Pubdate: Sat, 17 Sep 2005 Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU) ded-4759-86e6-ca4d372111fc Copyright: 2005 The Gazette, a division of Southam Inc. Contact: http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274 Author: Philip Authier BOISCLAIR LOSES COOL OVER RUMOURS OF WILD PAST PQ front-runner walks out on reporters; Admits to 'excesses,' but doesn't elaborate Parti Quebecois leadership front-runner Andre Boisclair's campaign stumbled yesterday as he tried to fend off questions about youthful cocaine and alcohol abuse. A shaken Boisclair abruptly ended a news conference when reporters continued to grill him about the allegations and rumours he was once dressed down by former PQ leader Lucien Bouchard for the wild lifestyle he was leading while an MNA in his 20s. Now 39, Boisclair denied any such meeting ever took place, but conceded he had his youthful escapades and made mistakes. Today, he said, they are a thing of the past, he is in full control of his faculties and trusts the judgment Quebecers will make of him. "I have been through my youth. I have been through my 20s. I had a life like all Quebecers," Boisclair said. "I did not pop out of some premier-producing machine. I had fantastic moments in my life, some that were tougher. There are things that I did, certain of which I regret, like the majority of people who are listening to us. "I am someone who had pleasure in his life. I occasionally committed some excesses, but when you are looking at things which happened many years ago, let's be careful with that. I am closing in on 40, I am in full control of my faculties." Boisclair said he has been quite open with his private life in this campaign, fielding questions on his homosexuality, for example, but said he finds the continued prying and innuendos very difficult. "I am diving into this race with my skills, my talents, my energy," he said. "I find it unfortunate that personal attacks that certain people would like to make and have made (have surfaced), especially since many of the allegations which have been made are false, false. "I was never summoned by Lucien Bouchard. There was never a discussion between me and Mr. Bouchard. When I see this kind of personal attack and the attention people want to give to it, I say, be careful. Can we please go to the fundamental questions, to the competencies of people, to debating the ideas they are advancing?" At no time did Boisclair say what his excesses were, and he ended the news conference when a reporter asked if had ever used cocaine. He said he had answered enough questions and turned and left. Yesterday's incident took place at PQ party headquarters following a news conference officials had called to confirm nine candidates, including Boisclair, are in the running for Bernard Landry's old job. Over the last few weeks, some media and columnists have commented on Boisclair's taste for the nightlife in his youth. Boisclair was first elected to the National Assembly for the riding of Gouin in 1989 at age 23. He has held four cabinet posts in eight years, including the environment and municipal affairs portfolios. One of the first questions he was asked when he announced his candidacy was about his homosexuality. Boisclair handled it deftly, saying he was lucky to have been born in an open and tolerant society like Quebec. The queries quickly stopped. Polls have since shown that Quebecers consider his sexual preference a non-issue, but it is the first time Boisclair was asked directly about other rumours. Yesterday, asked if he thinks the stories will affect his chances in the race, Boisclair responded: "It is the members of the party who will decide. I have confidence in their good judgement." Boisclair is planning to hold his first major campaign rally tomorrow at the Spectrum on Ste. Catherine St. Officials yesterday confirmed that in addition to Boisclair, eight other candidates have qualified to run: Pauline Marois, Richard Legendre, Louis Bernard, Gilbert Paquette, Jean-Claude St. Andre, Jean Ouimet, Pierre Dubuc and Ghislain Lebel. The leadership race has entered the next stage. There will be seven debates held on seven pre-determined platforms, including health and education. The first is Wednesday in Sherbrooke and it will focus on solidarity and public finances. About 100,000 Pequistes get to vote for the new leader, who will be crowned Nov. 15 in Quebec City. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh