Nice to have you back Rocco, always interesting to read your posts. Cant really say that I know that much about the politics or Plan Nord but I read this article today, and my interpretation of the following text is that the Charest goverment is eager to get the development of natural resources (including shale gas) moving:

"Tough new penalties for polluters came into effect in Quebec last week. The Charest government brought them in to prevent problems in what it hopes will be a new era of natural resource development. It is most ambitious about shale gas in southern Quebec, oil in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and minerals in northern Quebec (under Plan Nord)."

http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/Henry+Aubin+protect+environment/6123512/story.html