QUEBEC - The Parti Quebecois has lost yet another caucus member.
Daniel Ratthe has been booted from the parliamentary caucus for apparently negotiating a switch to a rival political party.
The alleged suitor is Francois Legault's upstart Coalition avenir Quebec, which has been dominating recent polls.
The PQ says it's expelling Ratthe because he's abandoned his sovereigntist convictions and it accuses him of electoral opportunism.
There has been grumbling amongst Pequistes lately, as their party badly trails in the polls behind the new Legault coalition -- a new party that says it's neither separatist nor federalist and doesn't want to talk about the independence struggle.
Several members jumped had ship earlier this year, for a variety of other reasons.
This week, another MNA was temporarily suspended for two reasons: allegedly leaking details to the media about internal tensions, and while he faces drinking-and-driving-related charges.
That MNA denies leaking to the media, and plans to fight the criminal charges.
