The public security minister called one of Quebec's most notorious ultra-nationalists a "social pyromaniac" yesterday. "That's a moral opinion, not a legal one," Jacques Chagnon said when asked what he thought of comments by Raymond Villeneuve about the vandalism of Baie d'Urfé's former town hall on Sunday night.

"FLQ" and "F--k Canada" were among the epithets painted on the building. Later, Villeneuve, the leader of the Mouvement de libération nationale du Québec, warned of spreading anger now that the Liberals are in power and sovereignty is elusive.

"Mr. Villeneuve is a hare-brained man and he's totally out of his mind," Chagnon said. He added Montreal police will be authorized to investigate whether legal action is possible in response to Villeneuve's comments.