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Philippe Couillard’s skeletons, Quebec identity the hot button issues at final Quebec leaders’ debate

The second and final leaders' debate ahead of the April 7th Quebec election took place on Thursday evening.

As expected, Liberal leader Philippe Couillard, who, according to the latest opinion poll, has a seven point lead, was the prime target.

At times, the event became an old fashioned pile-on.

The Liberal leader was asked to defend a criminal investigation against his party regarding a Liberal fundraiser that allegedly raised $428,000 in unreported funds.

He was also called-out for his past association with Dr. Arthur Porter, the former head of Canada’s spy-agency watchdog who is now facing fraud charges in a bribery scandal.

"There's an elephant in the room this evening when we're talking about your deal with Mr. Porter," CAQ leader Francois Legault said.

"You registered a company called Porter-Couillard Associates Inc..

"When you're in business and you register a company for two years then you have to come up with the financial statements every year. So I'd like you then...to produce them."

Couillard said that company was never activated.

[ Related: Quebec election heats up as Couillard challenges Marois to reveal her personal wealth ]

Couillard was attacked about a Radio-Canada report from Wednesday which said that he kept an offshore account on the island of Jersey in the 1990s while a neurosurgeon in Saudi Arabia.

"Everyone is preparing their taxes — Quebec taxpayers have to pay taxes on a 100 per cent of their income," Quebec Solidaire leader Francoise David said to the Liberal leader.

"Don't you find it morally unacceptable that someone such as you, someone who wants to be the premier of the province...that journalists told us that for years you have put sizable amounts of money in tax havens."

[ Related: Did the Parti Quebecois jump the shark? ]

Couillard was also forced to defend the former Charest government's record with regards to its finances, its 500 patronage appointments, its debt accumulation and its inaction on corruption. (Couillard was a Quebec Liberal MNA from 2003 to 2008)

"36 of your candidates — the current candidates — voted 11-times against holding a public commission of inquiry," Legault charged.

[ Related: Quebec Liberals hovering in majority territory ahead of election, poll shows ]

All the opposition leaders were able to score some political points on the issue of Quebec identity and, of course, the topic of a referendum.

But on the issue of the Charter — the other parties accused Couillard of being wishy-washy.

To no avail, Legault repeatedly asked Couillard whether it was appropriate for a Quebec police officer to wear a religious symbol.

Marois also asked him for some clarity.

"Our Charter proposal clarifies these issues — contrary to what the Liberal Party did," Marois said.

"It didn't clarify anything. We define what the rules will be and we believe that the State be neutral in that area."

Certainly, he took some blows on Thursday evening, but we'll have to wait and see if the attacks against him will hurt his party's standing in the opinion polls.

(Photo courtesy of the Canadian Press)

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