Rayes will continue to represent the riding of Richmond-Arthabaska in the Eastern Townships as an Independent. Rayes had backed Jean Charest as the Conservative leadership candidate, but Poilievre was elected by the party on Saturday, garnering a landslide majority with 68 percent of the vote in the first ballot. Rayes made the announcement in a French-language YouTube video posted on his Twitter account, saying he did not want to compromise his values and beliefs. He cited concerns about law and order, environmental issues, and the importance of respect among elected officials. On Monday, Poilievre made a surprise visit to the Quebec Conservative caucus and said in a speech that he was “very grateful” for the contributions of all members of the national caucus, regardless of the candidate they had supported. Rayes was the Conservatives’ lieutenant for Quebec until September 2020, after which Richard Martel, the MLA for Chicoutimi–Le Fjord, filled the role until February, when he resigned to run in the party’s leadership race. Hours before Rayes said he would become an Independent MP on Tuesday, Poilievre announced that Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles MP Pierre-Paul Hus would be Quebec’s new lieutenant. Hus was the only Quebec MP to support Poilievre as party leader.
