Can Bastarache Inquiry Save Jean Charest?

It's likely that loose cannon, Marc Bellemare, did Premier Jean Charest a huge favour in accusing him and his government of exercising undue influence concerning the choice of provincial judges. Mr. Bellemare has publicly alleged that the Premier and other Liberal cabinet ministers put varying degrees of pressure on his office in regards to the appointment of three specific judges to the bench, during his short tenure as Minister of Justice.

The effect of the allegations shifted the political battleground away from the scandal embroiling the government concerning the charges that the construction industry has been making large donations, both legal and illegal, to the Liberal party and receiving benefits in return. The opposition and the press have been clamouring for a public inquiry, while the government has been stubbornly refusing. With the pressure building each week, the government's attempt to sweep the issue under the rug was faltering badly, that is, until the fresh allegations stole the headlines.

And so Mr. Bellemare has made a strategic error and thrown the Liberals a life preserver.
In accusing the government of influencing the appointment of judges, the much more dangerous and potentially disastrous construction scandal, while not forgotten, is pushed somewhat to the rear.

Even the dumbest boxer understands that once you have badly injured an opponent's left flank, it makes no sense to attack the stronger right side. Yet that is exactly what Mr. Bellemare has done with the Parti Quebecois foolishly following. While Mr. Bellemare made a forgivable rookie mistake, there's no excuse for Madame Marois. With so many scandals brewing, the leader of the opposition decided to attack on all fronts, instead of concentrating her fire on the richest target.

From Mr. Charest's reaction and renewed vigour, it's safe to say that he feels a lot more comfortable defending himself on these new allegations then that of the construction scandal.

When it comes to choosing judges, we'd like to believe that the choice is a cut and dried process, bereft of political interference, but it is anything but and always has been, regardless of the government.

Appointments to the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court of Canada is the ultimate example of a politically partisan appointment. Choosing a candidate that shares the ruling government's ideology is de rigueur and nobody complains about the process.

And so it is normal that a Conservative government appoints a judge who shares a conservative point of view and a Liberal government chooses a liberal-minded candidate. When the Liberals were last in power, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, appointed ultra-leftie/feminist/human rights advocate, Rosalie Abella to the bench, over the snickers of court watchers who complained that she was under-qualified and had benefited from a close personal relationship between the Cotler and Abella families.

At least an appointment to the Supreme Court pays ideological dividends to the appointing government, as issues of national interest are decided upon. An appointment to a provincial lower court, has no such benefits. Cases are mostly mundane and those of import usually find themselves pushed up the ladder, eventually landing in the Supreme Court.
Once named, a judge is completely free of influence and is immune to pressure. A judge must recuse himself from any case where he is acquainted or had a relationship with the parties involved and so there's really not much political or personal capital to be earned in such an appointment.

Judge Andree Ruffo, perhaps Quebec's most famous Youth Court judge candidly admitted that because she was apolitical, she was passed over for selection by the PQ for a judgeship and didn't get appointed  until the Liberals came into power when she benefited from a personal contact in the Premier's office.

How did she repay her benefactor?
By humiliating the Minister of Health and Social Services by having two children driven to the office of the Minister because there was no place for them in the youth protection system. For an interesting piece about Judge Ruffo and the so-called independence of our judiciary, read an interesting article HERE.

The PQ should tread lightly in condemning the Liberals in relation to the naming of judges. In 1995 during the PQ government's term in office, the late wife of then cabinet minister Bernard Landry, Lorraine Laporte, was appointed to the bench with Landry telling anyone who would listen that he had no idea that she was being considered.

And so it is not strange that no one in the PQ is bringing up the fact that Marie-Claude Gilbert,  the wife of Sam Hamad, Minister of Employment, was appointed to the bench last year. The Liberal minister also claimed that he learned of the appointment the day it was announced.
Perhaps Mr. Hadad and Mr Landry share the same media consultant....

Norman MacMillan a cabinet minister in the Charest government is unapologetic and admits that he made a recommendation to Marc Bellemare to consider one of his constituents, the son of a campaign fund-raiser, in relation to a judgeship.
Mr. McMillan considers it part of his job and sees nothing wrong with the practice of making representations on behalf of constituents. His frank and unabashed admission, goes to the heart of Bellemare's claim of undue influence.

Most commentators are under the mistaken impression that the decision to appoint judges resides exclusively with the justice minister. This is not true. According to the law, the responsibility lies with the government. It make sense that the justice minister runs point, but nevertheless, it is completely legal for the Premier or other cabinet ministers to make their views known. 

The final decision was Bellemare's to make and unless he has concrete proof that money changed hands or that he was absolutely ordered to select a certain candidate, he is doomed to fail in his pursuit of Charest over the issue, unless that is, he comes up with a new bombshell or smoking gun.

Former Supreme Court Judge Michel Bastarache, who will be chairing the commission looking into the affair, has already made pronouncements that seem favourable to the position of the government. Speaking to Le Devoir,  he said;

 "There is "confusion" damaging the public discourse between "political appointment" and "partisan appointment....  Hopefully the commission will help to clarify these things."  

Mr. Bastarache has also said that he is also concerned about the kind of frenzy that has gripped the people in relation to politicians.   LE DEVOIR

As to the $700,000 defamation lawsuit launched by Mr. Charest against Mr. Bellemare, it is simply another tactic to slow down and retard the debate over the construction payola allegations and to keep the press talking about judgeships. As long as the lawsuit is alive, Mr. Bellemare will be entreated by his lawyer to make no more pronouncements against Mr. Charest. Judges take a dim view of such actions.

With a little effort from Mr. Charest's lawyers, the court action can drag on for years, certainly until after the next provincial election. If I was Mr. Charest, I would file the lawsuit in Sherbrooke, his hometown and constituency. The Court district there is just about the most backlogged jurisdiction in the province and it will be years before the case can possibly be heard!

Mr. Bellemare's motive for his unbridled assault on Mr. Charest remains a mystery and has been characterized in the press as credible because there seems to be no reason other than altruism for the attack.
Now that he's being sued, all his pronouncements will be immediately suspect and viewed as a partisan effort to cast aspersions that will help win his court case.
Well-played Mr. Charest!

Just a note about defamation suits. Actions for defamation that play out in court are rarely about reputation. Like the London press, settlements are quick when the defendant's actions are clearly defamatory.
That being said, cases bog down when the defendant holds to the bedrock principle of libel law, that truth is an absolute defence. If what one says is true, the person suing cannot win a the libel case, even if he's been defamed.

I am reminded of perhaps the most egregious miscarriage of justice in the case launched by the famous entertainer Liberace, who sued a London magazine in 1954 for implying that he was gay. The entertainer swore up and down at the trial that he wasn't a homosexual and hilariously won the case when the defendant couldn't prove otherwise. In 1982, Liberace was sued for palimony by his live-in boyfriend and he died two years later of AIDS.  Talk about nerve.

I think Mr. Charest has an excellent case and a good chance to win against Mr. Bellemare. Even if he loses or abandons the case in a couple of years, he will have already have won.

After a long and tedious process, one in which the press and the public will lose interest, Charest is likely to be vindicated by the Bastarache Commission, unless something unforeseen is revealed.

After having the Charest government on the ropes, all Mr Bellemare had to do was- nothing.
The press and the opposition had enough muck to advance the fight on the construction industry front and with the public screaming for blood, it would be a matter of time before the Premier's position became untenable.

