François Legault finds it insulting to be compared to former prime ministers Jean Chrétien and Jean Charest by PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who accuses him of repeating their arguments against sovereignty.
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“First of all, being called Jean Charest, is there anything more offensive than being called Jean Charest? », started the Prime Minister, briefly answering a journalist after leaving the Salon Bleu on Tuesday.
“He still said Jean Chrétien,” the CAQ leader added and continued on his way.
A few minutes earlier, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon had asked him in the room to confirm whether the budget for the first year of a sovereign Quebec, which is intended to be an update of the budget presented by Mr. Legault in 2005, was “valid and credible.” . .
“The old quibbles”
“Okay, that’s it. “There is a party that wants to go back to the old chicanery that lasted 50 years before the CAQ: the PQ versus the Liberal Party,” the prime minister replied.
However, said Mr. Legault, “Quebecians have made progress.” As proof, they had put an end to the PQ-Liberal swing by bringing the CAQ to power, he said.
“The old quibbles… Madam President. This is the expression of Jean Chrétien. I don’t know what to add,” the PQ leader replied.
“When the leader of the Parti Québécois insults me, he insults the majority of Quebecers […] For whom holding a referendum on sovereignty is not a priority,” defended Mr. Legault.
Two stars of the NO camp
Last week, Mr St-Pierre Plamondon compared François Legault to another star of the 1995 NO camp, former Liberal prime minister Jean Charest, which the latter clearly did not appreciate. Ironically, MM. Charest and Legault attended the inauguration of the Romaine hydroelectric power station a week earlier. The first had been invited by the second, who had reserved a few kind words for him.
Former Prime Minister Jean Charest together with Prime Minister François Legault at the inauguration of the Romaine hydroelectric power station on October 12, 2023. ARCHIVE PHOTO Marc-Andre Gagnon
The CAQ leader had then just asked the PQ leader to confidently state “how many Quebecers there are who would lose their jobs.”
“The most important thing is that this is not the priority. This is not about debating whether we need an army, whether we need a bank in Quebec to have our currency,” Mr. Legault added.
“It’s amazing, I think I’m listening to Jean Charest. No, but it is word for word, word for word,” said the Parti Québécois leader in surprise.
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