A Liberal candidate has apologized for comments he made about the Parti Québécois (PQ) and its leader, Paul St. Pierre Plamondon, before he announced his candidacy. Actor Michel Savard said his comments on social media were “unacceptable” and an example of the culture of “confrontation that poisons social media.” A screenshot of his remarks from Feb. 7 commenting on a post from Pierre-Luc Brillant shows that he called the PQ “a far-right aberration” under St. Pierre Plamondon, whom he described as “a hateful, megalomaniacal individual.” He also called PQ followers “small-time, insignificant Nazis,” directing the comment to Brillant and his girlfriend. The Montreal talk radio station 98.5 FM first reported on the controversial Facebook post. In a post published on his Facebook account on Wednesday, Savard offered his apologies to the PQ leader, Brillant, who is also an actor, and his partner. “Regardless of our political disagreements, nothing justified my targeting them with remarks of this nature. I offer them my sincere apologies,” the post states. Savard, 51, who is running in the Montreal riding of Gouin, said that over the past year he has reflected on his approach to debating issues on social media and has changed how he expresses himself online. “I’ve come to understand that we don’t advance any ideas by attributing the worst intentions to others or by reducing them to labels. Democratic debates can be firm without becoming contemptuous,” he wrote. Savard could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday. He announced his candidacy on July 17 ahead of the Oct. 5 provincial election. CTV News has also reached out to the Quebec Liberal Party, but did not receive a response. Savard is known for his acting roles in the TV Series STAT, Distinct Society, and others. Gouin is currently held by Québec Solidaire’s Gabriel Nadeau Dubois, the party’s former co-spokesperson, who won nearly 60 per cent of the vote in the last election with 17,283 votes. The Liberal candidate, Rita Ikhouane, came in fourth place with just 2,444 votes. Nadeau Dubois announced in 2025 that he would not seek re-election.
