Duceppe Grilled Re Francophonie Hors Quebec

''I would still like Quebec to remain part of Canada,'' Patrick Giguere, 18, said afterward. ''Quebec offers a balance of culture that is very important to francophone communities in the rest of Canada.''

Gilbert Goulet, 21, accused the BQ leader of not doing enough to promote the French language and culture outside Quebec.

''I have a lot of friends in Quebec who don't even know there are francophone communities in the rest of Canada,'' he said.

Goulet drew loud applause when he said he would no longer feel proud singing O Canada, written by a francophone, if Quebec achieves sovereignty.

Duceppe defended his party's record.

''Each year, francophone associations say the Bloc is the best defender of francophone interests in Ottawa,'' he said. ''They prefer us to stay in Canada. I'm not surprised by that. But they realize they can count on us to always maintain those links with francophones all around Canada.''