Québec Solidaire remains the fourth party in the polls, but its support could be increasing. Some pollsters are now predicting the party could win more seats than originally thought and that means it could be influential if there is a minority government.
READ MORE: Quebec Solidaire’s Manon Massé: English minority rights will be respected
Manon Massé, co-spokesperson for Québec Solidaire, said this campaign has attracted more voters to her party — including some anglophones.
“I think what the English debate gave me as an opportunity is to have a space to explain what Québec Solidaire’s proposals are,” she said.
“Maybe we’ll make a surprise on Oct. 1,” Massé added.
Growing support could be coming from a surprising place.
“We’ve seen the CAQ go down in numbers and Québec Solidaire seems to be profiting from this,” said Sébastien Dallaire, IPSOS general manager.
That could be the result of voters looking for change torn between two parties that have both never governed before.
READ MORE: ‘English is an official language of Quebec and Canada’ tweets Québec Solidaire
On Wednesday, Massé was the third leader to address the Montreal Chamber of Commerce, after Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard on Tuesday and Parti Québécois Leader Jean-François Lisée on Monday.
Just the fact she was invited — for the first time — indicates a growing interest in her party, chamber president Michel Leblanc said in his introduction.
During her speech, Massé spoke about a mother struggling to get by on less than $15 an hour while top executives at Bombardier and other companies reap millions in salary bonuses.
She then joked that before the mother sees that kind of money, the business-first Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) will have finally come up with a plan to address climate change.
READ MORE: Quebec reaches highest percentage of female candidates in history: Elections Quebec
“For now they certainly are in a good position to gain a few more points in the polls and possibly gain many more seats than expected,” Dallaire said.
He added that key ridings where the race is tight are Sherbrooke, Taschereau in Quebec City and two Montreal-area ridings in Rosemont and Laurier-Dorion.
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