Monday, May 2, 2011

Quebec Exchanges Four Quarters for a Dollar

So after all this, the polls underestimated the Conservative support once again and even though Quebec exchanged the Ndp for the Bloc, the real story is the Liberal collapse in Ontario, in favour of the Conservatives.

Quebec once again, remains the little boy with his nose rubbed up to the window, looking in from the outside at the Conservative party going on inside.

Is the Bloc collapse significant? I believe so.
Gilles Duceppe has already announced that he's abandoning ship and resigning as leader.
It's off to academia!
After a while, it's likely that the party will disband and the few members elected to sit as independents.
Dum-Da-Dum-Da!

So eager were Quebeckers to show the door to the Bloc, that the province elected a bunch of hardened communists, socialists and unilingual anglophones to represent French ridings!
Talk about the twilight zone.......

With the election of a majority government, the opposition is irrelevant. Layton and Mulcair can huff and puff to their hearts content and the large Ndp contingent in Parliament is of no concern.

By the way, the Bloc got almost 25% of the Quebec vote and won (at the time of writing this post) just 3 seats.
Payback's a bitch! Hahaha!

Rebuilding the Liberal franchise won't be easy, the party borrowed heavily to finance this current campaign. With the election results, the party will see their governmental subsidy halved. The Conservatives will no doubt eliminate this subsidy in the new term. Tough nougies!

Readers, this is a short post. It's meant to open up comments to you, I'm sure you've got a lot to say.

Here's some questions;

  • What will Harper do with his majority
  • How long will it take for Ignatieff to resign?
  • What will happen to Duceppe?
  • Who should take over the leadership of the Liberals?
  • Who is cabinet material and who will replace Quebec's fallen ministers"
  • Will Harper 'screw' Quebec? 

Go ahead, the floor is open!

34 comments:

  1. For the first time in a very long while, I am proud to be a Quebecer. I was wishing with all my might that the BLOC would lose some seats to the NDP. The NDP DESTROYED the BLOC. Not only that, the golden boy of sovereignty has lost in his own riding. And to top it all off, he gave me an early birthday gift, he resigned. What a great day! Thank you Mr.Layton for being so lovable, and thank you Mr.Duceppe for being so ineffective. You're slogan said, "Parlons, Qc". Well you'll have plenty of time to talk about Quebec now, just not in a FEDERAL building!

    *If Ignatieff resigns, I expect Denis Coderre and perhaps Justin Trudeau to make a push for the Liberal lead.

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  2. OK, OK, I was half right. Mount Royal supported the red sacred cow, but shock of shocks, Dryden lost in the Liberal bastion of York Center. Since we tied 1-1, what do we do for a shootout?

    Looks like Quebec has gone for Orange Crush! Not surprisingly, Duceppe has slinked away with his tail between his legs, but with 20 years in office, he'll get his full parliamentary gold-plated pension, a leader's pension at that.

    He can now double dip by joining the PQ and probably usurping Marois now that they'll have a choice, and the next time she trips over her tongue,,,and she will.

    Surprisingly Iggy didn't announce his retirement from politics, but it looks as if his constituents have announced it for him. I'm sure he has his suitcases all packed and he'll be heading back to Cambridge, Mass. first thing in the morning.,,well, maybe the day after tomorrow!

    Perhaps Jack will be able to keep Harper from screwing Quebec since he'll have enough strength to make a stink out of it, but let's see if Jack can put his money where his mouth is.

    Maybe I gave Dryden more credit than he deserved. Interestingly, when I was heading to visit my son who lives in Thornhill, I skirted by the western boundary of Dryden's York Center riding. Ken was standing on the corner of a busy intersection, in drizzling rain, with a bunch of his supporters holding a sign "honk for Ken". There wasn't any honking that I heard of. Silence is golden for Mark Adler, his opponent who has turned the riding blue for the first time in over 40 years.

    So Harper will finally get his chance to govern free and clear. Let's see what he can do with a social democrat party barking up his back side!

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  3. For me, the big story is that a majority government is possible without Quebec.

