Quebec Liberals rise as separation support slips
April 30th, 2008 | by admin |By Robert Melnbardis
MONTREAL, April 30 (Reuters) - Quebec’s Liberal Party hasenough popular support to regain a majority government, andsupport for separation has weakened in the mainlyFrench-speaking Canadian province, according to a pollpublished on Wednesday.
A CROP survey published in the French daily newspaper LaPresse put popular support for the provincial Liberals at 38percent, well ahead of the separatist Parti Quebecois (PQ) at29 percent, and the Action Democratique du Quebec (ADQ), whichtrailed with just 17 percent.
Voter support for the Liberals in the province of 7.6million would be enough to return them to power with a majorityin the provincial legislature, pollster Claude Gauthier told LaPresse.
“After a year of a government of cohabitation, people donot seem dissatisfied with what they have done,” he said.
Those figures compare with the March 2007 election resultsof 33 percent for Liberals, 28 percent for the PQ and 31percent for the ADQ, whose rise in popularity to form theofficial opposition was the main factor in knocking theLiberals to minority from a majority.
The CROP poll also showed weak support for Quebecindependence. Only 36 percent of respondents said they wouldvote for Quebec separation from Canada.
Quebec voted against separation by a margin of less than apercentage point in a 1995 referendum, and by 20 points in1980.
The Liberals do not want any more referendums on thequestion and the leadership of the PQ, which was in powerduring the two independence votes, has been backing away fromholding one should it return to power.
