Québec Solidaire parliamentary leader Alexandre Leduc apologized after directing a sympathetic “fuck you” to his CAQ counterpart Simon Jolin-Barrette in the middle of Salon Bleu.
“As I left the blue room today I made unacceptable comments to Simon Jolin-Barrette. My words went beyond my thoughts and I sincerely apologize. He is a colleague that I respect and I will manage my emotions better in the future. I also apologize to the president,” Mr. Leduc said on X.
The government’s parliamentary leader had just spoken to journalists to demand an apology from Mr Leduc.
As I left the blue room today I made unacceptable comments about it @SJB_CAQ. My words went beyond my thoughts and I sincerely apologize. He is a colleague that I respect and I will manage my emotions better in the future. I also apologize to the President.
— Alexandre Leduc (@LeducAlexandre) December 6, 2023
“Mr. Leduc did not agree with the interventions that I made as head of government. […] When Mr Leduc left his seat as MP he said to me: ‘Fuck you, Simon, fuck you, Simon,'” Mr Jolin-Barrette told the parliamentary press.
“I find it a little unbelievable that, in my role as head of government, I am insulted by Alexandre Leduc, leader of the second opposition role,” the Borduas MP continued. […] We teach our children in our schools not to insult each other, to respect each other and not to intimidate each other.”
The words of the parliamentary leader of Quebec Solidaire were played outside the microphone, but according to Mr. Jolin-Barrette, at least thirty MPs could hear them clearly.
Unacceptable
“Everyone here understood what the member for Hochelaga-Maisonneuve said. “This is completely unacceptable, these are radical comments that are disrespectful to the functions we carry out,” the parliamentary chairman of the CAQ in the Presidential Office of the National Assembly had quickly emphasized shortly before in the Blue Hall.
“In French it means “Fuck you, Simon, I will not accept between parliamentarians in the plenary of the National Assembly.” […] “To be insulted by Québec Solidaire,” Mr. Jolin-Barrette was outraged.
Does this incident call into question Mr Leduc’s role as leader of the second opposition group? “Well, I think he has to ask himself questions,” Mr. Jolin-Barrette replied to journalists.
“In almost ten years in the National Assembly, this is the first time I have seen something like this. […] To insult a colleague like that,” he remarked.
A few minutes later, Mr. Leduc indicated that he had just spoken to his CAQ colleague and that he had immediately accepted his apology.
I just spoke @SJB_CAQ. I would like to thank him for accepting my apology.
— Alexandre Leduc (@LeducAlexandre) December 6, 2023