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  4. one gleeful unreconstructed west islanderTuesday, May 3, 2011 at 1:58:00 AM EDT

    Unleash the scary secret agenda!
    I can't wait.

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  5. Well, the final results are in. What an interesting night!

    The Bloc Quebecois has been DESTROYED. They lost their party status, they lost their leader, and they lost all but *4* (yes, count them: four!) seats! And one of the elected members has never even been in parliament before. I can see most of them quitting and very likely the party disbanded. After 20 years of their crap, good riddance...!

    Ah, and in other news the Stephan Harper got his majority WITHOUT Quebec. Quebec even dropped the number of Conservatives seats, showing less support for his party. Well, well, well....looks like Harper can finally payback Quebec for its wondrous "support". And best of all, there is no Bloc Quebecois to stand up for the interests of Quebec. Ah yes, the time is ripe for giving Quebec its just dessert.

    I do hope we finally see the end of treating Quebec as special. As a matter of fact, I hope we start treating Quebec like the rubbish it is until or if it turns itself around.

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  6. Loving it. I hope Quebec is lubed up because Harper will finally give it to Quebec the way the rest of Canada has been dreaming about for decades.

    Go Harper!

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  7. I am going to celebrate with my allophone, francophone and anglophone colleagues!

    Bye Bye, Dilles Guceppe!

    WESTALLOPHONE++

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  8. This just means a referendum is right around the corner. Quebec will not remain politically powerless for very long.

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  9. Duceppe shouldn't get a pension. He should be brought up on treason charges and for violating human rights.

    I couldn't have been more satisfied with the numbers if I had typed them in myself. As a shunned resident of Quebec, I am over the moon that Harper has a majority and Duceppe was CRUSHED.

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  10. Les conservateurs avaient été défaits et réduits a néant en 1993. Ils sont revenus majoritaires et transformés hier. Le Bloc a été défait et rayé de la carte, le mouvement indépendantiste sera ravivé dans les prochaines années. N'ayez craintes ! Jusqu'a l'obtention de la pleine indépendance du Québec ! Vive le Québec !

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  11. Nationally the voter turnout was 61%, much lower than what the media anticipated... Even lower in some provinces like Alberta coming in at 48%. Ridiculous.

    Whatever happened to all those vote mobs/youth votes?

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  12. Here's some questions;

    What will Harper do with his majority?

    Hopefully, cut the size of government. A hiring freeze. Repeal bad expensive laws, such as bilingualism, multiculturalism, eliminate all funding for political parties…Tell Quebec to repeal bill 101 and give back equal rights to all in Quebec…for starters.

    How long will it take for Ignatieff to resign?

    Who really cares?

    What will happen to Duceppe?

    Who really cares, just get lost?

    Who should take over the leadership of the Liberals?

    Who really cares?

    Who is cabinet material and who will replace Quebec's fallen ministers"

    No one in Quebec should be in cabinet, they are all clueless. They don’t need Quebec to have a majority. Quebec did not vote Conservative. Its finally time to tell Quebec to rot to hell.

    Will Harper 'screw' Quebec?

    I hope so.

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  13. "Jusqu'a l'obtention de la pleine indépendance du Québec ! Vive le Québec !"
    Jamais!, vive le QUE?BECO?IS libre, jamais de la gang de liberticide du PayQ, de la CSN et du Blocus vont avoir le vote pour, et si jamais par miracle et mensonge il réussisse il vont entrer en faillite 2 semaine après. Suivi de l;'abrogation du droit de protester et limitation du droits de presse (texte de Bougeault) rine de mieux d'une bande de zimbabween/mugabiste pour nous mener a la terre promise du marxisme!

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  14. Just came in: Michael Ignatieff resigns.

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  15. Now that the BQ is out of the picture, what kind of message does it send to the PQ & their goal of one day separating from Canada? I'd like anyones thoughts on this.

    I was born & raised in Quebec. When I travel I'm asked from time-to-time where I'm from. My usual response is where most of the idiots (separatist) live in Canada.

