Frontrunner Cloutier attacked during first PQ leadership debate

Front-runner Alexandre Cloutier clashed with both Martine Ouellet and Jean-Francois Lisee during the first official PQ leadership campaign debate.

The first official debate in the Parti Quebecois leadership race included some fireworks as frontrunner Alexandre Cloutier clashed with Jean-Francois Lisée over the future of Hydro-Quebec.

Cloutier attacked Lisée over a proposal the latter had made concerning the privatization of the Crown corporation.

While Cloutier attacked, Lisée returned fire, accusing him of demagoguery and saying he was not acting in the party’s best interests by trying to discredit one of its representatives.

Cloutier also clashed with Martine Ouellet over drilling for oil in Anticosti.

A second debate is scheduled for Sept. 25 in Montreal.

Last week, the candidates met in an informal discussion forum at the Université de Montreal, which saw frontrunner Cloutier drawing heavy fire from his three rivals.