Gilles Duceppe's vision for the future rights of linguistic minority groups, including francophones and anglophones, was momentarily blurred during a speech to students at Quebec City's Université Laval.

In a question and answer session following a short speech, Duceppe was asked if he thinks, in light of Parliament's recognition of the Québécois nation, that Acadians in the Maritimes should receive the same nod.

Duceppe says the Bloc absolutely supports the acknowledgment of an Acadian nation. He went on to say all francophone people in Canada should enjoy the same universal right to education and health services in their language as anglophones do in Quebec.

Duceppe grew quite animated while expounding on this point. Waving a finger in the air close to his face, he flinched momentarily. Then Duceppe turned, and said, "Oops, just about lost a contact lens there!" to laughter in the hall.

It turns out Duceppe had accidentally grazed the lens with his finger, bumping it out of place.

He said later he was only momentarily affected, as the lens just slid back into place by itself.

— Tim Duboyce