Will Carney’s French hurt his election chances in Quebec?

Will federal Liberal leader Mark Carney's less-than-perfect French skills affect his chances in Quebec?

Voters in the riding of Longueuil-St-Hubert haven’t elected a liberal in more than 40 years, but there are signs that’s changing.

Poll after poll show Quebecers believe Mark Carney is the best pick for prime minister. Across the province, ridings once considered Bloc Quebecois strongholds are now facing tight races with tough choices

“I think he’s the best,” said Annie Desjardins outside a supermarket in St-Hubert.

Another shopper said: “I think he’s the man of the hour.”

That’s despite Carney’s French skills coming under scrutiny.

“We’re in Quebec,” said one woman. “A prime minister should speak a little more French.”

On Thursday night, Carney rated his French and gave himself a six out of 10.

His first weeks on the campaign trail, he had several slip-ups.

Carney had to apologize to Nathalie Provost, a survivor of the École Polytechnique Massacre and liberal candidate, after saying her name wrong twice.

He also referred to Concordia University as the site of the tragedy.

When asked if the flubs were related to his French, Carney said: “that was not a question of language, that was a question of misspeaking.”

In another instance, Carney switched from French to English while answering a question about Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

But so far, many don’t seem to mind.

“It’s okay,” one woman told CTV. “He doesn’t speak very well but it’ll happen eventually.”

The language blunders usually bother Quebecers but voters say for now, there are bigger issues.

“Trump’s a big bully, and we need someone that can go against him,” said another woman.

“Someone willing to take him on, and not give up,” added another.

The language issue is taking a backseat this election, says one polls analyst Philippe J. Fournier at 338Canada.

“Many people will forgive those missteps by Carney if he is perceived as the best one to deal with Donald Trump,” he adds.

But not everyone feels the same.

“I tend to lean more on Bloc Quebecois than Liberal at these times now,” said one man.

For Carney, the big challenge is to prove he understands Quebec culture and politics, says political analyst Daniel Beland.

“I think that it’s clear that his knowledge of Quebec is inferior to that of his predecessors,” he adds.

Both experts say if the French flubs keep coming, Carney could be in trouble.

Though for now, he’s clearly connecting with Quebec.