Mr. Bellemare has already emptied his quiver of poisoned arrows and without a smoking gun, the public and the press will quickly lose interest. The cross accusations will become a case of 'he said, they said,' and with lawyers popping up every few moments to object and demand side-bars, the spectacle and TV drama will be low.

Mr. Bellemare and many on the PQ side have already come to this same conclusion and are now orchestrating a campaign to discredit the Inquiry, in general and Michel Bastarache, in person, a clear signal that even they anticipate coming out on the wrong end of the findings.

Because of Mr. Bellemare's gaffe, Mr. Charest has clawed his way back from the brink of political oblivion. He has picked himself up from the canvas after suffering a nine count and seems to be re-invigorated. 

It's still a very long shot as to whether Mr. Charest can save himself and his government, but he has been given a small window of opportunity.

It is obvious that a political rookie like Bellemare has a lot to learn from the old pro Charest.

Saguenay Mayor Leads Idiot Parade in Religious Debate

While most Anglos chuckle at the famous 'Code of Ethics' (a list of instructions for immigrants to abide by) created by the town council of the tiny hick town of Hérouxville (population 1,300, where nary an immigrant can be found,) the xenophobia can perhaps be forgiven and explained away as a product of small town ignorance and fear. An aging population, secure and proud in it's Catholic heritage and fearful of change, making a desperate attempt to keep foreign 'barbarians' from wreaking change on their idyllic town.
The town and the principle promoter of the "Code," André Drouin, have been the butt of many a joke and have been lampooned mercilessly on television these last three years. 
But lately the pendulum is swinging back and many Quebeckers are coming around to the idea that immigrants must be 'controlled' and so André Drouin is making a comeback, much to the consternation of some, much to the delight of others.

Mr. Drouin's strategy, which is shared by other like thinkers, is to declare the State 'Secular' or as they say in French - 'laïc' . The theory being, that the government and it's institutions should be officially neutral and take no stance for or against religion, nor promote any particular belief. 
This philosophy is being advanced by a rainbow coalition of groups that are as politically diverse as can be imagined, with orthodox Christians teaming up with devout atheists.

The secular state would bar employees from wearing religious jewellery or garb while dispensing government services and would interdict the public from doing the same, while attending school  or otherwise receiving certain government services.

The policy would not only bar veils but the very benign hijad,(a scarf worn by some observant Muslims) and the 'kippa' (a small skullcap worn by observant Jews) and the turban and kirpan worn by some Sihks. 

The government and it's subsidiaries would also be barred from offering any sort of accommodation to those asking for exceptional treatment based on religious preferences (example; a female asking to be treated by a female doctor only, in a hospital.)

While the policy has a veneer of fairness, with all religions ostensibly treated equally, it is far from the case. Christians no longer wear large ostentatious crosses or religious robes and need no accommodations because society is ordered to Christian standards. So while the rules apply equally to all, they only affect non-Christian orthodox citizens.

Very clever, but not foolproof.
All is fair, until one asks Mr Drouin and friends to limit their Christian symbolism and customs in society. That is going too far.....

Therein lies the fatal flaw in Quebec's quest for a secular state. It isn't a secular state that is being described, it is a secular "Christian" state that is being proposed.


Mr Drouin is  a pipsqueak, but he is no longer alone in describing a society that outwardly bans all religion in public, but maintains the Catholic nature of Quebec society.

***************

Up in the backwaters of the Lac Saint Jean region, two hours north of Quebec City, via a miserable and dangerous highway, sits the isolated and frozen city of Saguenay. Like many outlying districts, the region is largely divorced from the distant melting pot that is the metropolitan region of Montreal.
The separation between the two regions goes beyond distance, the cultural chasm is glaringly wide.
The Saguenéens remain incredulous to the fact that Montreal has, according to them, evolved into a virtual Tower of Babel, where immigrant hoards have infected native Quebeckers, with unwelcome customs, tradition, dress and religious practices, altering and abasing the very fabric of Quebec society.

To say that there isn't much ethnic diversity in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region is to understate the obvious. Aside from a few Anglos who serve at the Canadian Air Force Base in Bagotville or who work at the aluminum company, the region is about as White, Catholic and French as can be, with 96% of the people identifying themselves as Francophone Catholics and 3% identifying themselves as having no religion. 

The city of Saguenay is no Herouxville,  after amalgamating the towns of Chicoutimi, La Baie and Jonquiere back in 2002, the population rose to close to 150,000 people.

That being said, less than 300 residents are black and the city boasts a measly 150 Baptists, Anglicans, United Church and  Pentecostals, each. As for the Jewish presence in the region, Jews are fond of describing an area where few Jews live as an area where "You couldn't raise a Minyan." (Judaism requires a quorum (minyan) of 10 Jewish males to perform religious services.)
There are 42 Catholic Churches in Saguenay and no other religion maintains an official house of worship.
The community is so lily White and Christian that it's hard to believe that the city's 125 Muslims are the object of close scrutiny by a nervous Catholic majority, who are starting to rumble that measures should be enacted to protect the region from those disruptive influences seen in Montreal.

If you think this attitude is a bit of an over reaction, listen to the idiocy spouted by the Mayor of the city, Jean Tremblay. Every third family in Lac St. Jean seems to be named Tremblay and perhaps his moronic pronouncements can be explained by some form of inbreeding, otherwise it's hard to fathom the nonsense which he espouses.
Remember, Mr. Tremblay is not mayor of some hick town like Herouxville, the city of Saguenay  is the 22nd largest city in Canada.

Mr Tremblay, a devout Catholic went before a parliamentary committee pleading that the veil be banned everywhere except in personal residences.

When asked if his position supporting a secular state in any way conflicts with his habit of reciting Christian prayers before city council meetings, he used some nifty logic to support his position.
"If there was no prayer, it would be the atheists imposing their will on the majority and that wouldn't be fair." At any rate he continued, "everybody likes the prayer and nobody objects." When asked if he'd accept it if a Muslim was to roll out a carpet and pray alongside, he was unequivocal. "It would be too much of a show, but if we were all Muslims, it would be different."

Some other pearls of wisdom from the good mayor;

"Catholics are not superior to atheists, but  I prefer Catholics, and wish that  everyone would be Catholic..."

"We should accept some religious customs, but not others and certainly not just in public buildings"

And so in Saguenay, Christmas trees and other decorations including manger scenes shall be erected on city property and street lamps will be decorated with Christmas lights. All paid for by the city and erected by city workers.

In the city of Montreal almost a million dollars in public money will be spent on refurbishing the giant
crucifix on Mont-Royal and all of this in a perfectly secular society!

Here's a translation of a letter written to Quebec City's LeSoleil newspaper and is indicative of the twisted logic that is surfacing in the religion debate.

"If we are to assume that the laws should reflect the will of the people, one wonders why seculars seek to impose their ill-timed views so ardently.

What people want is secular Catholicism. That is to say, that all symbols of the Catholic religion are to be maintained everywhere, but symbols of other religions not be allowed to spread.

This is the will of  people which must be respected. It need not be reformed, corrected, clarified by the condescending elite. The good people want to maintain the visibility of the Catholic religion exclusively, even if it displeases the minorities who must conform to the will of the founding people." Réjean Labrie, Québec

And so is born the oxymoronic term "CATHOLIC SECULARISM" a term I can only define as a society that is officially religiously neutral,  EXCEPT that the Catholic heritage is to be respected and nurtured to the exclusion of other religions.

