LCN recruits former PQ politician Drainville

Nearly two months after quitting politics, Bernard Drainville will appear on LCN, after landing a job at the TVA French-language television network.

The former Parti Québécois MNA will be a political commentator on a new a half-hour daily show called La joute ( joust), hosted by Paul Larocque starting Sept. 6 at 4 p.m.

Larocque had co-hosted a political show, Larocque-Lapierre with former Bloc Québécois and Liberal MP Jean Lapierre, from 2007 until Lapierre died in a plane crash last March.

The television network announced Monday it had recruited Drainville, a former Radio-Canada journalist, for the new show.

Perhaps best known for his staunch defence of the controversial Charter of Values introduced by the short-lived government of Pauline Marois, Drainville announced in June he would quit politics.

At the time, he said he would replace former Liberal MNA Nathalie Normandeau on Éric Duhaime’s morning show on FM93 in Quebec City. The radio gig starts in August.

When he retired in June, Drainville made no apologies for his role as minister responsible for the controversial charter of secular values.

He said the need to create a “common base” of values for all Quebecers has not changed and remains, in his view, the guardian of diversity and beliefs.

“Was the charter demanding? Yes,” he said. “Too demanding? I don’t think so. I stand by what I proposed.”

Drainville’s Marie-Victorin riding is vacant, and a byelection to replace him will likely be held in the fall, though a date has not yet been set.