LAVAL – On this final day of the election campaign, Éric Duhaime accused outgoing Prime Minister François Legault of trying to “buy” Quebecers’ votes.
“It’s always sad to see a politician trying to buy the elections who thinks the voters can be bought. I do not understand. He really thinks people are less intelligent than they are,” lamented the Conservative leader on Sunday morning in Laval.
In a short video posted to social media on Saturday, Mr. Legault focused his call for a vote on sending checks of $400 to $600 to Quebecers starting in December.
“If he says ‘I’ll give you’, he’s giving nothing! He’s taken more from us than he’s going to give back. He’s going to give us back a fraction of what he came to get too much out of our pockets. It is old politics. I hope the Quebecers won’t take the bait,” added Éric Duhaime.
“Acceptable” ideas
In his final report, Chef Duhaime was also pleased to note that conservative ideas in the public sphere “are becoming more and more accepted”. He believes he has “exceeded” this marathon, most importantly avoiding a few “banana peels” thrown by journalists.
Expecting “hot battles” in several constituencies, he appeared to set the stage for the 2026 vote, saying numbers will be scrutinized in areas where he believes he has a good chance of coming second in the popular vote.
Éric Duhaime also underlined the significant differences in the polls. He came second in some probings and fifth in others.
He believes that conservative voting is “undervalued” and believes that “discreet voting” can allow him to make profits. However, he was careful not to give specific targets for the number of trips.
The danger of “cynicism”
Should the Quebec Conservative Party (PCQ) achieve a disappointing result, it would be “very concerning for democracy and voter turnout”. The danger is to increase “cynicism” in the population, he warns.
“I hope that we will not be forced to hold demonstrations to be heard and that we can have MPs in Parliament who can convey our values and then our ideas,” he said.
The Conservative leader’s bus left Laval and took Highway 20 on Sunday to return to Quebec, while stopping at Saint-Hyacinthe, Daveluyville and Sainte-Marie in Beauce. Éric Duhaime has to vote on Monday morning at Chauveau’s equestrian center where he runs.