Conservatives hoping Quebec nationalist vote will win them hotly disputed byelection

A federal byelection Monday in Quebecis shaping up as a test of the new Conservative strategy of drawing Quebec nationalists, who voted Bloc Qubcois or NDP in the past, into their fold.

The race in theriding ofChicoutimiLe Fjord, located about 200 kilometres north of Quebec City,is hotly contested.

Justin Trudeau, Andrew Scheer and Jagmeet Singh,leaders of the Liberal, Conservative and New Democratic parties, were allcampaigning thereThursday. So too was Bloc Qubcois president Mario Beaulieu.

The Conservatives are hoping the recent defection of MichelGauthierwill help their cause.

Gauthier was the longtime Bloc MP for the neighbouring riding of Roberval, as well as being the Bloc's House leader and, briefly, itsleader.

But Gauthierannounced last month that he had given up on the goal of Quebec independence, and joinedthe Conservatives.

He says the Liberals and NDPwant to centralize power in Ottawa and only the ConservativesrespectQuebec's jurisdiction.

"It is very good for us," Richard Martel, the Conservative candidate in ChicoutimiLe Fjord, said of Gauthier's decision. "People are joining us."

Martel favours "a strong Quebec in a Canada we love."

"I am a nationalist, a federalist," he said.

Who's who?

A Segma Recherche poll for Radio-Canada and the daily newspaper Le Quotidiensuggests Martel enjoys a stronglead heading into Monday's vote.

As former coach of the local major junior hockey team,theSaguenens de Chicoutimi, Martel is well-known and well-liked in the riding.

In fact, Martel is more popular than Andrew Scheer, saidDominikFortin, a radio host inSaguenaywho has been following the race.

When people see Scheer campaigning with Martel, they say, "Who is that guy with Richard Martel?" Fortin, the morning host ofKYK95,7RadioX inSaguenay, told Radio-Canada.

Lina Boivin,a local business woman running for the Liberals,remains largely unknown, hesaid.

Boivin joined Trudeauand his wife, Sophie Grgoire-Trudeau, Thursday at the start of the Grand Dfi Pierre Lavoie, a 1,000-kilometre bicycle trek across the province.

When Boivin is with Trudeau, Fortinsaid, the crowd reaction is, "Who is that woman with Justin Trudeau?"

Trudeau is a political "rock star" in the region, hesaid. The prime minister'ssupport for the region's aluminum smelting industry amid the ongoing trade dispute with the U.S., includingstanding up to President Donald Trump, have not gone unnoticed.

But Martel is a local star and he started campaigning in December, shortly after Denis Lemieux, elected as the riding's Liberal MP in the 2015 election, resigned for "family reasons."

Boivinonly started her campaign in the spring.

Poll suggests Tories pulling ahead

ChicoutimiLe Fjord has voted Liberal, Conservative and Social Credit in the past. It was held by the Bloc before 2011, when it was swept up inthe NDP's Orange Wave.

ric Dubois, the NDP candidate this time, is hoping Singh can give his chances a lift."Under his turban, there are ideas, and they are good ideas," Dubois told Le Quotidien.

But in the Segmapoll, which was conductedbetween June 7-11,theNDP'sshare of decided voters was only 6.2 per cent.

CatherineBouchard-Tremblay, candidate for the embattled BlocQubcois, scored 8.7 per cent

Ottawa's intention to legalize marijuanahas been one of the mainissues in the byelection.

Boivinhas been arguing it is to better to legalize the drug "to protect our children," while Martel stresses the conflict between Ottawa and Quebec over how that should happen.

The Quebec legislature recently adopted a law that includesprohibitions onhome-grown marijuana.Ottawa insists that its own law, which wouldallowhome-grown pot, will take precedence when it's passed.

Trudeau also opposes Quebec's efforts to collect all income tax in the province, saying 1,000 federal jobs at the Jonquire income tax centre would be in danger.

The Conservatives, though,support the idea.Martel noted the National Assembly recently passed a unanimous motion calling for the province to collect both federal and provincial income taxes.

"When Quebec votes something unanimously, we should listen," Martel said.