Charest is determined to fend off a leadership review and take the PCs to another election.
As the Progressive Conservatives lost over 100 seats and barely clung to enough to form Official Opposition, many expected Jean Charest to resign on election night. However, the Quebecer defiantly declared that his "job was not done" and formed Official Opposition in the 35th parliament.
Charest's supporters say that his leadership and campaign saved the party from total annihilation, kept the PCs as the largest conservative party and kept the NDP out of Official Opposition. His supporters also claimed that a change of the leadership would throw opposition to Copps' agenda into chaos.
His detractors, however, point to Charest's opposition to a merger with Reform, ensuring a divided right (a major Liberal electoral advantage), and the party's almost total collapse west of Ontario. Further, after such an embarrassing defeat, many see Charest as holding on to leadership for his own ego, not to help the party.
Two days for this. If "yes" wins, Charest resigns immediately and we have a leadership election without Charest. If "no" wins, Charest leads the PCs to the next general election.
Poll
