Jean-Francois Lise continues attack on new target: Qubec Solidaire

PartiQubcoisLeader Jean-Franois Lisewas not backing off Friday from his questioning first introduced at Thursday's leaders debate of who's "really pulling the strings" in rival party Qubec Solidaire.

"I want clarity.I want transparency. I want authenticity," Lisesaid at a news conference in Montreal Friday.

Lise was pelted with questions from reporters about why, after mostly targeting the CAQand the Liberals during the campaign so far, he has suddenly turned his guns on QubecSolidaire and its leadership structure.

"For me, it was about how to stop the free ride of QubecSolidaire, so I chose that approach. I think it's the right one, and I'm glad I did," Lise said.

"The mere fact that nobody asks the question who is the leader of QuebecSolidaire?Why don't we know him? Why don't we see him?Why doesn't he give interviews? is a reflection of the free ride."

QubecSolidaireco-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Duboissaid he was surprised by Lise'ssudden interest in the inner workings of the party.

"Honestly, my first reaction when I heard that was like what is happening with Jean-FranoisLise?I mean, what did he eat for dinner last night?" he said.

Debate surprise

Liselaunched his surprise salvo during a segment while debatingwith the other Quebec Solidaire co-spokesperson, ManonMass, about the shortage of family doctors.

"I'm being asked not to ask questions that are too hard ofManonMass,"Lisesaid. "But I have a supplementary question to ask: This is a leaders debate. If you aren't the leader ofQubecSolidaire, then who is and why isn't he here at the leaders debate?"

In a scrum immediately after the debate, many reporters wondered what Lise was talking about.

"Qubec Solidaire is now an important player in this campaign, and the co-spokespeople, Manon Massand Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois are terrific. But they're spokespeople. Who is the boss of these spokespeople? Who are they speaking for?" Lise said.

QubecSolidaire is different

Qubec Solidaire does indeed have an unconventional leadership structure.

Since its inception in 2006, the party has always designated two "co-spokespeople" one man and one woman.

Those roles are now filled by Mass and Nadeau-Dubois.They are the most high-profile members of the party and both are travellingthe province campaigning.

The party voted before the campaign to select Mass as the official candidate for premier, so she participatedin the debates and will serve as premier if QubecSolidaireformsgovernment.

Nadeau-Dubois would be named deputy premier. The party says Mass would be chief executive and head of state, while Nadeau-Duboiswould be in charge of parliamentary proceedings and setting the legislative agenda.

But Liseis right: neither Massnor Nadeau-Duboisis the official leader of the party.

Mystery man revealed

That role is filled by a largely unknown former candidate who is also the party's secretary-general: Gatan Chteauneuf.

Chteauneufemerged from the shadows Friday to speak to Radio-Canada.

He said he was dumbfounded when he found himself being alluded to during the leaders debate.

"I was sitting in my living room at my house, and I found it funny, comical, this situation," Chteauneufsaid.

Chteauneufsaid he's a retired volunteer who is mostly in charge of administration and paperwork for the party. But he acknowledged he is indeed the titular leader of the party.

"Election law obliges us to have someone designated as leader for the all the documentation and administration," he said.

But he said he has no ambitions beyond that, and decision-making is left entirely to the party membership, with Nadeau-Dubois and Massdelivering the message.

Lisemocked

"I think the vast majority of Quebecers understand that very simplesystem.I don't understand why, in the middle of a debate about health care, Jean-FranoisLisefinds it crucially important to talk about that," Nadeau-Dubois said.

He speculated it's because the PQ is bleeding support to Qubec Solidaire.

Lise, who has beenshowing off his sense of humour during the campaign, was the target of some Twitter mockery Friday over the attacks:

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