Hmmm...... 

The logic employed by Quebeckers to argue for more than their fair share in Canada has always confounded Anglophones in the rest of Canada.

So too is the argument for a CATHOLIC SECULAR state.
It makes perfect sense to Quebeckers but defies all logic to others.

French vs. English Volume 12

'Fat Cats' Rile Journalist

A Ottawa sportswriter accuses the newest entry into Intercounty Baseball League, a semiprofessional Ontario  baseball called the 'FAT CATS 'of acting contemptuously towards Ottawa Francophones by giving the team a unilingual English name.

Militants celebrate historic victory over  KFC PFK

The Réseau de résistance du Québécois (RRQ) is  claiming victory  over Bay Street and  Colonel Sanders. (notwithstanding that he's been dead for quite a while now.) The militant organization has a history of intimidation by hinting at violence. In a letter addressed to the owners of two Gatineau restaurants, the RRQ demanded that English be removed from any signage in the stores, as well as the removal of a "Help Wanted" sign in English. The letter starts off by invoking the spirit of Camille Laurin, father of the infamous Bill 101

"Your KFC restaurants in Gatineau, on Boulevard St-Joseph Boulevard Greber, have bilingual signs which is contrary to the spirit and letter of the Charter of the French language....

...The RRQ refuses the occupation of Quebec by the neocolonial power in Ottawa and the owners of Bay Street, including yourself...."

 As to the bilingual "Help Wanted sign;

".... by advertising in English that you are recruiting staff, you indicate that you plan to hire people who speak English but not French."

The owners of the two restaurants removed the offending words to much back-slapping and joy over the RRQ. A great victory!!!

St. Lazare stiffs English School Board

"A war of words has erupted over land deals for schools off the western tip of the island that has the Lester B. Pearson School Board suggesting the city of Vaudreuil-Dorion acted in bad faith.

Lester B. Pearson School Board chairman Marcus Tabachnick says when they were looking for land in Vaudreuil-Dorion for a new school, they had asked about the site at Jean Beliveau and Cité des Jeunes. They were told it wasn't available. Flash forward to early last month when that same land was being offered to the French-language Trois Lacs school board."  more at CJAD

Sun Setting on Quebec City
I don't know why some designer proposed this logo for Quebec City entitled "Québec - Capitale française d'Amérique" 
It's a view of the Chateau Frontenac facing the West, where the sun is  clearly depicted as setting.

I'm not sure if the idea of the sun setting on the French Capital of North America is the message that the artists intended. Link 

 

Multiculturalism vs. Interculturaism

I must say, I never heard of the term Interculturalism, but apparently it has become a big topic of conversation amongst the 'you know whos.' We all are aware that French language militants are vehemently opposed to the concept of multiculturalism, where all cultures are valued and promoted equally. This longtime Canadian concept is considered poison in Quebec, where the 'melting pot' theory, where all newcomers are assimilated into the common culture is considered the only politically correct option. Interculturalism is a term now being bandied about and is explained as;

People having the right to maintain an affiliation with one's ethnic group and the right for cultural and religious differences to be displayed in the public domain. However, the entire society must adhere to the same constitution of fundamental rights and obligations, with no exception. Wikipedia

Hmmm...  Just so you know, language militants are dead set against this concept too.....
P.S.  Who has time to think about this stuff??

En nombre de Padre, de Hijo y de espiritu santo.

The diocese of Montreal is no longer able to provide enough Priests for its churches, even considering that church attendance has collapsed to the point that only about 6% of Francophone Catholics attend church weekly. The Church is graduating less than 2 priests on average per year, a calamitous decline that even out paces fading church attendance.
It won't be long before the church will be forced to recruit from abroad, South America in all likelihood.  Spanish lessons anyone?

Anglos squeezed out of Cegep

It seems that demand is so heavy to get into English Cegeps that the selection criteria has been raised considerably.
The increase in applications to English CEGEPs this fall is double the hike at French CEGEPs and schools are becoming more selective. With 18% of the student body Francophone and 25% Allophone, Anglophone students are finding it harder to get in because of increased competition.

"Everybody in the group of English colleges is very, very concerned about how do we ensure that we maximize access to education for kids that have graduated from the English system," said Gilbert Héroux, the director general of Vanier College. Gazette

Coming Soon--More Supreme Court Bashing

It seems that a group of parents in Drummondville who are opposed the the teaching of the Ethics & Religion course in Quebec public schools are going to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada to overturn decisions handed down in the same matter by the Quebec Superior Court and the Quebec Appeals Court.
Both courts agreed with the government that it was within their right to make the course in religious diversity mandatory for all students.
For the Supreme Court it will be another no-win situation. If the Supremos decide that the Quebec courts were right, parents will hold the "English" court responsible and will likely demonstrate against a foreign court that dictates over religious instruction in Quebec.
If the Court overturns the decision, other groups will take to the streets as well, blaming the Court for denying the will of the Quebec judicial system.

Now Premiere Charest has announced that he will appeal the decision by the federal government to create a national agency to regulate stock markets all the way to the Supreme Court.. For Mr. Charest, it is a win/win situation, regardless of the outcome. A win would please nationalists and a loss would please nationalists, as well. Huh?

Are Quebeckers/Francophones over or under-represented in the NHL?

It's hard to believe, but on one single web page on vigile.net (a nationalist/separatist web site) both arguments are made.
Yup... The top half of the page features an article by Louis Fournier, called "A strong contingent of 91 players from Quebec and Francophones outside Quebec" which details how well Quebeckers and Francophones are doing in the NHL.

"This number (91) represents a high percentage of 11% of the 800 players who participated....NHL"

"15% of the 100 best scorers in the league this season are players from Quebec and Francophones"

Immediately after this article, sharing the page, is an invitation to a  review of Bob Sirois' "Le Quebec mis en échec"a book that details how Quebeckers and Francophones are systematically discriminated against by the NHL.

"The figures  support  the sensitive issue of discrimination against Quebec hockey players "

Yup, I promise you it's true. Go over and check it out. vigile.net

Earl Jones Update

Not much has been said about Earl Jones' stay in prison and I haven't read anything in the newspapers, so I thought I'd give everybody a little update, based on information I've developed from a source who knows.

First of all, Earl is out of the infirmary, where he spent a good two months. Diagnosis- Cancer. What type and how deadly? Don't know, but he seems to be on the mend.

He's currently an inmate in a prison in St. Anne des Plaines, a MINIMUM SECURITY facility. The prison houses about 165 prisoners who sleep in two large dorms (like army barracks) but eight get to live in apartments. Guess where Earl is living? Yup, in an apartment! He scored one of the eight places in a condo like apartment.
In fact, he is already leaving the prison for escorted shopping trips, buying food which he can cook up in his own digs.

Tough gig, eh!

Here's a definition from corrections Canada as to what constitutes a minimum security prison.

• The institution perimeter is defined but usually there are no walls or fences. There are no armed correctional officers, no towers, no razor wire or electronic surveillance equipment.
• Restrictions on movement, association and privileges are minimal. Inmates are non-violent and pose very limited risk to the safety of the community. Many are on work-release programs that allow them to hold jobs during the day.
• Inmates show the desire and ability to get along responsibly with fellow inmates with little or no supervision.

What Fun!!!!!! Need a vacation?

