Shale gas became an issue on the campaign trail Saturday as Coalition Avenir Québec leader Christine Fréchette claimed more Quebecers are warming up to fracking amid trade tensions with the United States.

Fracking has been raised during the Quebec election campaign, especially with the Quebec Conservatives pushing fossil fuels to boost the economy.

Fréchette was reacting to a report by La Presse that, citing its own survey, showed Quebecers are still heavily divided on the issue.

However, the newspaper said the survey showed support for fracking increased if used as a tool to gain autonomy from American markets.

The CAQ, under former premier François Legault, banned the exploration and production of shale gas in 2022.

During the race for the party leadership in the spring, Fréchette said she was open to revisiting shale gas development in Quebec.

“I think Quebecers have shifted their perspective a bit and I believe there’s greater openness to these possibilities,” Fréchette said during a news conference in Trois-Rivières, Que., on Saturday.

“Is that openness enough to say we should consider moving forward? I’m not there yet, but I would say that if we ever get to that point, there will also need to be social acceptance.”