Bernard Drainville defends his jump to the PQ

Bernard Drainville,a seasoned journalist andformer Radio-Canada bureau chief in Quebec City, is defending hischoice tojump into politics.

Drainville confirmedThursdayhe is running for the Parti Qubcois in the Marie-Victorin riding in Longueuil, south of Montreal.

Hisdecision shocked many in Quebec's political and media circles given his responsibilities as Radio-Canada's bureau chief in the provincial capital.Drainville's most recent interview with PQ Leader Andr Boisclair was taped Feb. 3 and aired on national television the next day.

On Thursday, the former television correspondentadmitted the PQ approached his family three daysbefore that interview, whenJacques Parizeauasked his wife if he'd be interested in running for office.

Drainville said he turned the offer down Feb. 2 after discussing it with his family, and had no problem going through with the Boisclair interview. But when the PQ approached him with asecond offerFeb. 6, he grabbed it.

Drainville insisted there was no conflict of interest."Idid my job as a journalist whenI did that interview. When you see the interview you'll see someone asking tough questions."

"Don't we all have personal opinions? Out job is to ensure our personal opinions do not interfere with our professional work. And this is basically what we are being paid for as reporters. We are supposed to leave our opinions at home."

He said he supportsQuebec's sovereignty as a means to ensure its future, and wants to servein office to "modestly contribute to change the world a little bit."Drainville said he believes in Andr Boisclair's leadership, calling him a"guy from my generation."

He was swayed by the PQ's second offer in the Marie-Victorin riding because outgoing MNA Ccile Vermette, who is leaving politics after her term, agreed to help his campaign.

Opposition fuming

Drainville'sdecision drew fire from opposition critics whoraisedethical concerns abouthisnew career path.

Deputy Premier and Quebec Minister of Public SecurityJacques Dupuis called him a hypocrite.

"You have someone who presents himself as an objective journalist, who knows he's going to do an interview with his eventual leader. That's manipulative, it [shows] a lack of loyalty to the population, and it's also hypocrisy,"he said Thursday.

Dupuis reproached Boisclair for lacking judgment. "It's more than a mistake. It's another 'sketch', another hypocrisy," he said, referring to the PQ leader's appearance in a Brokeback Mountain sketch last fall.

ADQ Leader Mario Dumont is worried about Drainville's access to inside political information that he could now use in a campaign.

"I have an obligation to review everything said by my press officer, who was in daily contact with him," Dumont told TVA, a Quebec television network. "That information is now in Andr Boisclair's office."

Drainville was a correspondent in Mexico and Ottawa, and hosted the television program La Part des Choses.

Huntingdon Mayor Stphane Gendron, is also pondering provincial politics. He's considering running for the PQ in his home riding. Gendron will confirm his decision on Thursday.