(Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce) “The surprise starts here! This is the message sent by Quebec Conservative Party (PCQ) leader Éric Duhaime to his supporters in Beauce-Nord less than 24 hours before the election. His candidate Olivier Dumais’ hopes have grown during the election campaign that he could beat incumbent CAQ member Luc Provençal to the finish line.
Updated yesterday at 5:15pm.
Mylene Crete La Presse
“La Beauce is the cradle of entrepreneurship, it is the cradle of liberty in Quebec, it is you who will make the message ring throughout Quebec,” said Éric Duhaime during this first station in the constituency since the official start of the election campaign in Aug 28
The day before the eruption he had held an imposing rally in Beauceville. Site Qc125 election predictions then gave the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) a good start in Beauce-North. Today they point out that Olivier Dumais could cause the surprise.
Over the weeks, the Conservative candidate, also mayor of Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon, has surrounded himself with more than 200 volunteers. That will make the difference, he says.
“To fight on the ground, not just on social media, both. Meeting people, door to door, farms, all “business”. We have done everything. »
When the Conservative caravan stopped in Sainte-Marie, Beauce, on Sunday, about 200 people were waiting for Éric Duhaime to arrive. “Leave no stone unturned,” he told them. He is counting on the outcome of the vote to refute the polls suggesting the PCQ has halted its ascent.
I think our set-up is underestimated at the moment and I am confident that we will surprise in many races tomorrow, both for first and second places.
Eric Duhaime, Chairman of the PCQ
Earlier in the day, the Conservative leader gave his campaign report. He believes he has managed to win the “battle of ideas” by pushing through the public debate on issues such as the status of private health and the third link between Quebec and Lévis.
“A credible alternative”
He expects a close finish in several races in the Quebec and Chaudière-Appalaches regions and believes Conservatives will be competitive in Centre-du-Québec, Mauricie, 450, Abitibi and Lac-Saint-Jean.
“We’ve got to look at how many seats we’re winning, what percentage we’re getting nationally, but also how many constituencies the Conservative Party is coming second in, how many regions the Conservative Party is coming second in, because that means we’re going to say the be an alternative for the next [élection]. »
He recalled that the Conservatives started “with a slap and a boot”, meaning that they did not benefit from the same resources as the other four major parties. In one year, the PCQ managed to form 125 constituency associations and nominate as many candidates. The party’s rallies didn’t run out of breath over the weeks either.
You saw the largest rally on the West Island from Montreal, it wasn’t the Liberal Party that had it, it was the Quebec Conservative Party.
Eric Duhaime, Chairman of the PCQ
For him, this is a sign that his party has become “a credible alternative in the eyes of a growing number of Anglophones and allophones”.
His caravan made several stops between Montreal and Quebec on Sunday, first in Saint-Hyacinthe, where a hundred enthusiastic supporters were waiting for him, then in Daveluyville, in Center-du-Québec, where he was greeted by a few dozen people, and in Sainte Marie . His day ended with his horseback ride in Chauveau, Quebec, where he spoke to his volunteers.
Legault ‘trying to buy the election’
In a video posted to social media on Saturday, CAQ leader Francois Legault reminded voters that he would “send a check for $400 to $600” if his party forms a government again. Éric Duhaime hopes Quebecers won’t bite ‘the Caquiste hook’ “It’s always sad to see a politician trying to buy the elections who thinks the voters can be bought,” he said. […] He will give us back a fraction of what he takes too much from our pockets. That’s the reality. »