    Personally I hope Harper shits on this province every chance he gets while he's in power... unfortunately you need balls to do that. Hopefully this would piss off the separatist & the PQ enough to get themselves back in power. Then call for a quick referendum while they have the momentum on their side & actually win. No negotiating from the rest of Canada. What does Quackbec do with the 48 to 49% of the people that want nothing to do with separation? Another referendum within Quackbec perhaps. All hell breaks lose. Now the real party begins... sweet. Unfortunately thats just a dream.

    I personally believe a referendum win would be a solution to the crap we have to live with every day in Quackbec. Under the PQ leadership the Anglo's & the rest of us allophone's have no chance of change. The liberal party has made no changes since they've been in power. Their just another form of separatist. Quackbec is like the tiny dog with a loud bark who can be intimidating. We need a mean bulldog in power to shut it up.

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  16. @ all the angry comments wishing to "give it to Quebec".

    With the risk of sounding like an old teacher... shame on you. Your comments can only anger the people living in Qc, and this is the only fuel the separatists have. And you're 'giving it' to them. Which sort of makes you a separatist as well.

    On a different note, I cannot help but notice an alarming number of CON supporters, so over the moon with the CON majority (bad outcome imo - minority should have sufficed) post comments that display a frightening similarity to the outspoken Republican rednecks South of the border... Which is a scary thought. Is Canada slowly transforming into Utah, Idaho, Nebraska...?

    Allophone from Qc

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  17. Well, if conservatives implement the 30 new seats for Ontario, Alberta, and BC. Quebec will become irrelevant.

    The NDP is going to be a one time wonder, as the majority of their MPs are from Quebec. Anglos in Quebec shot themselves in the foot by voting for NDP, only thing nullifying their self destruction is the fact that the conservatives have a majority. Jacko will learn very fast how Quebecois expect their pound of flesh.

    Only hope for Anglos in Quebec right now is if NDP votes translate to Quebec solidaire votes and a 3 way split PQ, Libs(best of the worst choice) and Quebec solidaire split the vote just enough for a liberal majority in the provincial elections.

    I for one am weary about Harpers new crime bill (including things like warrantless wiretaps)and 16 billion dollars spent on unproven technology, for a measly 65 fighters. The 1 billion dollars spent on the G20 summit, that inconvenienced so many Toronto commuters was unjustifiable, waste of the taxpayers money without any tangible benifits. The sponsorship scandal will look like peanuts after 4 years of unaccountable new majority government.

    I am not a supporter of any political party as all their platforms were defective, but I wanted cons to be just short of a pure majority, 153 seats would have been nice.

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  18. Ano @ May 3, 2011 7:26 AM

    ‘This just means a referendum is right around the corner. Quebec will not remain politically powerless for very long.’

    Exactly my thoughts; the Bloc’s demise leaves a vacuum, just like the death of B. Laden. The blow back could be worse than what we know. Decades of seppie brainwashing doesn’t just evaporate over night. The Quebecois are politically mercenary, and if the current lineup doesn’t deliver the bacon and make Quebec feel special and entitled, the Bloc heads could return with a new leader that make’s Dusepppie look like a kitten. Quebec will likely milk Canada for all it can, and if/when the teat dries up, the Quebecois will cry foul and turn to PQ with a vengeance. I doubt anything has changed in Quebec, and we’re probably just in an extended period of calm before the perfect storm. I just hope Harper has the integrity to stand up to Quebec and protect Canada from Quebec’s incompatible and harmful agenda.

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  19. "Under the PQ leadership the Anglo's & the rest of us allophone's have no chance of change."

    Faites comme les Québécois dans le ROC:Apprenez la langue locale pour faciliter votre intégration sociale.

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  20. To: @all the angry comments wishing to "give it to Quebec"

    Sounding like a separatist is a bit harsh. My words are out of frustration. Sorry that I sound like a separatist... I'm not.

