MONTREAL - Premier Jean Charest, his future as Liberal leader possibly on the line, urged Quebecers on Saturday to give him a majority government to ensure the province is not weakened within Canada.
Charest portrayed himself as the leader best suited for the role of defending and promoting Quebec's culture and identity on the national stage.
His plea came amid a campaign blitz of several ridings that are up for grabs when Quebecers vote Monday.
"We need a parliament and a government that will speak with a strong voice in regards of the defence of our interests, and a divided parliament does not do that for Quebec,'' Charest said in Montmagny, northeast of Quebec City.
"So those who will be voting on Monday, those who do not want a referendum, know that by supporting us they are going to get a government with a clear agenda and a very strong will to defend the interests of Quebec.''
Charest has repeatedly portrayed himself during the campaign as someone who has stood up to Ottawa and turned Quebec into a leader on national issues such as the fiscal imbalance.
If Quebecers don't buy his call for a strong Liberal mandate, the knives could well be out for Charest, who has been party leader since leaving the federal scene in 1998.
Parti Quebecois Leader Andre Boisclair said Charest's remarks are a clear indication that the premier has "thrown in the towel'' with regards to obtaining a majority government.
"Should we understand from Mr. Charest's remarks that he has finally concluded, as we have, that the federal government is particularly greedy and particularly hard,'' Boisclair said in Orford, Que. "Has Mr. Charest just announced the end of open federalism?
"He's telling us there's a need for a strong majority government against Ottawa. Mr. Charest has always claimed that Mr. Harper's brand of federalism was open federalism.''
Charest's call for a Liberal majority came amid a flurry of opinion polls suggesting his party, the PQ and the Action democratique du Quebec were still locked in a tight race for voting supremacy.
Boisclair's schedule was as equally hectic Saturday as he beseeched supporters to get out and persuade undecided voters to opt for the sovereigntist party.
"I'm asking you to step up the pace,'' he told about 60 supporters in Thetford Mines, south of Quebec City.
"If we can get our vote out, if we speak to people with our heart, I am certain we can win over people who are undecided.''
It might take a lot of heart because most pollsters say the majority of undecided voters in Quebec tend to end up supporting the Liberals.
Boisclair also said he hasn't ruled out being able to form a coalition with Action democratique du Quebec Leader Mario Dumont to set up a sovereignty referendum.
Dumont supported the Yes side in 1995 but has since renounced sovereignty in favour of more Quebec "autonomy'' within Canada.
But Boisclair said Dumont could eventually rejoin the sovereigntist ranks.
Dumont ruled out this scenario, comparing Boiscair to a petulant younster.
"He's behaving like a spoiled child in his high chair,'' he said.'
Dumont was talking more on Saturday about the benefits of a potential minority government that could see the ADQ playing kingmaker.
Such a government would be unable to ram through legislation that is unpopular with people, Dumont argued in Granby, southeast of Montreal.
"Jean Charest, without a majority government, couldn't have imposed all the bad decisions he imposed,'' the ADQ leader noted.
"There are many things that that government made that the people would have liked to avoid.''
Quebec's last minority government dates back to the 1870s.
