One missing word grabbed all the attention during the launch of the Parti Quebecois' election platform -- "referendum."

The sovereigntist party, which has twice triggered referendums to take Quebec out of Canada, didn't use the word anywhere in its platform, released Saturday.

Instead, the platform calls for a PQ government to hold a "public consultation" on Quebec sovereignty during its first mandate.

However, the platform makes it clear that such a consultation would be equivalent to Quebec's third referendum since 1980.

"We are the Parti Quebecois, the sovereigntist party,'' PQ Leader Andre Boisclair told a news conference.

"We didn't leave any word out. Come on, it's not a debate over words and semantics that's important. People know where the PQ stands and we are very proud."

While Boisclair used "referendum" in a speech, Premier Jean Charest used the opportunity to attack.

"If he cannot write the word referendum into the platform of his party, then how can we trust him and his party?" he asked.

Recent polls indicate about two-thirds of Quebecers don't want another referendum.

"Mr. Boisclair is stuck with the idea of selling people something they don't want," said Andre Pratte, chief editorialist of the federalist La Presse newspaper in Montreal.

"Referendum has become a scary word for a lot of people, so they're trying to put a positive spin on it by saying it's a popular consultation. It's something you like whether you realize it or not."

PQ candidate Marc Laviolette defended the wording by saying it doesn't matter if the cat is black or white, so long as it catches the mouse.

"Well, I think it's insulting to the intelligence of Quebecers, and it resembles exactly what Jacques Parizeau said when he said it's like the lobster pot," Charest said.

In the 1995 referendum, narrowly won by the federalists, Parizeau --the PQ premier of the time -- said that Quebecers were lobsters, and once they were in the pot, they were in for good.

The platform, ADQ

Wrangling over the referendum aside, the PQ promised to invest $750 million in primary and secondary schools, fight climate change and reduce surgery wait times to only a "very acceptable delay."

Tax cuts would begin once Quebec's economy starts to grow by 2.5 per cent per year.

"This platform is the demonstration of the transparent, responsible and honest government that we propose to Quebecers," Boisclair said.

West of Quebec City, Action democratique du Quebec Leader Mario Dumont criticized the Charest Liberal government for showing little interest in the concerns of farmers.

He blamed the Liberals for a highway extension that gobbled up to 600 hectares of farmland.

With a report from CTV's Jed Kahane and files from The Canadian Press