MONTREAL - Francois Saint-Louis of the Quebec Sovereignist Movement said the latest poll numbers prove that Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois needs to step aside. He believes PQ defector Pierre Curzi should take the helm.
A new poll of Quebec provincial voter intentions has put Francois Legault's nascent Coalition for the future of Quebec well ahead of all competitors with 48 per cent of support.
The same poll gives the Liberal Party 20 percent and the Parti Quebecois just 18 percent. Quebec Solidaire would attract 8 percent and 5 percent would vote for the Green Party.
Saint-Louis said that Marois should, "convince herself to quit or else the party will face disappearance in the National Assembly."
However Stephane Bergeron, PQ MNA for Vercheres, said he cannot envisage a leadership change and attributes the drop in popularity as the legacy of a summer which saw several PQ MNAs bail from the party.
"It's a reflection of what's happening in our party," said Bergeron. "It's hard for Quebecers to believe they can clean up government when we can't even keep our own party in order. We're putting everything back into place and we'll win voters' confidence back."
The CROP poll was based on 1,000 interviews conducted between 13 and 17 October.
