For half a century, Quebec politics have been dominated by the split between those who wanted to stay inside the Canadian federation and those who wanted out.
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But the 10 months leading up to October’s provincial election will be different.
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There is a new division in Quebec, between those living in Montreal and citizens elsewhere in the province.
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The consistent and sustained rise in the polls of the legislature’s third-largest party, the federalist Coalition Avenir Quebec, reflects this new reality.
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Polling indicates the six-year-old party has a serious shot at government – including a majority – without the need to win a single seat on the island of Montreal, a breakdown that hasn’t happened in Quebec’s modern political history.
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Coalition leader François Legault promises his party will never hold a referendum on Quebec sovereignty.
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He says his party will focus on the economy, education and making Quebec more rich.
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