On Sunday, the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) sent a formal notice to PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon demanding that he retract his remarks linking the PLQ to organized crime and issue a formal apology.
“We are calling on Paul St-Pierre Plamondon today to do what any responsible person would do, which is to retract his remarks and issue an apology. “If he refuses to do so, the PLQ will not hesitate to defend its rights in court and reserves the right to file a defamation suit against the leader of the Parti Québécois,” Liberal leader Charles Milliard said at the PLQ’s administrative offices in Montreal on Sunday morning.
“There is a fundamental difference between taking legitimate action and making accusations without any evidence for the purpose of misinforming the public and sowing doubt,” he stated.Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon compared the Liberal Party to organized crime in its leadership campaign.
Millard indicated that he is able to accept criticism, “no matter how harsh,” but that he becomes “uncompromising” when the reputation of the party, its activists, its members of the National Assembly, and its new candidates is attacked.
“This time, it won’t fly. By linking the Quebec Liberal Party to organized crime, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has crossed a line that no serious political leader should have crossed. His remarks are irresponsible, defamatory, and unworthy of someone who aspires to govern Quebec.
“There are always limits,” said Milliard, emphasizing that “debates must be based on facts, not intentions.”
On Friday, the last day of the legislative session before the fall elections, St-Pierre Plamondon linked the PLQ to organized crime.
He then clarified that he was referring to “the legal definition” and not “a criminal organization.”
To launch his attacks, he relied on the ongoing investigation by the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit (UPAC) into allegations of illegal financing during last year’s PLQ leadership race.
At a press conference to review the session, St-Pierre Plamondon stated that he had no evidence suggesting links between the PLQ and organized crime, but that it is a “question that is absolutely legitimate and logical,” in his view.
“How was this slush fund financed?” he asked.
“If you’re able to hand out $500 in cash to just about anyone who shows up at a fundraising cocktail party, the first question people are going to ask you is: where does the money come from? Someone had to finance that operation. And there are many hidden sources of funding; it could come from criminal activities, but it could also come from the federal government.”
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
