PQ minister's 'young prince' attack on Trudeau misses target

Federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau talks to media outside the legislature in Quebec City, Thursday, April 18, 2013. (Clement Allard / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

QUEBEC -- The Parti Quebecois couldn't wait to confront its latest nemesis -- Justin Trudeau, new federal Liberal leader and first-born son of old foe Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

But its attack Thursday landed in the wrong spot.

As Trudeau made his first visit to meet with Quebec politicians since becoming Liberal leader, the most basic scheduling details drew an insult against him.

A provicial cabinet minister delivered a lengthy denunciation at a news conference where he accused Trudeau of behaving like some "young prince" -- because, he alleged, Trudeau had demanded to meet the leaders of all parties at the same time.

However, it turns out that information was wrong. People from various quarters, including the Quebec premier's office, disputed the basis for Jean-Francois Lisee's attack.

This was after Lisee expressed disbelief that Trudeau expected to meet the leaders of Quebec's three biggest parties at one gathering.

"He's not even the leader of the official Opposition in Ottawa -- he's the leader of the second opposition party -- and he thinks he can meet the three party leaders at the same time?" Lisee told a news scrum.

"Like some young prince, descending from Ottawa, to meet those who could become his subjects.

"He wanted the three party leaders of Quebec to organize their schedules to meet him at the same time. That gives you an idea of the gap between the reality of the Quebecois nation and its institutions, its political parties, and the incomprehension of the new Liberal leader of Quebec democracy."

However, that version of events was swiftly disputed. Not only by Trudeau's office, and by Quebec's opposition parties, but also by Lisee's own boss.

"It was a communication error. And that error was transmitted to Mr. Lisee and Mr. Lisee 'scrummed' on bad information," said a spokesman for PQ Premier Pauline Marois.

"The request was to meet the three leaders -- but individually."

As it stood, Trudeau did meet with the leaders of Quebec's two biggest oppostion parties, the Liberals and the Coalition for Quebec's Future.

He did not meet with Marois; a spokeswoman for the premier said Marois wasn't available Thursday, but that she would welcome suggestions for a future meeting date.

Earlier, Lisee had claimed there was indeed a scheduling problem. However, he said Marois wouldn't have accepted to meet anyway, under the conditions supposedly suggested by Trudeau.

He also cited the Liberal leader's stated plan to discuss issues raised during his leadership campaign -- such as health care and education.

Lisee said that request, alone, spoke volumes.

"It's a vision of Canada -- the idea that provinces are vassals," said Lisee, the minister responsible for international relations.

"He said he wanted to deal with education and health care. Is he not aware that under the Constitution these are provincial responsibilities?"

Trudeau's visit comes as he has become embroiled in a debate over the circumstances under which his father introduced the Constitution in 1982.

A new book suggests the event was marred by improper behaviour by the Supreme Court of Canada, and Quebec's political parties are demanding more information on the court's role.

The younger Trudeau has shown no interest in reopening the constitutional debate; he has further irritated nationalists by suggesting that Quebec, led in 1982 by PQ founder Rene Levesque, made a "choice" not to endorse the deal.