Éric Duhaime delivered a show of force, Friday evening, in Quebec, by organizing the most important militant rally of the electoral campaign, all parties combined.
The great hall of the Videotron Center, which can accommodate 2,000 people, was packed, sheltering an excited and noisy crowd, while part of the crowd of Conservative supporters had to stay outside. The organizers were expecting 3,000 people, including a few dozen candidates.
“Everywhere the rooms are too small to accommodate us! “Launched from the outset Mr. Duhaime, speaking in front of his supporters, insisting on the growing popularity of his party. He said no other party could do the same.
The leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) said he expects his recent popularity to lead to increasingly “vicious” attacks from his opponents, who will “dig into the trash cans” of his political party .
His attacks targeted in priority the outgoing prime minister and leader of the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ), François Legault, who, according to him, came out “damaged” from the leaders’ debate the day before.
About the third link project between Quebec and Lévis, Mr. Duhaime said that Mr. Legault “taught us that there have never been any studies”. But he did not believe him and once again demanded that Mr. Legault make public all studies on the subject before the end of the election campaign.
He questioned the safety on the Pierre-Laporte bridge and asked the chief caquiste to shed light on this subject.
He returned to the pandemic, criticizing Mr. Legault for not having apologized “to the people of Quebec” for his “poor crisis management”.
Mr. Duhaime whipped up the ardor of his troops, urging them to vote on October 3. “There is an undercurrent,” which must translate into votes, he said.
Entrance price at $500
Éric Duhaime’s popularity rating is on the rise, but who would pay $500 to hear one of his speeches?
When preparing the great militant rally in Quebec, the entourage of the leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) was convinced that this was a request to the members quite sensible and reasonable, before Mr. Duhaime does not intervene personally, judging the sum excessive. The VIP entry price charged to members has therefore been reduced to $50.
Earlier this week, the organization behind Mr. Duhaime sent an e-mail message to members suggesting that they provide a basic voluntary financial contribution of $10 or, even better, a VIP contribution of $500 to attend the big militant rally planned at the Videotron Center in Quebec.
The VIP contribution did not give any special privileges, such as the possibility of meeting the chef personally. It only ensured, in principle, access to the large Conservative mid-campaign rally, which gave rise to a series of speeches by a few candidates and the leader.
But the VIP curators who paid $50 weren’t even sure they’d get into the room.
It was impossible on Friday to know how much money the party wanted to raise in total with this activity, supposed to be one of the highlights of Mr. Duhaime’s campaign.
Faced with the prospect of a large crowd, the party requested the services of a security firm to ensure order and the smooth running of the event.
Not illegal
The request for an entrance fee (even $500) to participate in a partisan activity during an election campaign is not illegal, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer confirmed on Friday, provided that the sums collected are used to finance the activity as such and not to finance the party.
After the rally is held, Mr. Duhaime’s official agent will have to prove that it was not a fundraising activity. Voters can donate up to $200 to a party during an election campaign.
The agent will have to write a financial report, showing that the money raised does not exceed 5% of the total cost of organizing the activity. If there is a surplus, the PCQ will have to reimburse the difference to the Chief Electoral Officer. The activity will be part of Mr. Duhaime’s election expenses.