In Quebec City Thursday, Philippe Couillard floated the idea of reviving talks to have Quebec sign the Canadian Constitution.
But Saturday morning the Liberal leader backtracked, saying if he did meet with other Canadian leaders, most of the discussion would be about Quebec’s economy and jobs.
In Montreal, Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois seized on the moment.
“He has to guarantee Quebecers will have the last word before he signs the Canadian Constitution. He would have to hold a referendum,” she said.
Coalition Avenir Quebec Leader Francois Legault also attacked Couillard's idea of a new round of constitutional talks.
“When I hear about Couillard talking about taking a tour of Canada with Justin Trudeau to talk about distinct society... These guys are living on another planet,” he said.
Legault began his day with the Dube report, a financial study and plan to cut Quebec’s deficit while still cutting taxes.
"we have a vision, we have an action plan and right now we have three weeks to convince the population that we don't need only to have a choice between yes or no to a referendum," he said.
But the plan comes on a day when a poll shows the CAQ is only enjoying 14 per cent support.
When asked about the numbers, Legault used a hockey reference, a go-to method of comparison during this campaign.
“The first period was tough but the game is not over. We still have two periods to go,” he said.
Legault said whatever happens he'll stay on in Quebec City if re-elected because Quebecers need a break from referendum talk and a break from taxes.
He said it takes courage to lead hard-working Quebec families out of their financial morasse – courage he doesn’t believe the PQ and Liberals have.
