Conservative leader Éric Duhaime has been treated to a stars-only reception in Louiseville, Mauricie. It was his first walkthrough since the campaign began at the Buckwheat Pancake Festival.
“You are the leader of tomorrow,” a very enthusiastic lady told him when he arrived at the festival. Barbara Boutet wore a Conservative Party pin, Conservative Party cap and Conservative Party pin. “I am working on the elections on Monday. I was even told by the CEO that I was too partial! »
Two days before the vote, it was Éric Duhaime’s first spontaneous tour. Since the beginning of the election campaign, the Conservative leader has only visited masses he has won beforehand, as part of partisan rallies.
But on the streets of Louiseville, so many people came to shake his hand and have their picture taken with him that it was almost as if they were at a partisan rally.
In Maskinongé, however, the polls show a comfortable majority for the Avenir Québec coalition, which is currently represented in parliament by Simon Allaire.
The hope of a Jean Boulet effect
Before going to Louiseville, the Conservatives had stopped briefly in Trois-Rivières to meet their candidate, Karine Pépin, and some thirty activists in a park. “Karine is in a very close fight here in Trois-Rivières. You saw what Minister Jean Boulet did as bullshit this week. He shamed Quebecers,” the chairman said, referring to Mr Boulet’s controversial comments on immigration.
The only local poll conducted during the campaign in Trois-Rivières attributed nearly 50% of voting intentions to Jean Boulet, well ahead of his opponents.
But the Conservatives were already second and that was more than ten days ago, well before Mr Boulet got himself into trouble.
When asked about the local impact of Jean Boulet’s statements, the conservative candidate, who works in the health network, replied that she had received calls from colleagues with a migration background. “We have many people from the communities in the hospital. People called me to say that what actually happened was unacceptable. That I had more of their support. »
However, Ms Pépin mentions that she was also accused of not having reacted immediately during the debate in which Mr Boulet had made his remarks (the controversy only broke out a few days later).
“In the heat it’s a debate, we have a minute to talk, we focus on what we’re going to say. What I said was that it was important to supervise people, to encourage them to stay here. »
After passing Mauricie, the Conservative bus headed west of the island of Montreal to meet its English-speaking supporters. Mr. Duhaime must then return to Quebec on Sunday morning to campaign in Chauveau.