BAIE-ST-PAUL, Que. - Parti Quebecois Leader Pauline Marois reiterated Tuesday she wants the party to put the idea of a sovereignty referendum on the back burner.
Coming off an easy byelection win the day before, Marois said she wants the PQ to have a new electoral program in place by early next year so it can be ready for any snap election soon after.
And Marois said she doesn't believe moving the emphasis away from a referendum will sap the morale of PQ members.
"Yes, it's a tough party but I love this party,'' Marois told a news conference in the Charlevoix riding she will now represent in the national assembly.
"And when I came back in June I told my party `If you choose me (as leader), I will put aside the discussion about the referendum but I will not put aside the project of sovereignty and the project of solidarity for Quebecers.
"And this great party, I think, accepted my proposal.''
But Marois insists her plan to mothball a referendum for the time being does not mean the end of the ultimate goal of sovereignty.
"When the time is right to ask the (referendum) question, we'll find the right moment.''
Marois denied any comparison with former premier Lucien Bouchard who repeatedly told PQ members he would not hold a referendum unless he had "winning conditions.''
"My position is different because the winning conditions carried a certain notion of waiting. The difference is that I want Quebec to move forward on all fronts.''
Premier Jean Charest congratulated Marois on her byelection victory and said her experience will make her a formidable opponent in the legislature.
But Charest couldn't resist a dig at Marois, saying she is the sixth PQ leader, including interim bosses, since he became Liberal leader in 1998.
Charest noted the PQ often changes leader but that the party itself stays the same.<
Marois obtained nearly 60 per cent of the vote in Charlevoix on Monday, easily defeating Conrad Harvey of the Action democratique du Quebec.
But ADQ Leader Mario Dumont appeared unfazed by the massive PQ majority.
"The PQ in general seems to be very popular in between elections, and when it counts they are not as good,'' Dumont said.
Dumont was also critical of the Liberals for not fielding a candidate in the riding and said they will regret what he called their support of Marois in the byelection.
"There will be a very negative impact for the Quebec Liberals throughout Quebec,'' he said. "Diehard Liberals really don't understand why (the party) supported Pauline Marois and the PQ.''
The Liberals never publicly came out in support of Marois. They were following tradition in not opposing a party leader seeking election.
