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Kelly McParland: The PQ should be embarrassed by election outcome

St-Pierre Plamondon has had six years at the top of the party to rouse sovereigntist anger, and the result was 28 per cent of the vote

I appreciate that Canadians are expected to experience an onset of angst over the potential return of the dreaded Quebec referendum experience, but I’m having trouble getting worked up about it.

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Top of the list for not feeling threatened is the arithmetic behind the Parti Quebecois victory on Monday. The winning PQ number was 28 per cent of the vote — fewer than three in 10 — which is hardly overwhelming. In fact it’s a bit embarrassing for the PQ. Years of preparation, weeks of campaigning, an outpouring of speeches, advertising, campaign signs, promises etc., and the best they can do is 28 per cent? A third of the electorate didn’t even bother to vote.

Kelly McParland: The PQ should be embarrassed by election outcome Back to video

More than 70 per cent of Quebecers had no desire for Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and his crew to gain power. That’s very close to the same percentage who say they oppose the party’s best-known and most contentious platform plank, a pledge to once again — for a third time — introduce a ballot on independence at some point in the course of its mandate.

Columnist Jesse Kline keeps you up........

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