Sounds a lot better than the rooming house where Earl was living before being sent to jail.

He is likely to be released some 18 months from now, right before next Christmas, serving out less than one-sixth of his sentence.Yup......

In the meantime he continues to collect his  social security check, but his lawyers are grabbing it up for the fees he ran up during trial.

Earl Jones stole about $50 million dollars from about 150 clients.

Broken down by numbers, it means that for each individual client bilked by Earl, (each of which being robbed of an average of $300,000,)  he will spend approximately four days in jail.

Canadian justice at its best!

Today I am a Muslim

"THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

THEN THEY CAME for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up."

-Pastor Martin Niemöller

Decades ago, when the thoroughly loathsome Dr. Camille Laurin proposed a law making French the 'official' language of Quebec, via the infamous Bill 101, the then separatist Premier René Levesque was uncomfortable with the basic notion of limiting the rights of certain Quebeckers.

Among sovereignists and nationalists, he was just about the only one that held that view, with the general consensus among French language militants was that the end justified the means.

Back then, civil libertarians were rightly shocked and many postulated that it was the thin edge of the wedge. After all, if the government could force you to speak a certain language, could it not force you to follow a certain religion?

This argument annoyed French militants to no end and was panned as utterly alarmist and unrealistic.

Well....never is a long time. In fact,.... never is now.

Bill 94 is a proposed Quebec law banning the wearing of a burqa or niqib while receiving or dispensing any public service in Quebec.

Many who oppose the veil, do so based on the so-called 'security issue' and claim that their position in no way reflects anti-Muslim sentiment. Others who oppose the veil, are not so circumspect and publicly oppose the veil based on its perceived anti-feminist symbolism.

On both accounts fair-minded citizens should vehemently oppose the law.

First off, let me say that like most Quebeckers, I have a particular dislike for the veil. In fact I find the whole outfit, top to bottom, veil included, a bit creepy, to say the least.

That being said, I also dislike curry and find heavy metal music particularly loathsome. But I don't think I'd ever consider calling for a ban of AC/DC concerts or the closure of Indian restaurants. The old adage of "To each, his own" still rings true with me and I hope it does with you, as well.

Those who argue that the veil is a security issue, do so in order justify their prejudice through a logical and politically acceptable argument, but it is really just an excuse. There are less than two dozen women wearing the veil in Quebec and none has demonstrated any particular danger to society. None have robbed any banks and none have kidnapped and eaten little children. Security is really a smokescreen for racism.

Two weeks ago,  I witnessed a riot in downtown Montreal where individuals hoodlums wore scarves to hide their identities whilst rioting and looting stores on Ste. Catherine Street. Each year anarchists hold a parade where they create mayhem and destruction while hiding their identity by way of masks and scarves. Many have called for a ban on such face coverings, but as of today, there is no law being proposed or debated to ban face-covering during the riots. There is however Bill 94, a law banning the benign wearing of veils by Muslims.
 .

So which is more dangerous, a punk, covering his face while smashing windows and looting, or a Muslim women wearing a veil, walking peacefully down the street pushing a baby stroller?
Security issue? My eye!

As for the other major argument people use to call for a ban on the veil, the fact that they are offended by the anti-female message that the veil represents, all I can say is, too bad for you.

How on earth, is somebody's political or moral opinion in any way relevant to what someone else believes in or the clothes that they wear?

Are we really ready to tell people what they may or may not wear based on whether it goes against generally held opinions?

Personally I am offended by many things;

I dislike teen aged boys that wear their jeans so low that their underwear is displayed.

I dislike people who wear Che Guevara T-shirts or other anarchist crap.

I'm offended by women who wear lo-rise pants and flaunt their thongs.

I am offended by obese men who attend public swimming pools wearing Speedos.

I'm offended by nose rings and florescent hair.

I scoff at people who believe in UFOs

I think people who believe that there was no moon landing are idiots.

I'm sure that there are plenty of things that you don't like or things that you don't believe in. Should we ban them all?

When I was a teen, most adults hated long hair on boys, tie-dyed T-shirts, the Beatles and bell-bottom jeans.

SO WHAT!!!!!!!!!!

To bad for you if someone else's personal display of their faith, their political beliefs or their fashion taste offends you.

Has the numbing affect of Bill 101, so eroded our concept of personal freedom that we are really ready to ban someone's clothing because it offends the political or moral belief of the majority?

Have we sunk so low?

It's hard to like the veil, but it shouldn't be hard to accept, not if you believe in freedom.

Nobody should be forced to wear a veil and nobody should be forced not to wear one.

People are free to believe in abortion and people are free to be against it.
People are free to believe in sovereignty or in Canada.
People are free to wear boxers or briefs.
People are free to tattoo a Nazi swastika on their butt.

People are free to believe that the veil is a symbol of oppression and people are free to believe it is a sign of piety.

Freedom is tenuous and fragile and it is always under attack by forces who want to enforce a particular agenda.

In Quebec there is a political force led by ultra nationalists and separatists who wish to impose French language supremacy coupled with a leftist, anti-religious agenda. That's okay, it's their right.

What's not okay is imposing it on us all.

It's incumbent on us all to defend our own freedom, but more importantly to defend the freedom of those with whom we don't agree, otherwise we fail as citizens.

It's easy to be against the veil, it's a lot harder to defend it on principle. If we don't, it's just the beginning of more interdictions.

Already there are calls to ban other religious regalia in the public service, however minor.

I'm not a religious person and don't care much about crucifixes, hijabs, niqabs and Jewish Stars, but as Pastor  Niemöller reminds us all, I really ought to give a damn.

Villanueva Gang Demonstrate the Folly of Public Inquiries

In light of the recent disturbing revelations concerning the Quebec construction industry's infiltration of the political process and the exploitation of the bidding process in relation to public construction contracts, it's normal that citizens across the province of Quebec are demanding that the Provincial government launch a public inquiry.

The veil of secrecy into the dealings between construction industry moguls, politicians and the political parties, who are alleged to have colluded in the approval of overpriced construction projects favouring a select few companies, is overpoweringly frustrating to an angry public who have just about had enough with corruption.

Off to the side, stubbornly resisting the onslaught is Premier Charest, secure in the knowledge that any such inquiry would be the coup de grace for his government, regardless of the revelations. Between two cups of poison, he's going with the slower acting potion. Who can blame him?

Those who remember back to the last inquiry concerning the construction industry, held some 35 years ago, hope that a new inquiry will be as successful in exposing the dirty secrets of collusion, bid-rigging, intimidation and payoffs that the commission uncovered back then. 

For those too young to remember, the Cliche Commission, empanelled by the then Premier, Robert Bourassa, was the height of theatre, with thugs like Andre 'Dédé' Desjardins exposed and the machinations of a thoroughly corrupt and violent industry laid bare.

 Back then, witnesses were ill-prepared to face the inquisition and many were poorly represented or had no counsel at all. Most were bewildered by the process and most folded, doing various versions of mea culpas.
Those of us who hope to see a replay of those proceedings in a new construction industry inquiry, will be sadly disappointed. One only has to look at recent examples of public inquiries to understand that the once mighty weapon has been reduced to a pathetic exercise in futility.

Today witnesses come prepared and well-briefed in what to say and how to act. They have lawyers upon lawyers, all paid for with public money. Witnesses go through hours upon hours of preparation and finally when all else fails, bold-faced lies or denials are offered without any fear of sanction or penalty. When the grilling gets tough, lawyers often jump up to interrupt proceedings to take the heat off their clients.

