PQ Premier Marois revives referendum talk with election call expected in Quebec

SHAWINIGAN, Que. – Quebec Premier Pauline Marois is reviving discussion about whether her Parti Quebecois government should hold another sovereignty referendum — but says such a vote would happen only when the population is ready.

With a spring election call expected in Quebec, Marois is promising that if re-elected her PQ will present a “white paper” on the province’s future.

The document would consult Quebecers on the merits of holding another vote on sovereignty — an exercise used by late PQ heavyweight Rene Levesque.

This would be the first consultation of its kind since a commission to examine the future of Quebec was held before the 1995 referendum on independence.

The PQ holds a minority mandate in the legislature and appears to be preparing to trigger a spring election with hope of winning a majority.

Marois is not committing herself to holding a referendum if she wins a majority mandate, reiterating that such a vote must happen at the appropriate moment.

Recent polls have suggested support for the PQ has climbed since it introduced its controversial identity charter on the accommodation of religious minorities.