Boisclair: On The Way Out?

The National Post is reporting that former PQ Premier Bernard Landry is possibly aiming to get his old job back. Landry told the media, "What [Boisclair] has done has provoked this collapse of our party," referring to a recent public opinion poll which pegged support for the PQ at 32%, two points behind Jean Charest's Liberals. Although no official procedure exists to trigger a leadership election before the next provincial election, there seems to be mounting pressure on PQ leader Andre Boisclair to step down.

His current troubles began in December when he took part in a parody of the gay
cowboy movie, Brokeback Mountain. The sketch showed Mr. Boisclair interrupting a
mock love scene between George W. Bush and Stephen Harper characters.

Rumblings in his caucus intensified last week after Mr. Boisclair mused about the crucifix and gave an interview declaring an end to the days when the PQ and the province's trade unions were "buddy-buddy, spending their evenings together at dinners washed down with plenty of wine." Union officials said it was an unfair description.

This wouldn't be the first time the leader of a separatist party in Quebec stepped down before contesting a single election as leader. BQ leader Michel Gauthier, elected leader in 1996 to replace Lucien Bouchard, faced a caucus revolt and stepped down before the 1997 federal election. He was replaced by current BQ leader Gilles Duceppe.