The Parti Quebecois is lodging a complaint with the Sûreté du Québec against two former employees who are now working for the Coalition Avenir Quebec—something one caquist calls a "desperate" political manoeuvre.
The party decided to make the complaint against "two defectors" over their appropriating of “nominative, confidential, strategic and electoral documents," according to a statement released on Saturday.
One of the employees also "tried to access the computer system of the Parti Québécois during and after moving over to the CAQ," it added.
PQ press secretary Yanick Grégoire calls the matter "extremely problematic" and that it takes the allegations "very seriously."
The CAQ announced Friday it would file a defamation lawsuit against PQ MNA Agnès Maltais, who blamed two former female volunteers for bringing documents to the CAQ when they defected in 2011.
"The Parti Québécois is desperate to file a complaint with the police for these allegations. Mrs. Maltais has never even used the word 'theft,'" CAQ MNA for Granby François Bonnardel challenged.
According to Maltais, the two women in question, Lynne Harpin and Nicole Savard, downloaded PQ documents on a USB key shortly before leaving the PQ for the CAQ.
CAQ leader Francois Legault defended the women during a recent press conference, categorically denying Maltais' assertions.