Conservative leader Éric Duhaime had to settle for 77.48% support for his vote of confidence at the end of a congress in which several activists expressed dissatisfaction.
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This result comes as no surprise to those around Mr. Duhaime, who confided on Saturday that he expected a result “between 75% and 85%”. “It is a vocal minority that has had a negative impact on the outcome of the vote,” argued a member of his team, describing the 320 delegates present at the congress as “the most motivated members” and therefore those most inclined to “Wanting change” is what we see. .
With a score of 77%, Éric Duhaime enjoys significantly less support than CAQ leader François Legault and PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, both of whom scored above 98.5% earlier this year.
The party conference therefore ends as it began for the Conservative leader. It was clear from the first hour that PCQ members’ enthusiasm for him was now weaker than it was during last year’s election campaign.
Éric Duhaime was used to big ovations and was greeted with polite applause every time he spoke at the end of the week. In the hallways, prominent activists and former candidates were not afraid to criticize his leadership style and demand that the party leadership listen more to the base. “The PCQ cannot be the party of one man,” we read in the brochure of a candidate for the leadership of the political party.
Under this pretext, the conservative leader also accepted a proposal to remove the mention “Équipe Éric Duhaime” from the party’s official name. “The party must send a signal at the end of the week that the PCQ is not the party of Eric Duhaime, but the party of the members,” he said in his opening speech on Saturday.
When asked that same day about his future in the event of a poor result in his vote of confidence, he simply recalled that he had committed to remaining at the helm of the party for ten years when he became active three years ago entered politics.
At the end of the congress, Chantal Dauphinais was elected president of the party’s national executive committee.
List of the worst results in a confidence vote
MARTINE OUELLET, BLOC QUEBECOIS
32% of support | She goes | 2018
THOMAS MULCAIR, NDP
48% of support | He goes | 2016
JOE CLARK, PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF CANADA
66.9% support | He goes | 1983
JOHN TURNER, LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA
76% of support | It remains | 1986
BERNARD LANDRY, QUEBEC PARTY
76.2% support | He goes | 2005
LUCIEN BOUCHARD, QUEBEC PARTY
76.7% support | It remains | 1996
More details to follow…