MONTREAL

Francois Legault dismisses naked photos of CAQ candidate

The Canadian Press Published Thursday, March 13, 2014 6:07PM EDT

Steven Fleurent caused quite the stir Thursday, as a photo of the CAQ candidate for Rimouski sitting on a toilet wearing nothing but bracelets on his wrists made the rounds on the Internet.

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MONTREAL - A candidate for the Coalition party in Quebec's election campaign is getting a lot of exposure.

And that's the naked truth.

A photo of candidate Steven Fleurent has surfaced showing him sitting on a toilet in his birthday suit except for bracelets on his wrists and underwear around his ankles.

The long-haired hopeful for Rimouski riding is seen flashing a toothy smile and giving a big thumbs-up.

It is not clear when the photo of the 21-year-old was taken.

Coalition Leader Francois Legault has reacted philosophically to the controversy, putting it down to an "error of youth" and saying Fleurent will remain a candidate in the riding northeast of Quebec City.