    Should we continue to live our lives in fear of how the separatist are going to react every time some speaks or writes how they feel? They don't hesitate to speak or post their crap. I believe we all have that right. All I want is equal rights like the rest of the people in Canada... no more no less. If we continue on this path nothing will ever change but get worse.

    Anglo kids going to English college or Universities in Quackbec are starting to pay for Bill 101. The enrollment rate is so high due to the French kids wanting an English education (good for them) that they are getting over crowded & becoming more difficult to get in. My son is a victim & is still trying to get in. Again we're paying the price.

    As I wrote earlier I'm not a separatist just frustrated. Sorry if I sound like a separatist.

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  21. @MAY 3, 2011 12:45 PM

    Vous êtes très lucide et perspicace.Effectivement,c'est la dernière chance qu'accorde les Québécois a un parti fédéraste autre que le Bloc au Québec.
    Le NPD a un poids sur les épaules comme jamais auparavant.Espéront maintenant qu'il pourra le supporter.

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  22. "Vous êtes très lucide et perspicace.Effectivement,c'est la dernière chance qu'accorde les Québécois a un parti fédéraste autre que le Bloc au Québec.
    Le NPD a un poids sur les épaules comme jamais auparavant.Espéront maintenant qu'il pourra le supporter. "

    Which essentially means, if a federalist party continues to wipe our asses for us, helps us subjugate and relegate our minorities to a lower social and political status than us, then we will support you, for now. I hope not pressing 9 sizzles your ear off.

    The vote for the NDP was a clear indication by Quebecers that they are done with the politics of race, done with 101ers who seek to extend the legislation even further and done with the rat fink extremists with their paintball guns and their army uniforms parading around with their flags and their hate. Feel free to crawl back into your hole and cry over a bottle of maudite. Today, we are all Canadian as much as it pains you.

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  23. With Iggy gone and the Libs reduced to a minority the time is ripe for a new Liberal leadership drive culminating in a leadership convention in year 3 of this mandate. The next Liberal leader will be the one with the best election machine and ground game. Whatever they do, they cannot turn it into a Trudeau coronation.
    The NDP sweep in Quebec does not bode well for the PQ and their separatist cause. The NDP clearly inspired the youth of Quebec much to the separatist's dismay. The April PQ convention along with the Bloc's strategy to push the separatist angle and wheel out Jacques Parizeau's dentures clearly turned off most francophone voters. By framing this election as a referendum on Canada, the BQs strategists made a fatal miscalculation. Judging from Quebecker's appetite for change, I would caution both the PQ and Quebec Liberals to tread carefully. Quebec Solidaire, the new ADQ or even Francois Legault's phantom party may make serious inroads in the next election. Young Quebeckers have spoken and want change from the status quo. The next Quebec government will be strong on social issues, environmental issues, have a World view and be fiscally realistic. The Olympic stadium, children of the 60's, generation is dead politically in Quebec.

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  24. The Quebecois abandoned the BLOC because they think the BLOC has no power and has dried up. Now for some unknown reason, the Quebecois believe they can squeeze more political juice from the NDP lemon.

    Quebec will probably eat Jack and the NDP alive; the political neophytes have no idea what they are getting into. This could be very bad for Canada. The NDP are the Quebecois’ last hope of working the federalist system to their advantage. If the NDP disappoints the Quebecois (which they surely will), the seppies will be waiting in wings saying ‘We told you so. Away, let's go. Do we have your support now? '

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  25. "The vote for the NDP was a clear indication by Quebecers that they are done with the politics of race..."

    Hein?!?

    Rien a voir avec la race mais bien avec la langue monsieur le sociologue.

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  26. It is a great day for Quebec, as the tyrant of harassment we know as Duceppe, and his RRQ street gang following, are put to their death by the Quebeckers themselves! After 20 years of being a nuisance, it is over. Adieu, Gilles !
    (see FB group Contre l'arrgance de Gilles Duceppe)

    On se souvient, on se souviendra, on fêtera ce moment pour les années à venir! For the near future, we will look back at this day, and scream Hoorraaay that the Bloc's sore losers and incapacity to exert serious and positive influence on the political choices taken in the name of Quebeckers and Canadians, has come to a dead halt.

