Pundit for a day

North Bay's Michel Corbeil, second from left, was part of a round-table discussion about the federal election taped by Radio Canada television. The program aired nationally Thursday afternoon. Photo courtesy of Radio Canada television.

Becoming TV pundit for a day was the last thing Michel Corbeil expected to happen when he went to the McKeown Avenue Tim Horton’s Wednesday.

Corbeil, a counsellor with YES Employment Services, had been invited to participate in an informal round table about the Jan. 23 federal election.

When he arrived, Corbeil found out the round table was being taped by Radio-Canada Television as part of the RDI En direct series.

“I was a little nervous when I found that out, and it was nerve-wracking,” Corbeil said.

“Bit it’s nice to know my input was involved.”

The program, featuring five North Bay francophones, including Corbeil, aired nationally Thursday afternoon.

Corbeil said the discussion was wide-ranging.

“They wanted to know how we thought the election would play out locally and nationally, whether we thought we were being properly represented and whether we thought the jobs of the three major party leaders would be on the line, depending on the outcome,” Corbeil said.

“Our general consensus is that the party leaders would lose their jobs if their parties didn’t do well.”

Corbeil said he believes the election will result in a minority government, but he’s not sure for which party.

Nor does he know who he’s voting for yet.

“I’m still undecided,” Corbeil said.

Radio Canada television producer Stephan Lebarge said the North Bay program was one of a number he’s putting together for a francophone take on the election.

“Since Ontario has one-third of all the federal ridings in Canada, it’s going to be the battleground where the issue will be decided Jan. 23,” Lebarge said.

“So we decided to do a tour of the province starting with Northern Ontario,” Lebarge said during a telephone interview from Sturgeon Falls.

He said programs have already been taped in Sudbury and Timmins, with Sturgeon Falls next on the agenda before production shifts to southwestern Ontario.

All the settings for the programs are informal, Lebarge added, and include restaurants bars and coffee shops.

Participating in the round table put Corbeil, 35, back on television after a long absence.

“When I was in high school at Algonquin MCTV did a report about a food drive we were doing, and I was the one they spoke to.”