Conservative leader Éric Duhaime was treated to the welcome reserved for stars in Louiseville, Mauricie. It was his first walkabout since the start of the campaign, at the Buckwheat Pancake Festival.
“You’re the leader of tomorrow,” a very enthusiastic lady told him when he arrived at the festival. Barbara Boutet wore a Conservative Party pin, a Conservative Party cap and a Conservative Party pin. “I am working on the elections on Monday. I was even told by the CEO that I was too partisan! »
Two days before the vote, it was Éric Duhaime’s first spontaneous walkabout. Since the beginning of the campaign, the Conservative leader has only visited crowds won in advance within the framework of partisan rallies.
But in the streets of Louiseville, so many people came to shake his hand and have their picture taken with him that you might have thought you were in a partisan rally.
In Maskinongé, the polls nevertheless attribute a comfortable majority to the Coalition Avenir Québec, which is currently represented by Simon Allaire in Parliament.
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 about 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 put Quebecers to shame,” the leader said, referring to Mr. Boulet’s controversial remarks on immigration.
The only local poll conducted in Trois-Rivières during the campaign attributed to Jean Boulet nearly 50% of the voting intentions, far ahead of his opponents.
But the Conservatives were already second and that was more than ten days ago, long before Mr. Boulet placed himself in trouble.
Asked about the local impact of Jean Boulet’s statements, the Conservative candidate – who works in the health network – said that she had received calls from colleagues with an immigrant background. “We have a lot of people from the communities at the hospital. People phoned me to say that it was unacceptable what had happened in itself. That I had their support more. »
However, Ms. Pépin mentions that she was also reproached for not having reacted immediately, during the debate, during which Mr. Boulet had made his remarks (the controversy only broke out a few days later).
“In the heat of this, 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, to encourage people to stay here. »
After passing through Mauricie, the Conservative bus migrated to the 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.