Lawyer for Martine Ouellet serves TV network and panel with legal warning

A lawyer for Bloc Quebecois Leader Martine Ouellet has sent a legal warning to a TV network in Quebec and the panellists of a political talk show for recent remarks about her. (Photo: Martine Ouellet/Facebook)

QUEBEC — A lawyer for Bloc Quebecois Leader Martine Ouellet has sent a legal warning to a TV network in Quebec and the panelists of a political talk show for recent remarks about her.

Guy Bertrand says Ouellet is taking issue with comments made on “La Joute” on March 8 and he argues they constitute an attack on her reputation.

The four panelists are host Paul Larocque, former Parti Quebecois cabinet minister Bernard Drainville, ex-Bloc Quebecois MP Caroline St-Hilaire and well-known political commentator Luc Lavoie.

Their mission is to dissect political developments in Quebec, the rest of Canada and around the world, and the program often leads to spirited exchanges among the four.

Seven of the Bloc’s 10 MPs quit in late February because of deep-seated differences with Ouellet over her leadership style, and the March 8 edition of “La Joute” included debate on her proposal to settle the differences with a referendum on what the Bloc’s vision should be.

The panelists associated her initiative with a “questionable, dishonest, stupid and absurd manoeuvre” and there were suggestions the referendum question would be written in such a way Ouellet would get the result she wants.

Bertrand said Ouellet was affected by what she heard, as were her two children and her mother.

The lawyer sent the legal warning on March 19 and gave the network 48 hours to issue a retraction and an apology.

Neither was forthcoming.

Bertrand said Ouellet has a year to decide whether she will seek damages.