Reacting to the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, François Legault said Monday that “we don’t have that, that violence, against politicians in Quebec.” PQ member Pascal Bérubé invites him to remember Pauline Marois, in 2012.
Pressed for questions by journalists on the sidelines of the summer meeting of the Council of the Federation, which opens in Halifax, the Premier of Quebec briefly returned to the attack of which Donald Trump was the target, Saturday.
“It’s worrying for democracy in the United States. Now, we don’t have that, that violence against politicians in Quebec. In any case, physically, and we have to make sure it stays that way,” commented Mr. Legault.
The CAQ leader’s comments made PQ MP and former Marois government minister Pascal Bérubé jump, and he was quick to react.
“I invite the Prime Minister to remember 2012, when an attack took place against the new Prime Minister, a deadly attack where a shooter wanted to hit the Prime Minister and came very close to doing so,” Mr. Bérubé told our Parliamentary Office.
Bad memories
For the Matane-Matapédia MP, as for many PQ members, what happened on Saturday with Donald Trump brings back very bad memories.
Let us recall that on September 4, 2012, a shooter went to the Métropolis with the intention of killing Pauline Marois, who had just been elected premier. She was quickly removed from the stage where she was giving her victory speech, while at the back of the room, the shooter fatally shot a stage technician, in addition to seriously injuring another.
Richard Henry Bain was quickly apprehended after committing his attack at the Metropolis in Montreal on election night on September 4, 2012.
Archive photo, QMI Agency
“Death threats against Quebec politicians exist. I have received some myself,” says Pascal Bérubé.
“So what happens in the United States in terms of violence, we are not immune to that in Quebec,” insists the PQ elected official.
He recalls that Quebec MPs recently marked the 40th anniversary of another sad attack, which occurred inside the National Assembly, targeting Prime Minister René Lévesque, who was absent from parliament at the time, and which left three dead.
“I have been of the opinion that for a long time we need to increase the security of elected officials,” reiterates Mr. Bérubé. He is also surprised that federal ministers are still not accompanied by bodyguards, as is the case for ministers in the Quebec government.
The newspaper requested an interview with M.me Marois, who was not available at the time of writing.
– With the collaboration of Patrick Bellerose