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The Quebec independence question has become the last refuge of Philippe Couillard.

It was the beleaguered Liberal premier’s fallback position again last week, as he retreated from his latest ill-considered decision. That was to defend the recruitment of a former Coalition Avenir Québec researcher who had admitted copying confidential party files without authorization while seeking a job with Liberal minister Dominique Anglade.

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When reporters questioned Couillard about it, hechanged the subject, saying CAQ staffers have been defecting to his party because of the Coalition’s recent foray into identity politics.

“But also because it was said to them initially that federalists would be very happy at the CAQ. Well, federalists are not happy at the CAQ.”

Fear of another referendum on independence explains why the federalist Liberals have held onto first place in the polls, even with the government’s satisfaction rating mired at around 30 per cent.