Quote:
Tamsin McMahon Aug 17, 2011 – 6:15 PM ET | Last Updated: Aug 17, 2011 6:21 PM ET
Former Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe has pulled out of a weekly Radio-Canada talk show after the broadcaster refused to allow him to discuss politics.
Mr. Duceppe, who stepped down as party leader after losing his seat in the May federal election, was set to be one of about 10 regular commentators on a two-hour morning magazine show starting in late August, Medium Large, hosted by Catherine Perrin.
He was to discuss “accomplishments in culture, science, sports or social work,” Radio-Canada said in announcing Mr. Duceppe’s appointment earlier this week.
But on Wednesday, the broadcaster confirmed that Mr. Duceppe had pulled out of the show because of a dispute about the broadcaster’s rules on political commentary by ex-politicians.
In a statement, Radio-Canada says it doesn’t allow former politicians to discuss public policy issues as a hired host or commentator for two years after they’ve left politics.
“The team had offered Mr. Duceppe free rein to discuss topics related to culture, science and sports, with the potential to cover broader social issues,” the broadcaster said. “Although Mr. Duceppe did not want to approach topics from a partisan perspective, he did want to comment on current events and public policies.
The broadcaster called the dispute a “misunderstanding” and said that its ban on political commentary wasn’t clearly explained to the former BQ leader.
“We understand Mr. Duceppe’s decision and regret that he wasn’t informed of our policy restrictions from the outset.”
National Post
CKA Uber 
Forum Elite 
