The departure of Eric Lefebvre from the CAQ caucus seems to shake many CAQ members. They fear that he will be the first in a long series of MPs who will prefer to join Pierre Poilievre’s conservative troops and run the risk of not being elected rather than remain in a government that is losing momentum.
The CAQ deputies are right to be nervous. The voting intentions expressed in the latest polls are giving them cold sweats. Many of them must be updating Qc125 seat projections several times a day, hoping that the colors will change.
Getting bogged down
The bad news continues to pile up: the budget, the negotiation with nurses which has not yet been resolved, the flip-flop on the third link, the crisis in agriculture, the failing health system. In short, they must defend unpopular government decisions which increase discontent against them, with no prospect of better days.
The skyrocketing voting intentions for the Parti Québécois and the return of the debate on sovereignty and the referendum, while the federal government is pursuing an unprecedented policy of interference in areas of provincial jurisdiction, also put them in the spotlight. ’embarrassment.
Discomfort
The CAQ, being a coalition of sovereignists and federalists, does not have a clear, clear and precise position on its possible positioning in the event of a referendum. While we can imagine an Eric Girard and a Geneviève Guilbault voting for the no camp, we can also imagine André Lamontagne and Bernard Drainville voting for the yes side.
This disparity did not cause a problem until recently, when the debate on sovereignty was suspended, or even forgotten, in recent years. But now that the subject is at the forefront, how can we ignore the deep convictions of each person?
They must therefore flee this debate, flee these questions and remain on an increasingly uncomfortable fence. We should not be surprised to see CAQ deputies leaving the boat to join federal political parties with clear positions.