On the eve of a new session of the National Assembly, Parti Quebecois leader Jean-Francois Lisee tried to stay on message, but was forced to answer questions about a controversial joke made during a live radio interview Sunday evening.
Lisee apologized on the record for a comment about the co-leader of Quebec Solidaire that many found rude.
During the interview with Radio-Canada, Lisée was questioned about his new vice-president Veronique Hivon, and how the Lisée-Hivon duo differed from Quebec Solidaire's Manon Massé and Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
Lisée quipped that unlike Massé, Hivon did not have a moustache.
The comment immediately drew ire from the public on social media.
Several hours later Lisée apologized for the comment in a statement where he said the radio show has a comedic bent and he was trying to make a joke about someone he considers a friend.
"It was because I know that Manon [Massé], with whom I sat on a committee discussing transgender rights, does not consider her moustache as a taboo, but as a statement, that I allowed myself to make that comment," said Lisée.
Massé's upper lip hair has drawn notice previously, particularly in election campaign posters, which Massé attributes to her not conforming to stereotypical female aesthetics.
Lisée said that if Massé asked him for an apology, he would offer it immediately.
On Monday, on his way into a meeting with PQ MNAs, Lisée said that he had not been able to reach Massé and so he apologized in front of reporters, saying "I am sorry."
Massé is spending time with her mother, who is very sick.
After the public apology, it was clear Lisee wanted to move on – and so he did, on to topics he said will be a priority for the PQ in the next session: chief among them, identity issues.
“Identity is not a dirty word,” Lisee said. “It’s not a dirty word in the United States, it’s not a dirty word when you say ‘Canadian identity,’ and it shouldn’t be when you talk about Quebec identity. So we’re unapologetic about this.”
