Moldy Peaches

Governor General Michaëlle Jean is facing new controversy over recent comments she made about André Boisclair, the frontrunner in the race to lead the separatist Parti Québécois – and this time the loudest critic is her sister.

On Saturday, the province's French newspapers - mainly controlled by separatists - were filled with a new uproar over comments Jean made at a recent National Press Gallery dinner, which is typically a light-hearted gathering where politicians and reporters make fun of themselves and others.

In her remarks at the dinner, the Governor General joked about holding a lunch for Boisclair, who recently admitted to using cocaine while he was a Quebec cabinet minister.

"We can have sandwiches and coke. Well, should André Boisclair, decide to attend, it will be coke for sure."

Boisclair always follows the "party line," she said.

Radio-Canada reporter Emmanuelle Latraverse, who is the president of the National Press Gallery, said it wasn't the first time the annual dinner has generated controversy. She said speakers are "asked to give funny, spicy, daring speeches to entertain the crowd that evening; that's always been the rule of the game, and this year was no exception."

The main cause of the uproar, however, is that Jean dared to criticize a separatist. Separatists believe that she is a sympathetic supporter of their cause and now she has become a traitor. All her comments were made in good fun and that is definitely the intent of the night.