Did we really need an inquiry to remind us that Brian Mulroney is dishonest? The facts were stipulated by all, even by Mulroney himself, who admitted that he took an under the table cash payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars and hid the money from the tax man. He neither deposited the cash in the bank, nor did he add the income to his tax declaration. Several years after the fact, when he felt threatened that the affair would become public knowledge, he ran to the tax authorities to confess and pay up, in exchange for confidentiality.
If he had done what he did in the USA, he'd be sharing a cell with Conrad Black.

What did the Oliphant Inquiry add? Stubborn, prepared and well coached, Mulroney brazened it out. Not since O J Simpson's trial did we see such a magnificent performance of legal of fact-twisting and  manoeuvring. So good was Mulroney on the stand, that in the end, most felt like apologizing to him for the inconvenience.
The Inquiry cost the public MILLIONS of dollars with Mulroney's lawyers pocketing close to 2 million dollars in fees, all paid for by us. I can't think of a more galling scenario.


Even the famous Gomery Commission which examined the famous Sponsorship Scandal was really unnecessary as all the main players were already under indictment and already negotiating plea agreements.

The ongoing Inquiry held to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of Fredy Villanueva is a sad reminder of how farcical these type of proceedings have become.

The Inquiry was called, not to determine the facts, but rather to take the heat off the politicians in light of the rioting following the shooting.

The Inquiry was called to ostensibly determine the truth behind the shooting. Did police shoot the suspects because they were attacked or did they shoot the suspects because they were incompetent?
While the police can hardly be trusted, choosing between their version of the facts and those of a bunch of low-life thieving punks is a no-brainer. I'll go with Door Number One, if you please.

Listening to the patently dishonest testimony of the various thugs was hilarious, except for the fact that we the public, are shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for their lawyers.

Bold faced lie after bold faced lie was accepted at face value with nobody held accountable for their perjurous testimony. When caught in a direct contradiction between his testimony and his own sworn affidavit, one of the 'witness'' shrugged his shoulders. What's the big deal?...... Arghh!!!!!!

If dumb, uneducated gangsters can confound an Inquiry with nothing more than legal-aid lawyers, think about those slick and experienced businessmen with unlimited resources and an army of shysters at their disposal?

Make no mistake about it, Quebec is thoroughly corrupt, from top to bottom, but a public inquiry won't make a dent in the problem because it will be as useful as the Oliphant Inquiry or the Inquest in the Villanueva shooting.

At any rate, an inquiry into the construction industry is much too limited in scope, corruption doesn't just involve a few Italian construction companies.

Corruption is EVERYWHERE, it's part of Quebec culture.  

From the insignificant under the table payment for a haircut by your grandmother, to the organized price-fixing of dairy products by a powerful producer group, price-fixing, gouging, work for nothing, tax evasion, welfare fraud, cigarette and alcohol fraud, political kickbacks, illegal campaign financing, special favours, etc. etc. is all part of the Quebec culture.
What can you say when the ex-Lieutenant-Governor of the province is likely going on trial for allegedly double billing both the Federal and Provincial government for the same personal expenses to the tune of 700k.  

Too many of us want an inquiry into the construction industry so that we can scapegoat the Italians.
That way we won't have to face the reality of corruption, which is unremitting, relentless, omnipresent and cuts across all classes.

To face that elephant in the room, we'll need a lot more than an Inquiry.

Praying for the Habs- It's Down to This.....

Enough with the cheering, it's time to pray. If you are offended by our Habs prayers please skip this post. If you've got any other prayers, from any religion whatsoever to add please so in the comment section. 

PLEASE READ OUT LOUD!!!!!

"Our father who art in Montreal. 

Hockey be thy name. 

Thy will be done. The cup will be won. 

On ice, as well as in the stands. 

Give us this day our daily fix, and forgive us our penalties, as we forgive those who cross-check us, 

Lead us not into elimination. 

But deliver us to victory. 

In the name of the fans, Lord Stanley 

& the ghosts of the Forum 

Amen~~ "

 THE HABS 10 COMMANDMENTS

Thou shall have no other Gods before the Habs

Thou shall not bow down or worhsip any crest other than the noble CH;

Thou shall not misuse the name of the HABS or take it in vain.

Remember the Sabbath it is for hockey.

Honour the Habs tradition and the players who proudly wore the teams colours before, so that you may live long and prosper in the eternal kingdom of the Habs.

Thou shall not murder any chances of victory by harbouring negative thoughts.

Thou  shall not commit adultery with a person not of the Habs tribe.

Thou  shall not steal other fans car flags or hats.

Thou  shall not give false testimony against your team and promise to remain positive forever.

You shall not covet your neighbour's team, even if they be playing better

Halak is my shepherd,
I shall have faith;
He makes me believe.
He leads me to victory;
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of the winning
for the sake of the Hab's.
Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of the evil Flyers and Kate Smith, I fear no evil; for Halak you are with me;
Your stick and your glove, they comfort me.
Surely goodness and victory shall follow you all the rest of the playoffs and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord Stanley Cup

1. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Jewish Prayer for the Habs
   

   
   

   And you shall love the Habs with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

   And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart.

   And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall speak of them

   when you sit at home, and when you walk along the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.

   And you shall draw the logo of the Habs as a sign on your hand, and it shall be painted above and between your eyes.

   And you shall post a Habs banner on the door posts of your house and on your gates.
   
   

   Christian Prayers for the Habs
   Hail Martin, full of grace.
   Our Lord is with thee.
   Blessed art thou among hockey coaches,
   and blessed is the team.
   Holy Jacques, coach of the Canaidens,
   pray for a win,
   now and at the hour of our need.
   Amen. 
   
    Bless us, O Lord, and this victory over the Fyers
   which we are about to receive from your goodness. 
   
   
   

   
   

   Muslim Prayer for the Habs

   
   The Habs are  great.
   I bear witness that there is no team none worthy of worship except the Habs
   I bear witness that the Habs are the choice of God.  
   I Believe. 
   
   

A Funeral in Sherbrooke

I've mentioned in several past posts, but it bears repeating, that for personal reasons I don't criticize Premier Jean Charest.
It's not to say that I agree with many of his policies or that I blindly agree with all that he does, but rather because I am somewhat of a friend of the extended Charest family.

Readers should note that I remain politically inactive and have been so for a long time, however friendships endure.

On Friday, my wife and I ventured down to Sherbrooke for the funeral of the patriarch of the Charest clan, Claude, better known as "Red," who was quite a character in his time.  As a young man, he  played hockey in the American Hockey League and went on to become a very successful entrepreneur in the Sherbrooke area. After the untimely death of his wife at a very young age, Red took over the duties of running the Charest household, which was quite a task, considering that there were five children. In those days it was quite unheard of for a single dad to raise a family, but Red was a ground breaker.

The trip down to Sherbrooke was long and uneventful, uneventful that is, until I was nabbed by an intrepid Sherbrooke motorcycle cop for exceeding the speed limit along King Street.
DRAT, those 50km zones!
My copper's keen police sense determined that we were going to the funeral (my wife and I were decked out in black) and he asked helpfully if I needed directions to the funeral home. I felt a brief connection and  a glimmer of hope that perhaps I was to be spared a citation, but alas it was not to be.  He did offer an apology after giving me the ticket, something that no cop has ever done to me before.

