The Quebec branch of the NDP met in St-Hyacinthe Saturday to talk about the party’s future and analyze the past.

The party is picking up the pieces after shrinking in the province to only 14 MPs, down from 44 before the October election.

“We have a lot to do. I think you will see a lot of us. I'm sure we'll all be pretty active,” said Laurier-Sainte-Marie MP Helene Laverdiere.

The general council was well attended despite the work ahead – or perhaps because of it.

“Our supporters are still there,” said Salaberry-Suroit MP Anne-Minh Thu Quach. “We have the role to represent the progressive people in Canada.”

“I think we're still the true progressive party in Canada,” added Laverdiere, with a nudge to the Liberals, who used the term during their election campaign.

The NDP appears to be trying to reclaim the word as it figures out what went wrong during the election.

“We did some good things during the election, maybe others were not. Is it the political offer, is it the candidates, what was the connection we had with the electors?” said Rosemont-La Petite Patrie MP Alexandre Boulerice.

Leader Thomas Mulcair joked to the crowd that the Liberals signal left, but turn right, himself signalling to one of the party’s key strategies over the next four years: highlighting any less-than-progressive Liberal policies.

“We promised as did the new government to bring back home mail delivery,” said Mulcair. “I can guarantee the Conservatives aren't going to do anything. The only opposition voice holding the new government to account on all of these issues will be the NDP,” said Mulcair.

Mulcair's leadership will be tested in April at a leadership review in Edmonton.

Meantime, Mulcair said he has been meeting with people across the country.

“They're very disappointed we didn't get as many seats as we had hoped to but the number one thing we set out to do was replace the Conservatives of Stephen Harper and they know that we played a very important role and contributed to that positive result,” he said.