Cocaine use an ‘ error of youth’: Boisclair
PQ leadership contender wants to move on
QUEBEC • Peppered with questions about his cocaine use, André Boisclair admitted yesterday that he took drugs “a couple of times,” but added, “ I am telling you I regret it. I’m telling you I am elsewhere in my life.”
Mr. Boisclair, who polls indicate has a commanding lead in the race to succeed Bernard Landry as Parti Québécois leader, also alleged yesterday that Premier Jean Charest’s chief of staff is conducting a “whispering campaign” against him.
In response the premier’s office issued a denial from Stéphane Bertrand, Mr. Charest’s chief of staff, saying the PQ leadership race is not of concern to the premier’s office.
“ No member of my personnel, nor myself, have made any allegations about the private life of Mr. Boisclair,” said Mr. Bertrand, who until yesterday’s statement always stayed in the background.
Mr. Boisclair said he has heard all kinds of stories, including that he went to Boston last year, not to do a Masters in Public Administration at Harvard University, but for detox.
Mr. Boisclair told reporters badgering him with questions about cocaine use that taking drugs did not affect his work as a PQ MNA or as a Cabinet minister and said he no longer takes drugs.
“ Is there anyone among you who can say that one day as an MNA I lied, I did something wrong, that I found myself in a situation where I was not in in full possession of my faculties?” he asked reporters, after addressing an audience of about 300 students in the CÉGEP Lévis-Lauzon.
“ I think my behaviour in the National Assembly and my conduct as a minister, my conduct as an MNA, was always exceptional. I always behaved responsibility,” he added.
“ I can’t go any farther than that.”
A newspaper report in June alleged that in 1999, then premier Lucien Bouchard called Mr. Boisclair in to chew him out over his dissolute lifestyle.
Mr. Boisclair told the reporter who wrote the story yesterday it was “false” and warned him, “Be careful.”
The leadership contender said he wants to put the issue of his “errors of youth” behind him to debate policy issues.
“ Can we move on to other things? What more do you want of me than an admission? I think Quebecers want to know who will be the best person to build a new coalition for sovereignty,” he said.
Jean- François Bertrand, son of late premier Jean- Jacques Bertrand and himself a PQ minister in the 1980s, said in a telephone interview that Mr. Boisclair stands to gain by being frank about his drug use.
Mr. Bertrand wrote an autobiographical book about his own cocaine addiction entitled, “Je suis un bum de bonne famille.” (I am a bum from a good family.)
“ I think it is pertinent that the question has been raised because there are a lot of rumours circulating,” Mr. Bertrand said.
“ Mr. Boisclair can only win with an attitude of frankness, or clarity, about his life experiences and knowing Quebec society, I am convinced people can distinguish between his private life and his public life and when he says he has gone somewhere else, I think people understand this message very well.”
Mr. Bertrand noted Mr. Boisclair does not try to hide his gay sexual orientation, suggesting more candour on the drug issue.
“ Quebecers know that Mr. Boisclair is gay,” he said. “ We can see that it doesn’t harm him at all in the leadership race. On the contrary.
“ It isn’t important to know that he is gay. It is important to know that he is frank.”