The Quebec Liberal Party had a very good weekend.

Its last big council meeting before the election was a crucial test of its ability to communicate a focused plan for governing, and Liberal Leader Charles Milliard passed with flying colours.

Milliard zeroed in on two key weaknesses of the governing Coalition Avenir Québec: ambiguity on separatism, and its lagging economic performance.

He mockingly said there’s no room for “Noui” on the issue of Quebec independence — after Culture and Communications Minister Mathieu Lacombe recently said he’d vote Yes in a future referendum on sovereignty. Milliard skilfully used that gaffe to his advantage and hammered home the rock solid Liberal opposition to a referendum.

Milliard’s lines on economic growth and better management were as cogent as his proposals to protect and promote French, without the divisiveness of the CAQ era under François Legault.

He sounded like someone with a credible plan and who is ready to govern.

The recent drop in the polls for the Parti Québécois and its leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, has........

© Montreal Gazette