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When Premier Philippe Couillard accused François Legault of “blowing on the coals of intolerance” in criticizing the government’s new immigration plan, he may have done Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec party a service.

The premier’s accusation, and the ensuing controversy over whether Couillard had gone too far, drew attention to the third party in the National Assembly and established the CAQ as the government’s leading critic on immigration.

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Far from backing down, the Coalition, which last fall adopted a new, more nationalist strategy, continued to hammer on the immigration issue.

And new poll results suggest that the CAQ’s opposition to the plan may be paying off for the party.

The survey by CROP for La Presse was conducted March 17 to 21, a week after the controversy over Couillard’s remarks. The results showed the Coalition having gained six percentage points in popularity since CROP’s sounding five weeks earlier, while Legault had picked up four points.