(Canadian Press) Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet is standing by comments he made about Transport Minister Omar Alghabra earlier this month that sparked criticism he was trying to tar the new cabinet member with Islamophobic innuendo.
Blanchet addressed the blowback nearly two weeks after what Alghabra dubbed a harmful and “dangerous game” of insinuation by the Bloc.
Blanchet released a statement Jan. 13 that pointed a finger at Alghabra’s association with what the Bloc called “the political Islamic movement.” The leader said “questions arise” over Alghabra’s former role as head of the Canadian Arab Federation, but hedged that he “refuses to accuse” the minister of anything specific.
