QUEBEC - Quebec politics is abuzz with word of a new political party.
It's the often-discussed, never-successful search for a so-called third way -- a mainstream alternative for voters fed up with the ceaseless struggle between federalist and separatist parties.
The legislature was full of rumours Thursday about a new right-of-centre party that would be pro-business and ambivalent on the national question.
The Charest Liberals were greeting reports about the new party with glee --while the Parti Quebecois were sounding more dismissive.
That's because the names being associated with it so far -- Francois Legault and Joseph Facal -- are former Parti Quebecois cabinet ministers.
Those names have often been linked to efforts to find a new party that might attract some prominent players, capable of succeeding where the Action democratique du Quebec failed.
Which explains why Premier Jean Charest was smiling when he met with reporters Thursday.
"I'm noting, as you are, that these are two old Pequiste ministers -- colleagues of Pauline Marois -- who've decided to drop the PQ and drop Ms. Marois and start a new political movement," the premier said.
"They won't be at the next PQ convention. . . All the better if we have a debate of ideas."
But some Pequistes warn that the new party would ultimately hurt Charest's party because, if it indeed shelves talk of independence, it will eat into the Liberals' federalist votes.
They also warn that the national question is inevitable in Quebec politics and will come back to haunt any new non-federalist, non-separatist party.
Other names that had been associated in the past with a new conservative movement in the province are two of Quebec's most popular politicians: ex-premier Lucien Bouchard and ex-ADQ leader Mario Dumont.
But they have consistently shot down those rumours and are not linked to this reported initiative.
