North Shore union organizer Bernard 'Rambo' Gauthier announced Tuesday that he was leaving politics and public life.
In a video posted on his Facebook page, the spokesperson for the Citoyens au pouvoir (Citizens in Power) party explained that he is withdrawing for personal reasons and perhaps even health reasons, without giving any further details.
Gauthier said he is not closing the door permanently on political life, but explained that he needs to step back “for the moment,” adding that he will continue to campaign for Citoyens au pouvoir and for his region of Côte-Nord.
The avowed sovereigntist announced in December 2016 that he was entering the world of politics, and hoped his party would run candidates in every riding across the province in next year’s election. He had intended to run in the Duplessis riding.
“I do not have a political attaché, so I think I burned the candle at both ends,” he said in the video on Facebook. “I need to recover my privacy.”
“It's fine to devote one's life to others, but at some point one has to think of oneself too,” he continued. “Your body is talking to you, and the people around you are talking to you too. My family is more important than many other things, and for these reasons, I have to hang it up.”
In August, Gauthier admitted he doesn’t hide the fact his beliefs are aligned with La Meute, the controversial group accused of racism and Islamophobia. La Meute denies denies that charge while saying the group is aimed at fighting radical Islam.
Gauthier was convicted in 2014 of intimidating an entrepreneur during a strike in the construction industry on the province's North Shore. A judge concluded the man had grounds to fear for his safety after Gauthier paid him a visit.
He was eventually granted a conditional discharge, a sentence that allowed him to avoid jail time.
Gauthier's name previously surfaced during Quebec's inquiry into construction corruption as the commission heard about threats and extortion on the North Shore.