Hmmm. Mr. Policeman, we would meet again...

The only silver lining was that 26 kms over the limit, the ticket was only $140 and 2 points. In Montreal it'd probably be $700 and a license suspension or perhaps a guillotining.

My mood had clouded over badly, getting a ticket will  do it to to you every time, but getting one with your wife in the passenger seat is doubly painful.

As I returned to the driver's seat, all I could mutter was "Don't say a Frigging Word!!!" to which she just smiled demurely, inflicting another measure of pain.

To make matters worse, I should have taken up the cop's offer of directions, because shortly thereafter I became miserably lost, stupidly depending on the technology of my hitherto trusty GPS device, which uncharacteristically announced in a coy female voice (without a hint of embarrassment) that it too, was hopelessly lost.

After stopping for directions from a local who answered my French queries in English, we were back on our way. I had forgotten how obliging country folks are and how many people in Sherbrooke spoke English. I started to feel better.

We got to the funeral home and were neatly instructed where to park, where to go and what to do. I was reminded that French Catholic funeral homes are exceedingly efficient.

We entered the building and walked past a long lineup of people, who were patiently waiting to walk by the casket and greet the family. Just as I attempted to cut the line, my wife grabbed my arm and directed me back to the end of the line. Oh well....

The hall was filled with politico types, most of whom I only knew from seeing on TV. All were bedecked with tiny lapel pins that identified them as National Assembly members, Order of Canada inductees and various other organizations including several police departments. After paying our respects it was off to Church for mass and as I placed my car in the funeral cortège, I noticed that we were to benefit from a nifty VIP police motorcycle escort, with of course my favourite motorcycle cop, who gave me a polite salute in recognition. Eccchh!!!

We zipped through the streets, with the cops seamlessly blocking each intersection which we passed, giving rise, in small measure, to feelings of royalty.

The Church's left front side was filled with politicians, mostly members of the National Assembly and including ex-Premiers including Lucine Bouchard. Brian Mulroney and Mila had the front seat and my wife and I were seated across from the lovely Yolande James, who was looking particularly fetching. Too bad it can't be said of all, including the education Minister who could probably use a fashion makeover.

Fittingly, Peter Mackay, the Defence Minister was representing Ottawa. His father Elmer was a good friend and cabinet colleague of Charest  in the Mulroney government. 

During the service the Health Minister was pulled out of the pews rather unceremoniously by an aide.  It must have been serious and it was. I later found out that several cyclists were mowed down in Rougemont, a town we drove by coming down to Sherbrooke.

The Premier made a nice speech about his father and the long service finally came to  a close. As we left the church I noticed Lawrence Bergman, the MP from Cote Saint Luc and Hampstead, alongside Steven Cummings, a Charest fundraiser and self-proclaimed spokesman for the Jewish community. Both looked a little glum, probably because attending church is likely not their favorite pastime.

Outside the church, Brian Mulroney worked the crowd like an old pro, shaking hands and slapping backs with a wide grin, perhaps forgetting that he was in fact attending a funeral.

The Charests held a small reception in a local museum which we attended briefly before making our way home.

Foolishly trusting my GPS to get us home, the device took us on a nice 'tour de ville' which I actually turned out to enjoy. Sherbrooke has a fine Anglo history which is reflected in the many street names that hark back to jolly old England.
It's a city where Wellington Street turns into Queen and where Argyle crosses Dominion and  King bisects Portland. It's a city that proudly remembers it wartime heritage and is home to the most elegant war memorial outside Montreal.

We finally left via the beautifully named "Jacques O'Brady" highway and as I took to the road for the long trip home I was up for some pleasant conversation, I turned to my wife. "So dear, what did you think of the whole affair?"

She stared straight ahead and after a pregnant pause said but two words.
"Don't speed!"

French Language Ayatollahs Determined To Impose Bad French Music on the Public

The furor over the Quebec City's Summer's Festival plan to include English artists has once again opened another tedious debate between language elitists who wish to impose bad French music on a public that steadfastly demands the highest quality entertainment whether it be in English or French.

French language militants fail to realize that the organizers are not the enemy of the French language, certainly not front men, doing the bidding of Anglo imperialists whose only quest is to subjugate Francophones and assimilate then into the Anglo community.
If organizers can be accused of anything, it is of practical realism. If the Festival is to remain profitable, top English artists are a necessity. It seems that Quebec City residents, even unilingual ones, are not the rubes that militants pretend, to be fobbed off with second and third class talent. Quebeckers, as well as just about everyone else in the civilized world (regardless of language) recognize talent and expect to get the most for their money when shelling out hard earned dollars on concerts.

As the famous old New York Yankee manager, Yogi Berra said, "It's a question of déjà vu, all over again."
The very same debate took place back in the summer of 2008 when language militants complained that it was inappropriate to have Paul McCartney give a free concert celebrating the 400th anniversary of the founding of the City of Quebec.
Over 250,000 people attended and were treated to an entertaining set of old Beatles classics as well as some post-Beatles tunes, all of course sung in English. Considering that the population of Quebec city is only about 500,000 people, the concert obviously drew people from far and wide.

Today militants are again making a play to impose their views on a reluctant majority, invoking the 'Father Knows Best" argument, the one that holds that they alone should be the arbiters of what may be seen or heard by Quebeckers, despite what the public wants.

« Let free people do whatever they want to do » 
(« Laissez donc les gens libres de faire ce qu’ils ont envie de faire » )

...is the opening line by French language radical Louis Prefontaine, who spends the rest of his blog piece doing cartwheels to justify why this should not be allowed to happen and why English artists should not be allowed at the Quebec Summer Festival.

It's the type of attitude found in North Korea or some other tin pot country where the local "Dear Leader" imposes his musical preferences on a captive nation, where books are banned according to political agenda and television is controlled to promote 'clean thinking' and where the public must be protected from itself.
French language militants see themselves as waging the good fight, one where they alone understand what is best for the nation, displaying an attitude no different than Muslim radical clerics who demand that women be covered up in public because it is "God's will"
Perhaps our very own language ayatollahs would be shocked to be compared to religious zealots, but the comparison is valid and if the shoe fits... well, there's little difference in the imposition of a language or culture by decree than there is in the imposition of a state religion, one to which all must adhere to by force. Just like the radical mullahs, our language ayatollahs wish to ban what they do not like.

Too harsh a comparison? I don't think so.

No longer satisfied with forcing students into French language school against their will, they now want to control what people choose as entertainment. It may not be long before we face the dreaded  'thought police' who will be charged with rooting out English everywhere. Perhaps we can add the term 'languagecrime' to the dictionary, to go along with the famous Orwellian term of  'thoughtcrime.'
Life imitates art.

Now the issue of English artists at the Quebec Summer Festival is rather interesting and begs the question as to why Francophones prefer English music.

They do so because English music is better. Sorry.

Don't get me wrong, Francophones are a talented lot and have some very good musical groups. The problem is that there are not enough and the good ones are not as good as the Paul McCartneys or the Black-eyed Peas. It is a fact that Quebec concert goers understand all too well.

The reality that militants don't want to face, is the fact that internationally, music is English. No artist that sings exclusively in any other language but English can expect fame and fortune on the international scene.
Just ask Celine Dion who removed the accent from her name to appear more like an Anglophone and learned to sing in English in order to seek her fame and fortune.

