CAQ Leadership Race Heats Up, Legault Stays Optimistic

0:00Quebec premier Francois Legault is staying upbeat about his coalition-advineer Quebec party's future, even with some sparks flying in the leadership, race to replace him. Two candidates, Christine Frichette and Bernard Drainville, are battling it out, with voting kicking off April 7th and the winner announced April, 12th, who then steps right into the premier's role. Their latest debate on Saturday got heated in a Laval hotel ballroom way more tense than the first one back on March 21st. Drainville called Frichette, indecisive, and she hit back saying he's flipped on big issues too many times, with her supporters even booing him during the face-off. Legault jumped into smooth things over, saying the candidates respect each other deep down, and any bad blood is just from overzealous teams. He's seen way worse fights in his old-partee Quebec holidays, and he bets the party will rally united by April 12th to gear up for the general. Election. He's brushing off a fresh lesier poll for TVA showing CAQ support, taint to 9 percent,

1:02tying Quebec's solidaire and trailing far behind the liberals, and party Quebequois at 33 percent each. Legault figures once folks weigh the options on economy and identity without sovereignty drama, though swing back to CAQ. Meanwhile, he's capping his term with a big economic push, greenlighting two massive wind farm phases in Shalavua that will be Canada's largest win. Done. His last cabinet meeting hits Wednesday, Question Period Thursday, then he fades back as M&A for LaSomption until the October 5th vote, keeping the party's eyes on that prize. That's your update from Canada News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story.