There are plenty of hints and speculation that a deal could soon be reached on a new MOU with Hydro Quebec on the Upper Churchill.

While Premier Tony Wakeham has been holding his cards close to his chest, Quebec Premier Christine Frechette has repeatedly suggested that a deal could be reached by the end of the month.

Dalhousie political scientist Lori Turnbull says the former MOU was a “game changing deal,” and with Quebeckers heading to the polls this fall there is real sense that all sides want to make sure that nobody gets “ripped off.”

With a provincial election looming, some are concerned about what might happen should the Parti Quebecois emerge as the new government.

Turnbull says the separatist Parti Quebecois is currently leading in the polls, but nothing is a given.

“Half of Quebeckers are saying they don’t know how they’re going to vote yet, which is not a surprise given the time we’re in right now. That strikes me as a pretty high number in the sense that you’re not necessarily going to see an election that’s run entirely on the Canada / U.S. situation. As much as the Parti Quebecois looks like their fortunes are quite good, support for sovereignty and separation in Quebec right now is very low.”