MONTREAL - The Quebec national assembly resumed sitting on Tuesday against the backdrop of a possible spring election.
There is speculation Premier Jean Charest may be tempted to hit the hustings early to take advantage of an opposition that is somewhat stagnant in the polls.
The national assembly will have a different look to it with the creation of Francois Legault's Coalition for Quebec's Future.
The fledgling party will have nine sitting members—including former representatives of the recently disbanded Action democratique du Quebec.
Not yet recognized as party in the national assembly, La Presse reported earlier on Tuesday that Speaker Jacques Chagnon would not recognize the party. Withholding recognition would cost the party funding, a research budget and speaking time.
Under national assembly rules, a party must have 12 members to be recognized. Some exceptions have been made, including the recently dissolved ADQ, which was recognized despite only have six MNAs.
One possible deterrent to Charest calling an early vote is that polls suggest he might get only a minority government similar to the one Quebecers gave him in 2007, or even lose. While not optimal, those polls results have been better lately for Charest than they had been for most of the last two years.
The Liberals have a slight majority in the 125-seat legislature and were last elected in December 2008.
That means Charest could wait until the end of 2013 to call the next vote.
The Liberals have been in power since 2003.
On the legislative front, the government is expected to push through various bills related to Charest's ambitious but controversial plan to develop northern Quebec.
With files from The Canadian Press.
