Final day of campaigning for Quebec leaders

comes to defending the province’s dairy industry.

Sources have said Canadian negotiators may have offered increased access to the country’s dairy market as part of a NAFTA deal, something Lisee said is the equivalent of “sacrificing Quebec to protect Ontario.”

He also criticized Couillard for not having a voice at the table in the negotiations, therefore leaving the province “in the dark.”

While Legault called on his adversaries to refrain from partisanship on the issue, Couillard also used the premise of the NAFTA negotiations as a reason to vote for his party.

“I just want to repeat that I’ll support you until the end, beyond when an agreement will be signed. I’ll support our dairy producers, our industry, our farms,” he said.

Sunday marks the conclusion of a 39-day election campaign distinguished by personal disagreements and generous campaign promises on how best to spend the province’s billion-dollar surplus.

Heading into today’s vote, most polls showed the Coalition Avenir Quebec with a whisker-thin lead over the incumbent Liberals, who held 68 of the legislature’s 125 seats at the beginning of the campaign.

The Coalition is looking to drastically improve on its 21-seat count, while the Parti Quebecois, which formed the official Opposition with 28 seats, has remained firmly in third place.

The small left-wing party Quebec solidaire, which had three seats as the campaign began, is hoping its increased visibility and rising poll numbers will translate into a good showing.

On Sunday, one of the party’s two spokespersons said she felt her party had succeeded in shaking the political establishment.

“One more legislature member, two more, 10 more, 30 more ... everything is an improvement. But sincerely I think that tomorrow, we’ll really create surprises,” said Manon Masse.