QUEBEC - A popular new Quebec political party is grappling with some growing pains as it struggles to bring together members from vastly different backgrounds.

The challenge of uniting the Coalition for Quebec's Future — a party that comprises pro-Canada members and pro-Quebec independence supporters, along with staunch leftists and right-wingers — was laid bare Tuesday.

One Coalition member, a former ADQ legislator, expressed his wish that another one, a prominent ex-PQ member, would keep quiet sometimes.

Ex-Pequiste Francois Rebello has recently talked about eventually achieving Quebec independence; suing the federal government for pulling out of the Kyoto accord; and limiting automobiles to one per family.

That kind of talk annoys some of his caucus mates. Janvier Grondin is among several to come from the less-liberal, less-urban, non-separatist, now-defunct ADQ, and he isn't thrilled with the talk of limiting cars, of independence and of suing Ottawa over climate change.

"Completely out of the question," Grondin told reporters, speaking of the car idea. He suggested such talk made no sense for people from an area like his, the Beauce region southeast of Quebec City.

"What he's trying to say is that we need to step up our efforts and improve public transit in cities and suburbs. How would you install public transit in the Beauce? You know perfectly well that it's impossible."

Grondin conceded that his colleague's suggestions in recent days might have been blown out of proportion. But he suggested Rebello earned some of that misery by musing aloud about policies that weren't the party's.

He offered a curt reply when asked whether Rebello should keep quiet, then: "I would imagine so," Grondin said.

The new Coalition sits around the top of public-opinion polls in a three-way race with the PQ and Liberals, although its once-towering popularity has waned recently.

The party says it wants to bring together Quebecers from different political backgrounds — both federalist and separatist — in order to focus on issues other than the independence debate.

Leader Francois Legault downplayed the issue when asked by reporters about Rebello's comments.

He said people had exaggerated the remarks, and shot down suggestions they might in any way represent party policy. Legault also dismissed talk of any rifts.

"Divisions exist everywhere but we shouldn't see them where they don't exist," Legault said.

"On the key issues — those being health care, education and the economy — we are in complete agreement."