MONTREAL - The impending naming of Radio Canada's Quebec National Assembly correspondent Pierre Duchesne as Parti Quebecois candidate for Borduas drew criticism from Premier Jean Charest Wednesday.
Duchesne, a 25-year-veteran of the Quebec journalism scene, has been French-language radio reporter for the CBC’s Radio Canada since 2005.
Charest noted that the journalist might have been reporting in a less-than-objective way, if in fact he had been plotting his entry into partisan politics.
However, Charest said that he would wait until official confirmation of Duchesne’s candidacy before making any further comment.
Duchesne recently resigned his correspondent position following the end of the spring session.
Charest expressed the view being a journalist possibly hiding a hidden agenda is not a good way to enter politics.
“The political class likes to deal with people openly,” said Mr. Charest.
Borduas is a longtime Parti Quebecois stronghold south of Montreal that includes such towns as Beloeil and Otterburn Park.
The riding elected Pierre Curzi in the 2008 election. Curzi, a maverick language hardliner, resigned from the PQ in a dispute with leader Pauline Marois and subsequently announced that he would not run again.
The CBC initially reported that Duchesne, long active on Twitter under the handle @Duchp, was quitting to teach at Universite Laval.
- With a file from The Canadian Press.
