Parti Quebecois candidate refuses to explain past comments on Jewish community

In 2011, she wrote on Twitter about having forgotten to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday — a post later ascribed to “dark humour.”

At her first campaign event since the posts emerged, Blanc refused to address the controversy, saying that party leader Jean-Francois Lisee had already spoken on her behalf.

Lisee, who had called a news conference to discuss the party’s digital strategy, instead found himself defending his candidate’s right to criticize religions as she sees fit.

“We believe in the right to have a religion, to practice a religion, and to criticize a religion,” he said.

He refused to explain further, backing Blanc’s Churchillian decision to refuse all comment.

“If it’s good enough for Winston, it’s good enough for Michelle,” he said.

Elsewhere on the campaign trail, Coalition Avenir Quebec leader Francois Legault continued to fight back against criticism of his party’s plan to reduce immigration.

Legault told reporters in Cap-Sante, west of Quebec City, that the media and Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard were blowing the issue out of proportion and that average Quebecers were more interested in hearing about health care or how to get more money in their pockets.

Couillard insisted it was Legault who was bringing the issue into the spotlight in an attempt to gain votes.

“It’s the only explanation,” he said at a campaign stop on Day 24 of the campaign.

The Liberal leader also took a partial page out of the playbook of left-wing party Quebec solidaire with a promise of free tuition for certain groups of students.

If re-elected on Oct. 1, his party would abolish tuition for all students enrolled in a part-time technical program that leads to a college-level diploma, Couillard said Saturday.

Quebec solidaire has already promised to bring in free education from daycare to university.

—With files from Stephanie Marin in Montreal, Patrice Bergeron in Cap-Sante and Caroline Plante in Quebec City

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Parti Quebecois candidate refuses to explain past comments on Jewish community

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