Natural Resources Minister Jonatan Julien said Conservative leader Éric Duhaime was aggressive when he touted voters who wanted to “settle his case” to Prime Minister François Legault.
Mr. Julien estimated on Wednesday that such remarks, even in the figurative sense, do not contribute to maintaining a calm climate in the debates.
“To settle someone’s case for me, in the end, is to pay him a bad tribute,” he said. It’s something that is actually more aggressive than saying: “we’re going to have good discussions and we’ll be able to discuss topics casually”. »
Mr. Julien said that such remarks do not worry him, although he would not use them.
“If I tell you this: ‘I’ll settle your case’, I think you’re going to feel attacked altogether,” he said. These are not words that I hold. »
During the launch of the electoral program of the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ), Sunday in Drummondville, Mr. Duhaime notably praised the voters who rose with the conservative movement to “settle his case with Legault”. These comments were described as “dangerous” by the leader of the municipal opposition in Quebec, Claude Villeneuve, reported Radio-Canada.
Mr. Duhaime then reacted on social networks by accusing the municipal politician of “smearing”.
Minister responsible for Indigenous Affairs Ian Lafrenière also said Wednesday that such remarks have no place in politics.
“Arriving in a world of borderline violent confrontation, even verbally, I think has no place,” he said.
More details will follow.