom, is running Conrad Harvey against Marois.
In keeping with tradition, the Liberals will not run a candidate, leaving those 7,000 votes in the riding up for grabs.
Members of the ADQ, holding their own caucus in Magog, Que., say they don't believe a revival of sovereignty is imminent and that the poll results show a "temporary image'' of the situation.
The ADQ's Eric Caire says Marois arrives on the scene with a lot of baggage from her previous roles as health and education minister and the ADQ plans to hold her accountable for her past.
ADQ members say they aren't putting much stock in the poll results worried about the poll results.
The ADQ currently hold opposition status within the minority government with 41 seats, behind the Liberals who hold power with 48 seats. The PQ were relegated to third party status with just 35 seats.
Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe, in attendance at the PQ caucus meeting, says he will campaign with Marois in the riding.
Both Marois and Duceppe arrived together on Wednesday, showing a continuing unity between the federal and provincial parties.
