Pierre Karl Pladeau apologizes for immigration remarks

Parti Qubcois leadership hopeful Pierre Karl Pladeau apologized Thursday afternoon for the comments he made on immigration.

During a debate the night before, Pladeausaid immigration was hurting the provinces ability to achieve sovereignty.

Pladeauissued an apology on his Facebook page.

"My apologies. I would like to apologize for the unfortunate comments I made yesterday about demographics and immigration. This phrase was inappropriate and does not reflect my beliefs," the post read.

"If I went into politics, it was to make Quebec a country that will continue to be generous to all citizens, whatever their origins."

Apology comes day after debate

After the leaders' debate Wednesday night, reporters hammered Pladeau with questions abouthis remarks during a brief scrum.

"What is unfortunately not strong enough is the way that we welcome people that have decided to come here in Quebec. I completely enjoy the diversity that people who decide to come here to Quebec bring,"Pladeau said.

Asked about comparisons between his remarks and former Quebec premier Jacques Parizeaus infamous blaming of "money and the ethnic" vote for the province's 1995 sovereignty referendum result,Pladeau only said, "Theres no relation at all."

When asked if he would apologize or if he regretted the comments, Pladeau brushed past reporters and headed into a caucus meeting.

The perceived front-runner in the contest to lead the separatist provincial party made the comments Wednesday evening inaPQleadership debate at Laval University in Quebec City.

"We dont have 25 years ahead of us to achieve it. With demographics, with immigration, were definitely losing one riding each year,"Pladeautold a room of 350 people.

He said thePQcould be in danger of disappearing ifimmigrants continue to come to the province in great numbers.

Quebec would love to control immigration, he said,butthePQshould not have any illusions about who really controls the number of newcomers to the province.

"Whos responsible for the immigrants who come and settle in Quebec? Its the federal government,"Pladeausaid.

Liberals pounce

Premier PhilippeCouillardslammedPladeau'scomments Thursdaymorning at Quebec's National Assembly.

"ThePQhas gone off the rails.There are no economic arguments for Quebec separation, so they focus on whatever they can.Theres been a move towardethnic nationalism since the introduction of the charter of values,"Couillardsaid.

He said even thoughPladeau'sleadership rivals distanced themselves from the remarks, thePQshould do more to repair the damage.

"The party should have immediately condemned his statement," Couillard said.

'Flagrant lack ofjudgment'

Health MinisterGatanBarrettetook it a step further,callingPladeau'sremarks "extraordinarily upsetting."

"ThePQis showingits true colours.Its asectarian, divisive party.One has the impression they are importing the views of the National Front party from France.Its a flagrant lack ofjudgment.As a citizen, I find it deplorable," Barrette said.

All the other leadership candidates took issue withPladeau'sremarks during Wednesday night's debate.

BernardDrainville,AlexandreCloutier, PierreCrandMartineOuelletall spoke about thePQsneed to welcome immigrants and incorporate them into their sovereignty solution by showing them how great Quebec as a country could be.

Echoes of 'money and the ethnic vote'

Many political observers saidPladeau'scomments do echothe infamous post-referendum remarks of former premier Parizeau.

The night that the results came in from Quebec's 1995 sovereignty vote,Parizeaublamed "money and the ethnic vote"for the separatists' narrow loss.

Speaking withCBC'sDaybreakhost MikeFinnertyon Thursday morning, formerMNAand co-founder of the Equality Party RobertLibmansaidPladeau'sremarksturnthePQ'sclock back 20 years.

LibmansaidPladeauis technically not wrong that support for sovereigntyis lower among younger people and newQuebecers, but he said theremarks were hurtful nonetheless.

"Of course hes right.But you dont insult immigrants that way by saying that theyre not part of us, thatthey're not as important a component of Quebec society asthe rest of us. Thats whats very upsetting and insulting about his remarks."

Ticking time bomb went 'boom'

Also onDaybreak,CBC senior Quebec political analyst Bernard St-Laurent recalled howParizeau'sremarks ultimately led to his resignation as premier.

St-Laurent saidhe doesn't think the damage will be quite as bad forPladeau.

"There were not five million people watching on television last night in an emotionally charged state like it was in 1995 withParizeau. But its definitely going to have repercussions," St-Laurent said.

FormerPQleadership hopefulJean-FranoisLise, who dropped out of the race in January, warned PQ supporters that Pladeau as a candidate was a "ticking time bomb."

St-Laurent said Thursday that Pladeau's pronouncement during the debate definitely qualifies as a "boom."

"Theres a feeling that the more PierreKarlPladeauexposes himself, the more of these 'booms'there willbe.But this is going to bea big boom," St-Laurent said.