Historically, it's been said that Quebec voters are a fickle bunch — they'll change political allegiances as frequently as they change the oil in their cars.

If the first week of the provincial election campaign is any indication, nothing has changed in la belle Provence. After just one week of campaigning, it seems that many Quebecers have already changed their minds about who to vote for.

A new poll, released Thursday, shows that non-sovereignist Coalition Avenir Québec is surging while the Parti Québécois and the incumbent Liberals slide.

The Forum/National Post poll suggests the PQ under Pauline Marois stand at 34 per cent, down from 39 per cent when the election was called on Aug. 1. Jean Charest's Liberals are second at 32 per cent, down from 38 per cent. The CAQ jumped to 24 per cent from 14 per cent. Québec Solidaire gained two points to 6 per cent while the Greens remained constant at 3 per cent.

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It's not all bad news for the PQ, however. In terms of seat projections, the new numbers put them in a position to win 65 seats and capture a slim majority in the 125-seat National Assembly. The Liberals would be reduced to 46 seats, while the CAQ would win 13.

In other words, the CAQ rise comes at the expense of the Liberals.

Meanwhile, the bad news keeps mounting for Charest.

On Wednesday, the premier went into damage-control fending off renewed charges of corruption saying he had no knowledge that the Sûreté du Québec was tailing Liberal supporter Eddy Brandone when the two met in 2009.

According to PostMedia News, Charest was reacting to a Radio-Canada report which suggested that provincial police surveillance of the Quebec labour union official was called off soon after that union official had a chat with Charest. The Radio-Canada report goes further, citing anonymous police sources who suggest investigations can be put on ice if they get to close to the provincial government.

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Charest also had to deal with a scathing attack by Quebec student leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. The 21-year-old resigned Thursday but not before taking some parting shots at his adversary.

"I'm leaving with a single regret. I regret quitting my post while Quebec is still run by [Liberal Premier] Jean Charest, a premier who is contemptuous of and violent toward Quebec and its youth," Nadeau-Dubois wrote in a letter published in Le Devoir and translated by the Globe and Mail.

"And when the youth rose up against these absurdities, Mr. Charest only responded with the hardness of clubs and the acidity of tear gas."

Stories like this are the last thing Liberals need during a tight election campaign.

But it's still early days and Quebecers have been known to change their minds.

(CBC image)