Quebec Liberals demand PQ leader retract organized crime claims
Liberal party threatens defamation suit after Plamondon linked them to organized crime during campaign.
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The Quebec Liberal Party sent a formal notice to PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon on Sunday, demanding he retract remarks linking the PLQ to organized crime and issue an apology — or face a defamation lawsuit.
"By linking the Quebec Liberal Party to organized crime, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has crossed a line that no serious political leader should have crossed," Liberal leader Charles Milliard said at party headquarters in Montreal on Sunday morning. "His remarks are irresponsible, defamatory, and unworthy of someone who aspires to govern Quebec."
On Friday, June 12, the last day of the legislative session before fall elections, St-Pierre Plamondon compared the Liberal Party to organized crime in his campaign messaging. He later clarified he was referring to "the legal definition" and not a criminal organization.
St-Pierre Plamondon said he had no evidence of PLQ links to organized crime but called it a "question that is absolutely legitimate and logical." He pointed to an ongoing investigation by the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit (UPAC) into alleged illegal financing during last year's PLQ leadership race, asking how a fundraising operation could hand out $500 in cash to attendees without scrutiny.
Milliard said the party will accept harsh criticism but won't tolerate attacks on its reputation without evidence. "There are always limits," he said. "Debates must be based on facts, not intentions."