Quebec election: down and dirty

They are flinging accusations and slinging mud in a Quebec election campaign that is emotional, pivotal and only days away from a vote.

If he knew this situation in the past, why did he decide to to now to denounce this situation? Because we are in election, because he don't want the return of a Parti Quebecois the government?PQ Leader Pauline Marois

Here's the recipe for one nasty provincial election:

• Take allegations of corruption, personal rivalry, and police involvement.
  
• Stir in some leaks to the press about party leaders' personal finances and add a media mogul with separatist aspirations.
  
• Pour the mixture over a foundation of fierce language and identity politics.
  
• And top it off with a big dollop of sovereignty hopes and fears. Voila! 

And the three chefs behind this election recipe are PQ leader and premier, Pauline Marois, Liberal Leader Phillipe Couillard and the leader of the Coalition Avenir Quebec, Francois Legault.

With less than a week to go, the election has been called one of the dirtiest and most intense in Quebec's history.

Bernard St-Laurent is host of C'est La Vie and Montreal's Radio Noon and CBC senior political analyst for Quebec.

Lise Ravary is an author and columnist for Le Journal de Montreal.

Robert Asselin is the Associate Director of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa. He was in Ottawa.

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This segment was produced by The Current's Kristin Nelson and Catherine Kalbfleisch.