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BQ candidate's remark raises racism: Layton

A Bloc Québécois candidate has apologized after suggesting his NDP rival in northern Quebec would fail to win votes because he is aboriginal, a slur that NDP leader Jack Layton says raises questions of racism.

Yvon Lévesque, who was first elected to the House of Commons as a Bloc member in 2004, was reported to have made the remark in response to Mr. Layton saying his party had a star candidate lined up in the riding of Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou.

Levesque told the Quebec news website ruefrontenac.com: "Certain voters won't choose the New Democratic Party now that it's running an aboriginal candidate."

Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe told reporters Friday that Lévesque had apologized.

"It’s a bad analysis," Duceppe said, speaking in French. "People don’t vote for Cree because they’re Cree or francophones because they’re francophone. Votes are individual.”

Asked about the controversy while campaigning in Sudbury, Layton said the candidate was "essentially suggesting that the citizens of his riding are racist, and that's somehow OK and going to work for the benefit of the Bloc. That is totally unacceptable."

Mr. Lévesque's apology said he hoped his "unfortunate words" wouldn't hurt advances aboriginal communities have made.