QUEBEC — Hardline proposals to push harder for Quebec independence died on the floor of the Parti Quebecois convention on Saturday, allowing leader Bernard Landry to carry on with a gradual approach to achieve sovereignty.

As delegates cast ballots in a confidence vote that was expected to endorse Landry, others soundly rejected proposals to take a PQ election victory as a vote for sovereignty and to follow up with a referendum on a provisional constitution.

Instead, delegates supported Landry's preferred plan to hold a referendum "as soon as possible'' after the next PQ election win. However, Liberal Premier Jean Charest doesn't have to call an election for another three years.

Landry also wants to spend public funds to promote sovereignty and name a minister in charge of the project.

The plan will face a final vote Sunday. Results of Landry's leadership confidence vote were to be released Saturday evening.

"We must not allow confusion with any other issues or political projects that come up during election campaigns,'' said Pauline Marois, a former cabinet minister and one-time leadership hopeful who argued against a more radical approach.

Hardliners like sovereigntist writer Robert Laplante argued Landry's plan to pursue sovereignty through good government is doomed to fail.

"This type of arrangement virtually guarantees that nothing happens,'' said Laplante.

While the PQ is still two or three years away from an election that could return the party to power, delegates were buoyed by recent events in Quebec politics.

The Gomery commission into the federal sponsorship scandal and Charest's unpopular government had pushed support for sovereignty over 50 per cent for the first time since the 1990s, according to several recent polls.

However, the PQ still has controversial issues to finesse amid internal division. Hardliners and the party establishment clashed after radicals pushed forward a proposal to crack down on access to English post-secondary education for young immigrants.

The proposal, which took an important step toward adoption Saturday, would force new arrivals to study in Quebec's French junior college system, much as they are forced to study in French at lower levels of the school system.

A final vote on the plan will take place Sunday.

Hardliners say immigrants must be forced to continue their French education to ensure they are integrated into Quebec's francophone culture.

They would also be more likely to become sovereigntists, according to Yves Michaud, a former member of the legislature who is considered a radical in party circles. <

"It's an aberration, this freedom of choice,'' Michaud told reporters following a debate.

"We cannot tolerate (an anglophone) minority of eight per cent of Quebecers to assimilate 55 per cent of immigrants. We must put a stop to it, we must stop anglicizing immigrants with public funds.''

Several members of the PQ say the party risks alienating immigrants, who are traditionally against Quebec independence, with the new language policy.

"I think this is going to damage the image of the Parti Quebecois,'' said Leandre Dion, a member of the legislature.

Fellow member Rita Dionne-Marsolais said she favours mandatory French tests for all students in their final year of college studies.

"I think 25 years ago this whole issue was more important. Today it's frequent people speak three languages,'' she said.

"That's an approach that would be more positive and more up to date. These are young adults.''