▁it ▁came ▁up ▁just ▁short ▁of ▁official ▁party ▁status ▁in ▁the ▁legisl ature , ▁the ▁party ▁appeared ▁to ▁be ▁back ▁from ▁the ▁br ink . ▁ ▁However , ▁this ▁did ▁not ▁last . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁five ▁M N As ▁either ▁crossed ▁the ▁floor , ▁moved ▁to ▁federal ▁politics ▁or ▁retired . ▁ ▁The ▁party ▁bottom ed ▁out ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁when ▁Bir on ▁res igned ▁as ▁leader ▁and ▁left ▁the ▁party ▁to ▁sit ▁as ▁an ▁independent , ▁and ▁then ▁joined ▁the ▁Parti ▁Qu éb é co is ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁later . ▁ ▁Michel ▁Le ▁Mo ign an , ▁the ▁M NA ▁for ▁the ▁district ▁of ▁G asp é , ▁took ▁over ▁as ▁inter im ▁leader . ▁This ▁left ▁the ▁once - m ight y ▁party ▁with ▁only ▁five ▁seats . ▁ ▁Col lapse ▁and ▁der eg istration ▁On ▁January ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁federal ▁Progress ive ▁Conserv ative ▁Member ▁of ▁Parliament ▁( MP ) ▁Ro ch ▁La S alle ▁was ▁acc laimed ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Union ▁N ationale . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁provincial ▁election , ▁the ▁party ▁lost ▁all ▁of ▁its ▁seats , ▁and ▁would ▁never ▁elect ▁another ▁M NA . ▁La ▁S alle ▁res igned ▁as ▁leader ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁federal ▁politics — win ning ▁the ▁by - e lection ▁created ▁by ▁his ▁res ignation ▁from ▁parliament ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁earlier . ▁ ▁In