It's a new low for Quebec Premier Jean Charest's Liberals.

A Crop poll for La Presse suggests a strong majority of Quebeckers are somewhat or very disappointed with the provincial government.

Four in five francophones are disappointed, compared to three out of four respondents overall.

"Believe it or not, the damage control started a long time ago," CTV's Quebec City Bureau Chief John Grant said. "One of the manifestations was the last cabinet shuffle and it's ongoing."

Grant adds that the Quebec government seems to be accident-prone, often shooting themselves in the foot.

For example, on Thursday, Family Minister Michele Courchesne was forced to apologize to parents and daycare operators after she called them "lousy administrators" in the Quebec legislature.

A strike by about 7,000 daycare workers on Friday, Monday and Tuesday is expected to close nearly 400 daycare centres. The dispute is over salary equity.

"This party and its leader are really, really disconnected with the people," said Mario Dumont, leader of the Action Democratique du Quebec.

But Justice Minister Yvon Marcoux tried to look on the positive side.

"We have been elected two years ago. We have a mandate of at least four, maybe five years and we have a good record," he said.

The most positive news was probably for Parti Quebecois Leader Bernard Landry.

Support for sovereignty was measured at 52 per cent. That could be good news for him has his party heads into a weekend policy convention.

Grant says if the Quebec Liberals want maintain power, they've got a lot of work to do. "They do have two, maybe three years to turn things around, but they have a steep hill to climb," he said.

If an election were held in the province now, the Parti Quebecois would easily win. But Grant says that doesn't necessarily mean Quebecers want to see another referendum on the national unity question.

"A majority, nearly 60 per cent of all the people who answered that poll, said that they do not favour the PQ's promise of a referendum," he said.

The sovereigntists will also be debating a motion to cut funding for English-language universities and CEGEPs, plus hardening their line on Quebec independence.

Grant says those policies, if adopted, could work to aid a Liberal comeback.

The Crop poll surveyed 988 people from May 19-30.

With a report from CFCF's John Grant