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  27. À l'anonyme: May 3, 2011 8:13 AM : Peut-être avez vous oubliez que les Québécois font encore partie du Canada et qu'ils payent encore la moitié de leur impôt au Gouvernement du Canada. Les membres du Bloc Québécois étaient les politiciens choisis par le peuple Québécois pour les représenter. Point final, le reste ne vous appartient pas ! Vivement un référendum ! Un gouvernement majoritaire conservateur ! Un pas de plus vers l'indépendance !

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  28. Gilles Duceppe à Québec et vive l'indépendance ! Un politicien qui fouetterait les Québécois !

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  29. My apologies - did not intend to upset anyone. It did sound like some 'seppies' though. Of course you can say whatever you want - I was merely commenting on the fact that comments such as yours do fire up some ("See... they don't care about us - maudite anglais!")

    What I find disturbing is how easy people throw separation as an option into discussion (on both sides). Did anyone actually think what will happen AFTER? Both sides will most likely suffer economically and socially a great deal. Does anyone actually expect that Canada will continue business as usual? Very much doubt it, for at least 7-10 years. For Quebec, much longer, probably - imo, in best case scenario maybe 15 years. Does anyone from QC actually expect that once separated will be in the same geographical form? It will most likely be way smaller, with less resources and power. And the most dangerous thing of all - will have very little economic, strategic and political leverage in any relationship with uncle Sam. Canada does have that power. It will become an unofficial Puerto Rico - it will be bled dry of all its resources... at very low prices. And these two are just the tip of the iceberg.

    I don't believe that separatism will ever disappear completely... it is human nature to reject the others. Look at Belgium, for instance. I do believe though that the vote for the NDP in Qc was a slap in the face for both libs and BQ/PQ. I see it as a 'get your act together' kind of a statement for the libs and a 'you're out of touch' one for BQ. Who would elect a 19-year-old, if not for statement? But I might be wrong. However NDP will have to be very careful not to mess it up - both for Qc and Canada. Once the waters are settled, I do hope they will be serious - PQ and the likes will watch their every move.

    Just my two cents... Allophone from QC

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  30. "It is a great day for Quebec..."

    C'est vrai et Layton marche sur des oeufs.
    Nous scruterons ses moindres gestes...Comptez sur nous.

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  31. I picked up a copy of USA Today this morning and there was not a single mention of yesterday's Canadian elections. That cracked me up. I guess we're not that important.

    I just checked cbc.ca and I couldn't be happier. A majority government finally, and just 4 seats for the Bloc...Couldn't have turned out better.

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  32. I just did a quick scan of Canadian news and here's Charest declaring in Le Devoir "le débat autour de la souveraineté se poursuivra désormais au Québec et non à Ottawa." Marois said something along the same lines.

    I'm not so surprised that Marois said it, after all it's her party's bread and butter. But the fact that Charest said it proves further that the PLQ and the PQ are two cheeks of the same backside, and that the politics of separation serve Quebec Liberals as much as they serve the PQ. After all, the threats do get the goodies flowing Quebec's way, so why not stay the course?

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  33. Alot of angry spiteful comments here ,go to bed!

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  34. to MAY 3 @ 12:19 PM: I disagree with you. Quebec society has still taken a harsh view on its Anglophone residents. I was born, raised and educated there myself and I planned my escape while still in high school.

    With university being dirt cheap in Quebec, esp. when I went through those years, I figured I could milk Quebec for what it's worth and then leave. I chose to leave the day after my university convocation for Ottawa, and eventually Toronto. I don't regret my departure one iota.

    My longtime girlfriend finally moved in with me almost two years ago along with her daughter. She has a job in retail that she'd never get in Quebec with her limited French. Both of them neither miss Montreal nor do they have any desire whatsoever to return--ZERO!

    You want to live in that racist swamp? That's your business. I personally hope Harper is as vindictive as Editor makes him out to be and gives Quebec the support they gave him
    --minuscule!

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