Sparks could fly in TV debate between former PQ colleagues Marois and Legault

MONTREAL - The last of the head-to-head TV debates in the Quebec election campaign will be held tonight and will feature an intriguing showdown between two former Parti Quebecois cabinet colleagues.

PQ Leader Pauline Marois and Francois Legault, head of the Coalition for Quebec's Future, will complete the trifecta of one-on-one debates that followed the multi-leader confrontation on the weekend.

The Marois-Legault encounter will have some extra spice because of their past.

Marois was expected to make a run for the PQ leadership in 2001, but backed out after being abandoned by none other than Legault, who threw his support behind Bernard Landry.

The previous head-to-head debates this week saw Marois duelling with Liberal Leader Jean Charest on Monday, and Charest duking it out with Legault on Tuesday.

Quebecers go to the polls on Sept. 4.

One of the more interesting aspects of the Marois-Legault debate will be the exchange they have on sovereignty referendums.

Marois is constantly vague on the timing of the next one, while Legault says he will not hold a referendum for 10 years and that he would even vote No if one were held right now.

In his post-debate news conference on Tuesday night, Charest seized on Legault's 10-year moratorium on referendums and wondered how that strategy would work with Ottawa.

"What kind of agreement does he negotiate? With an expiry date on it that says this agreement is only good for 10 years. After that, we cut you off.

"It doesn't make sense. It's like the old expression, 'If it looks like a duck, if it walks like a duck, it's a duck.'"

Charest portrayed himself as a staunch defender of Quebec vis-a-vis Ottawa while at the same time trying to paint Legault as a man who has not renounced his sovereigntist convictions.

The Coalition is targeting an anglophone electorate that historically votes massively for the Liberals and Charest's aim was clear: to get federalist Quebecers to shun the new party's overtures.

"When you go negotiate with Ottawa, who are you going to send?" Charest taunted his opponent. "A federalist or a sovereigntist? When you want to be premier of Quebec, you can't be in both camps at the same time."

The Coalition leader sought to gain political capital by attacking Charest's nationalist credentials — a familar theme for opponents of the former federal Conservative leader.

"We have been divided in Quebec for 30 years," he said. "What we need in Quebec is a nationalist government... a government that defends French, defends our culture, that gets our economy going, that can defend our identity. You have failed in your duties."

Charest trotted out what he called examples of his ability to fight for Quebec: a 70 per cent increase in transfer payments since the Liberals came to power nine years ago; the recognition of Quebec as a nation; an "historic" health agreement; and Quebec being represented at UNESCO as part of the Canadian delegation.

Charest, who has been premier since 2003, also cast himself as the best politician to lead Quebec in stormy economic times.

Legault fired back that many of the jobs the Liberals have created over the years are low-paying and do not help generate genuine wealth.

"When you came to power in 2003, Quebec was in fourth place (among provinces) in terms of disposable income," he said. "Now, there's just Prince Edward Island that is poorer than us."

News from © The Canadian Press, 2012