OTTAWA — Maxime Bernier plans to unveil his nascent political party’s name and logo next week, but already his team says he has growing political support across the country, from former MPs who want to run under his banner, and from three sitting MPs who have initiated talks with the maverick Quebec MP.

Bernier declined a request to speak to the Star and in a written statement said he would reveal more before Parliament resumes Sept. 17.

“We are still in the process of working on the documents (constitution, platform, etc.) and finding people for the executive committee,” Bernier said, adding “we’ve raised a good amount of money so far.”

While Bernier awaits Elections Canada’s go-ahead on his chosen party name (the elections agency ensures registered party names are not confusing for electors), there are indications of a public appetite for his small-c conservative message, including a national opinion poll conducted by Nanos Research for the Globe and Mail.

Published Tuesday, it found 22 per cent of Canadians believe there is a need for a new conservative party federally, and 17 per cent of Canadians are open to voting for a Bernier-led conservative party. While a majority disagreed there is a need or that they would be open to voting for such a party, the apparent willingness of a good chunk of people (and not just those who identify as Conservative-leaning voters) was hailed by Bernier.

He posted a tweet saying it was “another very encouraging poll, for a party that doesn’t even have a name yet (coming soon!). It can only grow from this base.”

Bernier didn’t directly address the Star’s question about whether he would run candidates in possible upcoming byelections in Montreal’s Outremont riding, eastern Ontario’s Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes riding, and B.C.’s Burnaby South riding. (The latter has not yet officially been declared a vacancy but the current NDP MP Kennedy Stewart is running to become Burnaby mayor.)

“We’re not at all at the stage of looking for candidates yet, that will come later when the party is established,” Bernier said.

But his team is encouraged by the interest the campaign has already sparked. Clinton Desveaux, who managed Bernier’s Atlantic Canada campaign for the Conservative leadership last year, said he expects not only will Bernier be able to elect at least 12 MPs to form an official party in Parliament at the next federal election, “in fact, we’ll exceed” that number, he predicted.

“There’s a number of former MPs from the previous parliament (pre-2015) who have stepped forward and said they’re interested in running for Max for the next election,” said Desveaux.

“And yes, officially the response from various (Conservative party) caucus members is ‘we’re not going anywhere.’ But there has been, in fact, three members of Parliament who have initiated some talks quietly behind the scenes.”

Desveaux declined to reveal more, but said the MPs who have reached out are drawn by Bernier’s business and economic messages — his opposition to “corporate welfare,” to Canada’s quota system in the poultry, dairy and egg production sectors, and his argument that Canada should agree to end supply management as a bargaining tool in NAFTA negotiations.

He said Bernier’s message is resonating in Quebec and all three Prairie provinces, and he has heard from supporters “from Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia” who are willing to form new riding associations.

On the weekend Bernier, who broke from Conservative ranks last month, encouraged Conservative party supporters to turn aside their fear that the rise of a new conservative vote vehicle will only result in Justin Trudeau’s Liberals getting re-elected.

“First, the split has already happened,” said Bernier. “Denying it will not make it go away. If what you want is a real alternative to Trudeau, then you should join me and encourage everyone you know to do the same. The faster the shift happens, the less splitting there will be next year.”

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He argued the new party would take votes away not only from the Andrew Scheer-led Conservatives, but from Liberals and other parties, and would motivate what he said was the 35 per cent of voters who stay home on election day.

“Gaining new votes will make the difference,” said Bernier. “My new party will be up and running very soon. You will then have a choice: A party with a weak leader and weak ideas. Or a party with a strong leader and strong ideas. If you choose weakness over strength, you will be splitting the vote for a real alternative to Trudeau.”

Scheer’s office did not respond to a request for comment for this story. Scheer last month dismissed Bernier’s resignation and blistering criticism of his leadership, saying the MP put himself above his caucus.

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