Gilles Duceppe earned himself a surprising new nickname among some of the reporters covering his campaign tour after he presented some elements in the Bloc's law and order policy agenda.

Tim Duboyce

During a speech before the Montreal Board of Trade (though the truth be told the room was stacked with Bloc supporters, judging by the number of fervent rounds of applause, and relative lack of business suits), Duceppe outlined a series of measures he believes would help crack down on crime: outlawing the public display of symbols which identify the wearer as a member of an organized criminal gang; stiffer sentences for those convicted of using a weapon in the commission of a crime; and, the elimination of automatic release after one-sixth of a sentence for good behaviour.

All of this was laid out in response to Stephen Harper's promise to impose adult sentences on young offenders found guilty of violent crime, which Duceppe says would only turn debutant young criminals into hardened ones upon release. He also said teenaged convicts would become "fresh meat" for adult sexual predators already behind bars.

As the Bloc leader laid out his proposals, a table of reporters quickly coined the nickname, "Sheriff Duceppe."

—Tim Duboyce