No decision as Courchesne meets with student leaders

In her first full day reprising her role as Education Minister, Michelle Courchesne met for an hour and a half in Quebec City with representatives of Quebec's student associations. No decisions were reached.

With the meet and greet starting at 6:00 p.m., Courchesne had already met many of the people involved. The Education Minister was part of an overnight negotiation session that took place on May 4, 2012.

Courchesne will report to the government on Wednesday morning, providing a new look at the 14 week old conflict. Premier Jean Charest said that the ongoing student boycott has dragged on far too long, but he has the utmost confidence that Courchesne can solve the problem.

Analyst Jean Lapierre is not so sure.

"She's back to square one. They have nothing to offer students," said Lapierre, pointing out that former Education Minister Line Beauchamp, who resigned from politics on Monday, had a good reason to walk away from the situation.

"She offered them a parliamentary committee [to analyze post-secondary education]. They said 'we don't trust elected officials.'"

Despite calls from the opposition for Charest to join Courchesne during Tuesday's meeting, the premier stayed away.

"The first responsibility of the prime minister is to find a solution to this problem. He has to discuss with the students," said Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois.

"He has to be at the table, he has to get the support of the students to make sure that all students who want to return to school can do so," said Coalition Avenir Quebec leader Francois Legault.

However Martine Desjardins, the head of the federation of university students FEUQ, feels Courchesne is "the right person to solve this conflict."

With regards to the ongoing protest, Lapierre thinks Courchesne will face even more pressure from Liberal MNAs outside of Montreal.

"Today in caucus I'm sure they're getting back to the hard line," said Lapierre.

For his part Alain Paquet, the junior Finance Minister, said from Quebec City that the caucus was united.

"The whole government was with Mme. Beauchamp and will be with Mme Courchesne," said Paquet.

Courchesne knows the education dossier quite well since she was minister from 2007 until 2010.

Under her stewardship the provincial government introduced tuition hikes of $100 per year.

She is also retaining her role as Treasury Board president, so she has an excellent idea as to how much money the government can afford to spend.

However Lapierre thinks the government has nothing left to offer, and that student leaders are incapable of convincing students of any deal.

"[Beauchamp] said those people cannot deliver any deal anyhow so what's the point," said Lapierre.

"I think the government will have to say, at such a day, the session is over and just abandon it."

Before heading into the meeting at 6:00 p.m., Desjardins still didn't know what to expect, saying that she was "ready for anything."