EXCLUSIVE: Jean Charest calls identity debates ‘waste of time and energy’

Extended: Quebec 'consumed by identity politics' Jean Charest says our society seems consumed by identity politics and he hopes it won't rear its head in this election.

Former premier Jean Charest says he's worried identity issues could become a dominant theme as Quebec’s provincial parties battle for votes in the upcoming Oct. 1 general election.

“Our society seems to be consumed by identity politics," Charest told CTV Montreal. “We're going into an election campaign in Quebec and I’m hoping that identity politics is not going to rear its ugly head again.”

Charest's comments come as the Liberals continue to spar with the CAQ over a controversial accusation.

In a recent interview with the West Island edition of the Montreal Gazette, Finance Minister Carlos Leitao said he believes the party is proposing “an ethnic-based nationalism.”

“They view the French majority as being under attack from all those foreigners out there,” Leitao told the newspaper.

On Wednesday, a visibly angry Francois Legault demanded an apology, telling reporters at the National Assembly Leitao’s comments were unacceptable.

“It’s dirty politics and I think the Liberals just crossed the line,” said the CAQ leader.

The Couillard Liberals have been careful to avoid repeating the words “ethnic nationalism,” but there have been no apologies since Leitao’s comments were published.

Instead, the Liberals have been pointing to Legault's proposal for a language and values test for recent immigrants, which would determine whether they could stay in Quebec.

At a Friday afternoon press conference announcing plans for a tramway project in Quebec City, premier Philippe Couillard responded to questions about his party’s refusal to apologize to Legault.

“This plan of expulsion of immigrants, how is it going to work? Let's say I've just settled in Quebec with my wife and my wife passes the test, but not me. I'm going to be sent out? What's going to happen? You know, it's so simplistic. It's unbelievable to hear someone say such things now. But he wants to be premier,” said Couillard.

Charest also called the CAQ’s proposal troubling.

“Mr. Legault now says he wants to have a test on values. If it looks like a duck and it walks like a duck and it sounds like a duck, I think it's probably a duck,” said Charest, using an oft-repeated line from his election campaign in 2012.

“I don't have any skin in the game now and I don't want to be involved in partisan politics. I don't hide the fact that I'd like to see the Liberals re-elected. I don't pretend to be neutral in all of this. But at the end of the day what I care about the most is our society. I’ve been through the Bouchard-Taylor commission and those debates and I think it's such a waste of time and energy to be pulling on those strings when in fact we should be focusing on the things that we have in common,” Charest added.

In a written statement to CTV Montreal, CAQ press attaché Ewan Sauves said Charest is out of touch.

“Regarding immigration issues, Jean Charest was totally disconnected from the legitimate concerns of the Quebec population when he was the Liberal leader,” said Sauves.

“Obviously, he still does not understand these concerns. After 15 years in power, the Liberals are due for a long stay in opposition.”