PQ lead in polls won't last, referendum promise will turn off Quebecers, Legault says

clip may be running come out for François Legault.

After heptad years as the province's premiere, the leader of the fusion Avenir Québec (CAQ) is saddled with disastrous polling numbers that suggest his party will lose the next election and be wiped off the political map.

In an interview this week with Radio-Canada's Téléjournal host Patrice Roy, Legault reiterated that he wants to stay on as the party's leader.

He also spent a significant portion of the exchange zeroing in on Parti Québécois (PQ) Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon — the current favourite to become the province's next premier — and that party's plan to hold a referendum by the end of its first term, if elected.

Here are some takeaways from the interview.

Legault insisted that he's the right person to lead his party into the next election, even if Quebecers don't realize it yet.

"I think we're going to win in October," Legault said referring to next year's election. "I think that Quebecers will choose François Legault's team."

In defending his track record, the premier said it's normal for a party that's been in power for seven years to make decisions that draw the ire of voters.

He rattled off examples like the SAAQclic fiasco, the NHL pre-season game in Quebec City and the failure of the Northvolt battery plant project.

The Liberals have a poor track record when it comes to protecting French, the premier said, and the majority of Quebecers don't want another referendum.

He also said he believes the next election will ultimately become a two-party race between the CAQ and the Liberals, dismissing the PQ's commanding lead in the polls.

The Liberals are currently mired in a major political crisis, with its leader Pablo Rodriguez facing growing calls to step down.

When asked about the threat of his party being wiped out politically, Legault said "I don't believe in that."

He also said he doesn't think the PQ's lead in the polls will last.

The latest Léger poll puts the PQ in the lead at 39 per cent of voter intentions, well ahead of the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ) which is at 21 per cent and the CAQ's 18 per cent.

The CAQ has also lost three consecutive byelections to the surging PQ, which only has six MNAs at the moment.

According to Qc125.com, the CAQ is currently projected to end up with no seats in next year's election.

"The PQ won't stay where it is in the polls," said Legault, who was once a PQ cabinet minister.

"People will understand that Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is synonymous with a referendum and we don't want that."

A PQ election victory would lead to four years of anticipation for a referendum, which would create the type of uncertainty that would damage the province's economy, Legault said.

"The economic uncertainty would start on Day 1 of his term," he said. "Quebec's economy would suffer for four years and ultimately, we would get a 'no.'"

When asked if he would campaign for the No side or the Yes side in the event of a referendum, the former sovereignist sidestepped the question.

"You know that neither me nor any politician answers hypothetical questions," he said, smiling. "I don't want a referendum. Sure, it would be good for the French language in Quebec, but it would be bad for the economy. Plus, we would lose it anyway."

Click here to watch Legault's full exchange with Radio-Canada, where he touched on Quebec's controversial health-care reform and the end of the province's permanent residency pathway, the Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ).

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