MONTREAL — The Conservatives are counting on fallout from the federal sponsorship scandal to allow them to make inroads in Quebec, a party official said Saturday despite polls that show they lag far behind in the province.

The head of the party's Quebec caucus, Josee Verner, said in an interview that she believed voters in the province want a change from Liberal rule.

"There is no one who can say that this government still has the moral authority to govern," said Verner.

Paul Martin's government faces almost-certain defeat on Monday with the Conservatives, Bloc Quebecois and NDP all supporting a non-confidence motion.

But in the face of other public opinion polls that suggest the Liberals are poised to win another election, Verner denied the opposition had chosen unwisely in unleashing an election.

She said they had to react to the Justice John Gomery's report into the sponsorship scandal that laid the blame for the boondoggle squarely on the Liberals - although not directly on Martin.

The Bloc has been running far ahead of both the Liberals and Conservatives in Quebec, largely on the strength of the damning testimony about the Grits at the inquiry.