Gilles Duceppe was forced to stickhandle a potentially embarrassing question during a French-language radio interview in Quebec City on Tuesday morning.

The host asked Duceppe what credibility he had left as Bloc leader, given the fact he came within a hair of quitting the party just over a year ago, to seek the leadership of the provincial Parti Quebécois.

Duceppe announced his candidacy and then withdrew a day later when the current leader, Pauline Marois made it known she wanted the job.

Duceppe says even had he made the leap to the PQ, his sovereigntist convictions would not have changed.

He points out Stephen Harper has himself been an MP for three parties: Reform, the Canadian Alliance, and the Conservative Party.

And, Duceppe says one of Harper's key ministers did change positions on at least one issue the Bloc champions after switching political allegiances..

He says Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon, who used to be a provincial Liberal MNA in Quebec, always supported giving the province more authority over communications, until he got to Ottawa.

— Tim Duboyce