SAGUENAY - Pauline Marois has no intention of changing her strategy to lead Quebec to independence.
Nor will she abandon her strategy if the PQ takes power, said Marois Thursday following a two-day caucus of her MNAs in Saguenay.
The sovereignty council will soon examine a proposal to hold an Estates General on sovereignty. But it's not one that she approves of.
"That strategy is dead," said Marois in an attempt to close the debate.
Marois' strategy over the last few months has frustrated some sovereignists. The New Movement for Quebec (NMQ) was recently created specifically to to push sovereignty, a strategy which also led Lisette Lapointe to quit the PQ caucus in June.
Four other PQ MNAs quit in June for various reasons, plunging the party into crisis.
A PQ government would concentrated on taking powers from Ottawa without actually setting a date for a referendum.
To justify her position, Marois noted that 5,000 party members supported her strategy which she elaborated in 2007 and was largely supported by members at a party congress in April.
"It's the PQ that made this decision and it come back to the Parti Quebecois," said the leader.
"Our congress chose this strategy almost unanimously so it's up to me to implement it," she said.
"We've got to talk real issues," said Marois, referring to increased child care, the fate of elderly in nursing homes as well as the management of natural resources.
Marois made some concessions to quell the crisis and assuage her critics. She agreed to allow members to vote with their conscience freely on certain votes, although they don't include bills dealing with budget or votes of confidence.
"In most cases members will be allowed to vote for or against a bill, or even abstain," she said.
The first test of that strategy will come soon with the controversial Bill 204 which will make certain concessions to allow Quebecor to build its Quebec arena. Her attempt to impose the party line on bill 204 led to the defection of four MNAs.
Marois said such crises were things of the past and that 45 MNAs still stood by her side. She said that she did not require an oath of allegiance from her MNAs.
"I asked my team for coherence, cohesion, discipline, unity, solidarity and trust, and I believe that all team members have accepted my mantra," said Marois.
The proposed changes to the party program and ways of doing politics presented by three MPs in the caucus - Bernard Drainville (Marie-Victorin), Pascal Bérubé (Matane) and Sylvain Pagé (Labelle) - will be analyzed and assessed on merit, she said.
