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OTTAWA — Maxime (Mad Max) Bernier says he doesn’t care if his rivals for the Conservative leadership rival make fun of his latest attempt at raising his profile.

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The Conservative MP from Quebec posted a photo on his Instagram page on Tuesday of his face on the body of Mel Gibson’s character in the dystopian, 1979 action flick, “Mad Max.” He also posted the image to Facebook.

Bernier, whose free-market policy positions have put him to the right of most of the other candidates, wrote in the caption “some people like to call me Mad Max like in the movie.”

“They may believe it’s an insult,” he continued, using exclamation points liberally, “but let me tell you something: It’s true. I am mad! I’m mad about government waste! I’m mad about government borrowing money on the backs of future generations, to benefit big corporations!”

I’m mad about government waste! I’m mad about government borrowing money on the backs of future generations, to benefit big corporations!

Nick Kouvalis, one of the architects of ex-Toronto mayor Rob Ford’s election victory and a current strategist for one of Bernier’s opponents, MP Kellie Leitch, mocked him on Twitter.

“He’s mad,” Kouvalis tweeted, “Very mad. Intensely mad. Hot like the sun mad. Let’s all get mad together. Maple syrup cartels have put us over the edge.”

That comment referred to Bernier’s position that Quebec’s maple syrup production should no longer be controlled by a provincial association and should be opened up to the free market.