Lucien Bouchard speaking English

Factual Questions
1

Back in the 1990s, as leader of Canada’s Opposition, Lucien Bouchard was one of the main figures of the Quebec sovereignty movement. Though it’s been said that he speaks fluent English, his party, the Bloc Québécois, had an official policy to use only French in Parliamentary debates. But I don’t recall ever having heard Bouchard speak English outside Parliament either—all the media interviews I’ve seen and heard have him speaking French.

Interestingly, some of Bouchard’s fellow sovereigntists had no qualms whatsoever about using English in public. Jacques Parizeau was undoubtedly the second most prominent separatist after Bouchard—he was the premier of Quebec and leader of the Parti Québécois—and seemed to delight in giving English-language interviews.

So I’m wondering, is there any firsthand evidence out there of Bouchard’s English ability? That is, can someone point me to a particular TV or radio interview where he speaks English? Or maybe to a Hansard transcript of him speaking back when he was still with the Progressive Conservatives?

2

He spoke English in the 1993 leaders debate. He makes his opening statement at 6:05.

3

Oh, thanks for that! I recall watching the French leaders’ debate at the time, but must have missed the English one.

Incidentally, do you happen have a link to the French debate with the English interpreter overdubs? I remember finding it hilarious that CBC had assigned an interpreter with a thick Scottish accent for Audrey McLaughlin.

4

I’ve heard him speak English on many occasions, often when interviewed on the radio. His English was excellent. His wife Audrey is native English speaking (American IIRC).

5

Audrey was anglophone, but she’s no longer Bouchard’s wife—she died in 2011, and he’s since remarried (to a native Quebecker, as far as I can tell).

6

At least we’ve cleared up that he’s not a British serial killer:

7

The Parti Quebecois leaders flipped back and forth on whether to speak English outside of the Assembly. The most hardcore separatists did not.
That being said, it should not be difficult to find video of Mr. Bouchard speaking English. He did it quite often.

8

My Google-fu must be exceptionally weak today, because I searched for quite a while before posting this thread. Bouchard retired from politics long before Internet video became a big thing, so there’s not much of him on sites like YouTube, and what little there is seems to be entirely in French.