A separatist faction of the Parti Québécois says the deal struck in Ottawa between the Liberals, the NDP, and the Bloc to usurp power from the minority Conservatives could set the stage for an anti-Quebec backlash from the rest of Canada.

The group SPQ Libre, which is a hardline independence "club" within the PQ, is urging party supporters to do everything in their power to ensure Pauline Marois is elected premier next Monday. In a communiqué, SPQ Libre says it is critical for the independence movement to be ready to hold a snap referendum should the Yes side gain steam.

The memo cites the rejection of the Meech Lake Accord, and the anger that sparked in Quebec, vaulting support for sovereignty to as high as 60 %. At the time, Liberal premier Robert Bourassa was in power, putting any hopes of a snap referendum on ice. By the time the PQ retook power in 1994, and held a referendum in 1995, Yes support had ebbed.

SPQ Libre says if English Canada is dismissive of the Bloc's participation in an eventual Liberal-NDP coalition, the same sentiments in Quebec could come back, setting the stage for a victory in another sovereignty referendum.

But that referendum could only happen if the PQ is in power.