Couillard does not respond to Hivon at the blue Room: “a lack of elegance,” said Lisée

News 7 February, 2018
  • Photo Simon Clark
    The vice-head of the Parti québécois, Véronique Hivon, has addressed a question to the prime minister Philippe Couillard on Wednesday, has preferred to leave his minister Jean Love-meet.

    Pascal Dugas Drone

    Wednesday, February 7, 2018 16:39

    UPDATE
    Wednesday, February 7, 2018 16:42

    Look at this article

    Jean-François Lisée believes that the prime minister has “lacked elegance” Wednesday at the blue Room when he refused to answer a question that the vice-head of the Parti québécois, Véronique Hivon, to him directed.

    • READ ALSO: The first minister snubs the vice-head of the PQ’s Véronique Hivon

    According to tradition, the period of issues of the national Assembly opens with a question from the leader of the official opposition to the prime minister.

    However, it is rather the new vice-head of the PQ, which opened the ball on Wednesday morning, but Philippe Couillard has preferred to leave his minister for maritime Affairs, Jean Love, to answer the question about the jobs lost at the shipyard of Davie.

    “That the prime minister does not get up to answer a question in the national interest of the vice-head, it has disappointed me,” said Mr. Lisée, during a media scrum.

    “I found that it lacked elegance, and certainly, it is not as innovative as it wants us to believe”, he added.

    Absence of the chief

    With a hint of humour, the leader of the government, Jean-Marc Fournier, has suggested that it was difficult to understand the internal structure of the PQ.

    “If Mr. Lisée is the head, is that it is he who asks the questions? Or it is more? Then he would have to ask them how they operate”, he said with irony, during an impromptu press.

    Even if he says recognising the role of vice-chief, as well as that of vice-prime-minister, he believes that this role should be considered only when the leader is absent.

    “What has surprised me is that the vice-chief will act as head even when the head is there,” he summarized.

    According to Jean-Marc Fournier, Mr. Couillard will respond to Ms. Hivon only when Jean-François Lisée will be absent from the blue Room, by “respect for institutions” and do not participate in the “tactics” of the PQ.