Globe and Mail - Sovereigntists seeking identity
(Op-ed by Antonia Maioni, Director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada): "Quebec is a politically volatile place these days. There seems to be a general restlessness within the body politic, but what's even more significant is the stir among Quebec sovereigntists.
Just a few months ago, the movement was enjoying a rosy scenario. A popular Gilles Duceppe was at the helm of the Bloc Quebecois, while support for the Parti Quebecois was skyrocketing and its leader, Pauline Marois, enjoying a historic approval rating among party members.
Today, the Bloc is a spent force and the PQ's internal turmoil is common knowledge. The defection of four sovereigntist stalwarts to sit as independents this week may have been due to their opposition to the party line imposed over the Quebec City arena bill, but the rancour unleashed suggests the underlying causes are deeper."
