OTTAWA - Canada's rookie health minister appears to have won a political tug-of-war with her Quebec colleagues over contentious changes to flavoured-tobacco controls.

The Quebec wing of the Conservative caucus had pulled for amendments that would ban some flavours and additives in cigars and cigarettes but not others.

But Leona Aglukkaq tugged back harder.

"I met with the Quebec caucus and they're in support of the legislation as is," she said Wednesday.

Bill C-32, also known as the Cracking Down on Tobacco Marketing Aimed at Youth Act, would ban all flavours and additives in tobacco products except for menthol.

The government says tobacco companies add fruit flavours and vitamins, sugar and other additives that taste like candy to little cigars -- called cigarillos -- to mask the tobacco's harshness to appeal to kids.

The legislation unanimously passed the House of Commons in June with the support of all three opposition parties.

But Tories from Quebec pushed for changes after Rothmans warned it might have to rethink plans to expand its Quebec City plant -- jeopardizing some 330 jobs -- if the legislation passed without amendments.

The Quebec Conservative caucus, led by former foreign affairs minister Maxime Bernier, deemed the legislation too broad.

They said the bill, as is, would ban hundreds of other ingredients, including some used to make American blended cigarettes that contain Burley tobacco.

"Freedom of choice is a fundamental principle in a civilized society. We can think what we want about the act of smoking (personally, I don't smoke), but it remains legal," Bernier wrote on his blog last week.

"There is no reason to deprive adult smokers of the possibility of choosing between cigarettes that contain Burley tobacco, and cigarettes that contain Virginia tobacco, even if those who choose the first are in a minority."

He was more curt in Wednesday's blog post.

"I took a stand in favour of amendments to Bill C-32 in order (to) protect the freedom of choice of adult smokers, while maintaining the ban on small cigars with fruit and confectionery-style flavours," he wrote.

"Unfortunately, the debate within our party has led to a decision which is contrary to the one I have supported. In politics, one sometimes wins battles, sometimes loses others.

"As a team player, I have chosen to rally the large consensus within my team, though without repudiating the principles that I have defended."

He declined to comment further.

Former Montreal Canadiens coach Jacques Demers, newly appointed to the Senate, said the health minister did more listening than talking during the Quebec caucus meeting.

"The minister mostly listened to the recommendations made," he said.

Public Works Minister Christian Paradis, the Conservatives' Quebec lieutenant, said it's important to protect jobs at Rothmans while also keeping cigarettes away from children.

Aglukkaq's office released a statement Wednesday saying the bill contains a clause meant to target additives used in products made solely for the Canadian market.

"It is the government of Canada's policy intent that tobacco products manufactured in Canada solely for the export market will be permitted," it said.

The Senate also heard from tobacco companies, industry groups and anti-smoking groups late Wednesday.