I mentioned in a recent column how on the talk show Tous le Monde en Parle French chanteuse Charlotte Gainsbourg was cruelly realistic when she was asked why she chose to sing in English. 'It's just easier..."

Quebec is a small nation of just seven  million Francophones. To believe that they can compete in French against the entire world that sings in English is absurd. While one or two artists can be considered world class, that's about it. Everyone else is, well, second or third rate. And so any concert that is exclusively French is by definition, inferior.

The lack of depth is the real reason that people don't want to hear more than a few French songs at the Bell Centre or go to concerts in Quebec City without international talent (English.)

When the students of UQAM, a Montreal French language university made a innovative one-shot video to the Black-Eyed Peas monster hit "I got a Feeling," our intrepid language ayatollah, Louis Prefontaine complained that they should have sung in French. Had they done so, do you think six million people would have watched the video? Not a chance!
SEE THE VIDEO....... READ MY POST ABOUT IT


Many years ago, I attended a French musical, Notre Dame de Paris which was then the talk of the town in Montreal. While the audience was enthralled, I was shocked at how amateurish the production was. Although the price of admission was close to a $100 (12 odd years ago) the music was canned and the staging rather minimalist to be kind, something one would expect in a high school production. The real disappointment were the voices of the leads, none of whom would make understudy on Broadway.

The same of course goes for French television, which is inferior to Canadian television, which is inferior to American television and so both Anglos and Francophones choose to watch US shows (even dubbed.) Could you imagine being forced to watch  CBC and CTV exclusively (minus the American content) your whole life? Bah!!!!

Before somebody comments on how good Quebec television is, let me tell you that it is a tedious collection of low budget soap operas and bad imitations of American game shows. The rest of the schedule consists of badly dubbed American shows, with the occasional provincial talk-show thrown into the mix, where local Quebec artists regale the audience with fabulous stories of their 'breakthrough' in France and Belgium.

Julie Snyder's imitation of Howie Mandel on the Quebec version of "Deal or No Deal" is so bad that it makes Pamella Wallin's Canadian version of "'Who Wants to be a Millionaire" seem almost riveting.  Errr, maybe not.... LINK.

To sum up, Americans like to go to shows that feature Celine Dion because she is talented. Quebeckers like to see Paul McCartney or the Black-Eyed Peas for the same reason.

Having language shoved down one's throat in school is an outrage. Demanding that one's personal entertainment dollars be spent according to someone else's politically correct selection is beyond the pale.

Perhaps Mr. Prefontaine can write a code à la Herouxville that would describe how we should all dress, act, speak, eat, think and vote.

Maybe then he and the other French language ayatollahs will finally live in the Quebec of their dreams.

Harper Taking Quebec Apart One Brick at a Time

Wikipedia describes the anecdote wherein a frog placed in a pot of boiling water, will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. The story is often used to describe the inability of people to react to significant changes that occur gradually.

I can't think of a more apt metaphor to describe Quebec's deteriorating situation as a powerful and distinctive partner in the Canadian federation.
Historians may very well point to the failed referendum of 1995 and the subsequent rise of the Bloc Quebec as the turning point where the Province of Quebec and Francophone influence began its precipitous  spiral downward as a political force in Canada.

Until then, Quebec had maintained it's position in the political driver's seat by voting federally as a group for one of the two main parties, thus controlling whether the Conservatives or the Liberal ruled Canada. Because Canadian voters split the vote rather evenly between Liberal Ontario and the Conservative western provinces, Quebec was in the envious position of deciding which party would rule Canada. This pattern repeated itself with Trudeau, Mulroney, Chretien and Martin, who all owed their final political success to Quebec. In repayment, all these Prime Ministers duly rewarded Quebec with strong representation in the cabinet, where the province's interests were jealously protected.

When the Bloc Quebecois took over this voting bloc, Quebec was left unrepresented in the halls of power. Although both the Liberals and the Conservatives, in search of a majority, tried for many years to win back Quebec voters, making all sorts of promises and delivering all sorts of goodies, it was not to be.

Quebeckers foolishly overplayed their hand and embraced the adopted role of the spoilt child who refused to eat dinner.

Quebeckers have finally convinced Stephen Harper that Quebec is a dead end, a place where governments go to die, not to find majorities. Coldly turning his back on the Province, Harper is slowly and deliberately setting out to take Quebec out of the Canada equation and like the oblivious frog in the pot of cold water, the heat is being turning up.


As the Bloc merrily spins the illusion that tells Quebeckers that the province's interests are being looked after, nothing could be farther from the truth. The dangerous lie is literally killing the political interests of Quebec. Perhaps that is exactly what the Bloc Quebecois wants.


One only has to look at the anti-Quebec climate that reigns in the Conservative government where already established policies that are crippling Quebec are maintained and where new legislation seeks to reward others and weaken Quebec is the order of the day.

The opinions of Quebeckers and it's leader is now being roundly ignored and in some cases being outright mocked by Harper and his minions. On issues like the environment, the oil sands, energy efficiency and climate change, where Quebec is diametrically opposed to Conservative polices, the Prime Minister seems to gloat in his ability to humiliate Premier Charest as payback for past slights.

IMMIGRATION
Although not a Harper initiated policy, the political dividends of maintaining a policy of mass immigration is not lost on the Conservatives. Each year Quebec's demographic situation deteriorates, especially the French fact. Another twenty years or so, Francophones will represent less than 20% of Canada's population, a benchmark that precludes any talk of 'two nations.'


PARLIAMENTARY SEATS
Mr. Harper's proposed law, Bill C-12, to add 30 seats to Parliament, all outside Quebec is the clearest signal that he is bent on taking Quebec down. The proposition that Parliament become truly 'representative' means that Quebec will lose even more in the future,  forever burying  the concept that Quebec should maintain 25% of the seats regardless of the demographic reality for the sake of the "two nations" concept.

NO SOUP FOR YOU! QUEBEC
The stimulus package created in 2009 to combat the recession, clearly bypassed Quebec, with the bulk of the money going to Ontario and British Columbia. While Quebec screamed that its damaged wood industry needed help too, Ottawa politely demurred. Immediately before Quebec deposited it's 2010 budget, the province found out it wouldn't be receiving an expected $2.23 billion payment for having harmonized the GST and provincial tax, another slap in the face. LINK

NATIONAL REGULATORY AGENCY FOR STOCK MARKETS
The creation of a national regulatory agency to regulate the financial stock markets is another direct threat to Quebec power and authority. Although Ottawa has told Quebec that it doesn't have to join, the effect would be devastating to be left out. If pension and mutual funds made it mandatory for companies included in their portfolios to be regulated federally, it would signal the de facto end of the AMF, Quebec's regulatory body.

NO MORE PORK
Quebec had always expected and received an unfair share of Federal pork projects. That is no more. Recently military maintenance contracts have all gone to companies out west. Quebec has it's nose up against the window pane looking in, while everyone else is eating.

BILINGUALISM IN THE SUPREME COURT
Harper is set to use his majority in the senate to deal another humiliating defeat to those calling for judges to be bilingual. While the other parties try to make political hay by forcing the issue and perhaps embarrassing the government, the Conservatives view it as an opportunity to tap into anti-Quebec feelings that are running at the highest historical levels ever across the country.

What's next?
Equalization payments. Last year Quebec received over eight billion dollars from other provinces, a crucial part of the provinces operating budget. Already there is rumblings that the structure and the size of the program is to change.

