A Saguenay radio host who created a firestorm by suggesting local factory workers would never vote for a gay candidate has been pulled from the airwaves.
Corus Quebec, which owns Chicoutimi's popular station CKRS, has suspended its acerbic shock jock Louis Champagne indefinitely after he made homophobic comments on-air about the Parti Québécois and its local candidates.
In a press released issued Tuesday, Corus declared Champagne made "unacceptable" comments that don't represent the company's opinion, and has been suspended from the airwaves pending further investigation.
Champagne called the PQ a "fag club" and said its local candidate, Sylvain Gaudreault, would have trouble winning in the region because of his sexual orientation. Gaudreault and PQ Leader André Boisclair are openly gay.
The comments triggered a public debate about the role of homophobia in the election campaign.
All party leaders condemned Champagne's remarks and Boisclair said the comments were offensive to voters in the Saguenay.
The union representing Alcan employees in the region said Champagne's generalization about factory workers was insulting.
Related
| Party | Elected | Leading | Total | Vote Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIB | 48 | 0 | 48 | 33.08% |
| ADQ | 41 | 0 | 41 | 30.80% |
| PQ | 36 | 0 | 36 | 28.32% |
| QS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.65% |
| GRN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.89% |
| OTH | 0 | 0 | 0 | .26% |
| Last Update:March 27, 12:52:21 AM EDT | ||||
Quebec Votes 2007 Headlines »
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