(Montreal) After a morning visit to Maurice-Richard in Montreal, François Legault ends his 36-day election campaign on Sunday in three ridings in the Eastern Townships where close contests are anticipated.
Posted at 9:38
Updated at 10:22 a.m.
The CAQ leader went to lend a hand to his candidate Audrey Murray who, according to observers as she points out herself, has as her main opponent Haroun Bouazzi of Quebec solidaire, assistant vice-president of the Development Bank of Canada. Mme Murray has chaired the Labor Market Partners Commission for the past four years – an organization that brings together representatives of employers, workers and government departments, among others.
Audrey Murray acknowledges that voters challenge her about Jean Boulet’s blunder regarding immigrants, but she believes that “the feeling on the ground is very positive” overall.
“People ask questions about immigration, and I am able, I know Mr. Boulet well, to put into context and talk about what we have done in recent years, having myself been involved in public immigration policies. Mr. Boulet has done a lot for immigration. My colleague apologized. People talk to me about it, but at this point people are listening and have heard that he apologized. »
The Liberal camp weathered a storm in Mauriche-Richard, as leader Dominique Anglade expelled MP Marie Montpetit from caucus due to allegations of psychological harassment. Mme Montpetit had obtained a narrow majority of 530 votes in 2018. Johnatan Marleau, ex-president of the youth wing of the party, is trying to keep this riding in the Liberal fold; he appeared in Gouin four years ago.
François Legault is now heading for Estrie. He goes to Orford, a riding that his party wrested from the Liberals in 2018. The Liberal Party is trying to take revenge by betting on the former mayor of Magog, Vicki-May Hamm. Dominique Anglade visited this constituency several times during the campaign.
In Sherbrooke, François Legault lends a hand to his star candidate Caroline Saint-Hilaire, who was once mayor of Longueuil and Bloc member then panelist on the show The game from LCN. She is trying to win the riding won by Christine Labrie of Québec solidaire in 2018.
Finally, the very last stop of the chief caquist will be in Compton, in Saint-François. Québec solidaire is on the offensive in this riding where it presents the DD Mélissa Généreux, former director of public health for Estrie and professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sherbrooke. The outgoing MP, the caquiste Geneviève Hébert, had won a comfortable majority of 4,450 votes in 2018.