Ironically, the only way Quebec can change its political fortunes is to vote massively for the Liberals or the Conservatives, something unlikely to happen. Getting its foot back in the door is the only way to reverse anti-Quebec policies, but it's unlikely to happen.

And so like the frog in the pot of water Quebeckers just don't realize that they will be cooked very soon.

This Is what it Feel's Like to Be a Penguins Fan

What can I say that hasn't already been said relating to the Habs knocking off the Pittsburgh Penguins.

You know how good it feels to be a Canadiens fan right now.
Here's how rotten it feels to be a Penguins fan today.

These comments lifted directly from the Penguins fan board at HF Boards.

BEFORE THE GAME

Game 7 is gonna be great!

GO PENS!!! Beat the worms. Or squash them with a steel toed boot

MAF is due one for those games that makes us rejoice he is a Pen... 

Halak will get shelled and all the Pens fans will be chanting "HALLLAAAAKKKK!", it will be 57-0 and Crosby will score all 57 goals.
May the best team win tommorow.....

NO !   I want the Habs to win !

I had a dream, that Halak was chased from the net in the first period.

5-1 pens crosby with the hat trick

Man I HOPE the Pens lose, a team with beer league offensive abilities beating top 2 SC favorites in the East would be crazy.

Will be wearing my lucky Staal jersey, WE CAN'T LOSE!

If experience is even worth a damn, then the Pens will show it tonight. No excuses, boys. You've been here before, and you've gotten the job done before. You know what you have to do to win in this type of situation, so just go out there and do it

Blowout win for the Penguins tonight.

I'm so nervous for our boys. Do not be denied.

Malkin will get the first one, and the Canadiens will go home empty-handed tonight. LET'S GO PENS!

Montreal fans are extremely cocky going into this game, hope karma slaps em in the mouth

please beat these stinking undeserving habs so i can bust everybody's chops tommorow, hab fans are so annoying!!

Go pens. I'm sick of habs fans ... enough already. Unleash hell.

I've always been a big believer that in a best of 7 series, the cream will always rise to the top. Let's get our cream on. Together.

All the game in this series have been really close, "nail biters", would it be too much to ask for a blowout tonight?

Gonna get obliterated in my basement with lots of smashables around. Let's burn these ****ers to the ground.

Come on, don't close out the Igloo with a loss to a team you're better than. I expect a win.

The time is now or never for the big guns to step up. Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Fleury, Gonchar, etc.

Defend the title and put these squirts out tonight.

Geno is so friggin due for a big night on the score board. He's been pretty damn good the last couple of games and I can't wait to see how much jump he comes out with for game 7.

good job by some pens fans on the main board predicting a blow out for us

If there's one thing that I'm confident about, it's that both he and Sid are gonna come out with fire in their eyes. Whether or not that translates into actual goals will be a different thing all together, but at least we know we can expect their absolute best efforts.



DURING THE GAME

I'm sick of hearing Halak's pads in surround sound!

Guerin's out there. Unreal. I want Bylsma fired now. Not after the game. Now

Have I mentioned that my hatred for the Habs, already my least favorite Canadian team, has multiplied by a factor of like, five?

Way to come up big Sid. 

god damn u halak!!

Halak. Cheese and Rice. (????)

I HATE Halak!

Omg **** you Halak!

***** you Halak!!!!!
 
Is their a more obnoxious and outright villainous hockey team in National Hockey League history than the Montreal Canadiens!?

i think i will be hating Fleury for a long.. long.. long.. time.

I ****ing hate Halak.... MALKIN SCORE A ****ING GOAL ALREADY!!!

Hockey gods have forsaken us

Malkin needs to get his head out of his ****ing ass

Every single minute that goes by I feel myself reaching for the power button

Major league fail going on so far this game. .... this is the single worst effort i have ever seen in a game 7

Pens chugged down the stupid juice this morning.

That's season boys. Halak is the best goalie in the history of the NHL. Hands down. Congrats Habs.

if you watch the video closely you'll see that instead of putting a body on Moen, Gonchar is consulting his crystal ball.

Gonchar looked like a pylon on that one.

That's the kind of defensive coverage you'd see in Midget B

I'm mailing him a punch in the face.

I almost broke my TV when I saw that.

Useless Russian players. pathetic lazy-ass pinko commie

Halak just saved their season. Anyone who says he isn't a good goalie is lying to themselves.

We better score here. I'm about ready to knife a kitten right now.... >.<

I tink you are right, he's sure playing like the goalie of NHL history. Not even Roy has stats like this guy.

Fleury laughing it up in pregame about how 'fun' this is going to be. Guess what jackoff, this isn't peewee league.

Halak's the only reason they've gotten as far as they have. Hmm now I know how the Caps fans felt

With that goal, Dominic Moore ties Crosby and Geno for goals scored in this series. One.

Thanks Fleruy, way to suck you POS.

Someone kill me please.  I have started crying.

When Crosby, Malkin, and Fleury are being outplayed by Lapierre, Moore, and Halak, you're up ****'s creek without a paddle. 

What good are saves when the rest of the team is filled with retards with cement skates.

 I think I saw Halak's hand shaking when they scored the 4th goal on Fleury

screw you pansy sid... drive to the net make a play. You are a baby.

I feel physically sick. I do believe I will cry if we lose.

I think I just threw up in my mouth.  

WHY AM I STILL WATCHING THIS GAME?!?!?!..... can someone please answer

Scott Gomez is the worst Alaskan ever.

Urg at 4-0 i went into the bathroom and shaved off the playoff beard. i come out and its 4-2. I'm out of hair now and need 2 more goals... Do i ummm move onto other parts to shave?

Last one out get the lights. ****ing disgrace.

Is the game over yet? I can't bear watching this right now...

WTF is happening?? This is pitiful. They are falling apart

Someone post a few "too many men" pics, pensblog style.

AFTER THE GAME
Game... Set... Match...

I'm going to miss watching Hockey in June... :-(

habs = the luckiest team on the world... gets all the breaks and bounces...

just sucks

I'm so furious that I'm shaking. Blow up the Igloo with MAF, Guerin, Feds and Poni inside.

Good season, but I can't be magnanimous about the Pens losing to the Habs ... disgrace.

The better team won this series.Now I have to root for the fricken Habs to win the cup. At least there is some consolation in losing to the eventual cup winner.

Don't wanna rub it but yeah, that was definitely the most pathetic defensive effort I've ever seen by a player. And in a game 7 too. Gonchar just proved there why he is garbage.

halak i hate u...

F the Habs. The first solid confident team they run into will wipe the floor with them.

no shame in losing to halak, he may well be a one year wonder, but its a hell of a playoff year

We have been quite terrible, but also... it just wasn't meant to be. Halak has been too good at the same time as we've been terrible. Simply cannot believe we are losing against Montreal.

And we're out like the fat kid.

Fixed

As Therrien once said, "It was a 'patetic' performance."

Go <whoever wins western conference>

Montreal is a joke...... At set for halak  (except?-.ed)

The line to apologize to Bob Gainey forms on the left.

 

"Leaders aren't born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal."- Vincent Lombardi


What Crosby did was politely dismiss the Habs series win and then he wrapped it all up with a pretty bow by saying "credit to them".




Wasn't that Fun???
If you aren't there already, there's still time to join;
 

And for your entertainment;

 

 

 And to re-live Game 7 as seen in Pittsburgh.....