Friday, April 5, 2013

French versus English Volume 80

This week in Corruption

Francois Legault, head of the opposition CAQ party held a news conference to demand that the PQ government take legal action against companies whose senior members admitted to collusion and price-fixing at the Charbonneau Construction/Crime commission.

Lamenting that only a few engineers were forced to resign and that nothing has been done against the companies themselves, Legault demanded that the province take legal action to punish and recover the ill-gotten gains.

It occurs to me that if the government pursues all the executives that were involved and moved to recover the funds, the provinces consulting/engineering firms would collapse, even the mighty SNC-Lavalin who is as wrapped up in all this corruption as any other.

Last week the city of Montreal faced a difficult conundrum;
How to fix the city's many potholes when all the companies that do the work have been named at the commission as crooked.
The city council told the mayor that he could not hire any of them and so the frustrated mayor asked citizens to voice their opinions, in fact asking them to choose the lesser of the two evils.

The reality is, that if all the bosses, the politicians and civil employees who are guilty of corruption were to be fired tomorrow and the crooked companies made to pay for their crimes, the province would grind to a halt, our very own Quebec version of "Too Big to Fail"

"My battle with the language police as an anglo professional in Quebec"

"At first things went well. I made some francophone friends, and the shopkeepers in our part of town did not switch to English. I understood my francophone patients, and they politely corrected language mistakes to help the new doctor learn.
I watched Tout le monde en parle on TV, took French classes and read L’actualité magazine, whose subscription department was so flummoxed by a common anglophone name in a doctor’s handwriting that my issues arrived addressed to “Jamos Rosi.”
I thought I had found my French groove. Near the end of my residency, a temporary staff position in Quebec’s Kafkaesque health system appeared possible.
People warned me about the exam administered by l’Office Québécois de la langue français. Doctors must pass it within four years to keep their licence in Quebec. Many of my “Rest of Canada” colleagues had failed it several times. Anglophones from Quebec, some of whom do not speak French well, are not subjected to the exam...". Read the rest of the story in the Globe & Mail

Thanks to the many readers who sent a link to this story.

Equality Party 2.0 membership drive.

It's finally happening.
After organizing itself, it's time to get up and running for the Equality Party 2.0.
On Monday the party will be holding a meet and greet in NDG, with an eye to signing up members, the lifeblood of a party.

If you have questions about the program, issues like vote-splitting, or positions on anything that concerns you, here's an opportunity to scratch that itch.

In the comments section of this blog, we hear "What can I do?" quite a lot.
Here is an opportunity to show up and be counted.

 Make an effort to  be there if you can!

CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE
By the way, Equality Party 2.0 Leader Mark S. Bergeron will appear on the Barry Morgan Show today, Friday April 5, at 7pm on CJAD Radio 800 in Montreal. You can also listen on the web at cjad.com.
READ: 5 REASONS TO RE-LAUNCH THE EQUALITY PARTY

Followup on Chinese signs in BC.

A little while back I wrote about complaints about Chinese only signs in Richmond BC. Apparently two women were offended and took up a campaign against them.
Here's some of what I wrote;
"I was asked for my opinion about this story in an email by a reader and can answer with a phrase that I recall using as a kid.
You can like it or lump it, which sums up my feelings rather succinctly and my advice to the women offended by the Chinese only signs with another phrase from my childhood...
tough noogies." Link
It doesn't surprise me that the whole thing was a tempest in a teapot.
Here is an excerpt from a followup article;
"Out of 869 businesses, they found a total of 12 (one of which appeared to have recently gone bankrupt) with Chinese-only signs. That comes to 1.4 per cent of the shops in Richmond's business core.
Is that what "many residents are upset" about? Is that why Ms. Starchuk (whom I've never met but is no doubt a lovely person in her own right) has been "writing letters to the editor and buttonholing politicians?" according to the Sun story.
Eleven businesses with Chinese-only signs?
The gentlemen asked the shopkeepers with no English on their signs why that was the case. One was a bookstore that sold books only in Chinese.
What would his sign say, one wonders - Chinese Books. Not for You." Read a great story

Quebec planning sovereigntist assault on Canada

"It seems that Pauline is putting her foot down, the next time she sends ministers to Ottawa begging for money, they will do it in French only.
And if the feds don't like it they can lump it!
"The Quebec government has introduced a new initiative that encourages cabinet ministers to speak only French to their counterparts from other provinces and Ottawa.
The strategy is part of the Parti Quebecois’ plan to push its sovereigntist agenda and prevent what it sees as intrusions by Ottawa in Quebec’s jurisdictions.
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Alexandre Cloutier told a news conference Wednesday that Quebec’s initiative to limit English usage by its ministers is only a guideline, not a restriction.
“The official language in Quebec is French and all the papers being prepared are in French, all documentation is in French, and we think it’s necessary to use the same language that it is written (in),” Cloutier said in Quebec City." Link

Kim-Jong-Pol to Canada... "We are in a STATE OF WAR!!"
"The small-mindedness of Pauline Marois’ policy of “sovereigntist governance” is most recently shown in a directive that Quebec cabinet ministers should speak only French in federal-provincial discussions and meetings – to the accompaniment of simultaneous translation. The idea seems to be that Quebec cabinet ministers have to play a kind of children’s game in which they pretend not to be able to speak English, in order to also pretend that Canada is a foreign country." Link

Yves Michaud's long march to oblivion

For those of you who need to be reminded, Yves Michaud was a militant Peequist who was in December 2000 unanimously condemned in the National Assembly for making some injudicious remarks about ethnics and particularly Jewish Quebecers, railing against the fact that none voted for sovereignty.
Mr. Michaud was deeply stung by the motion which basically branded him a racist, this in the highest legislative body in Quebec.
Since then he has worked tirelessly and obsessively to get the motion reversed and failing that, an apology from every member who voted for the motion.
His story reminds me of the painful journey embarked upon by Jesus on the Way of the Cross, a long and painful ordeal leading to his ultimate crucifixion.
During last September's provincial election he ran a newspaper advertisement asking electors not to vote for the surviving thirteen members who were running, who still hadn't apologized. See the advertisement

But according to election law, it's illegal for individuals to spend money to influence voters in an election campaign outside of a controlled political party.

And so the hapless Michaud has been slapped with a $6,000 fine by the Director General of Elections, something that set him off once again.
Mr Michaud is once again tilting at windmills, telling reporters that he will sue the DGEQ for $100,000 as well as militate for his removal. Link{fr}
When I think of Michaud, I'm reminded of Brian Mulroney's most famous remark that "there's no whore like an old whore"


Lobby group says Bill 14 too weak

"The official advisors for Quebec on linguistic matters say the province is not doing enough to promote the French language, even if every measure in Bill 14 is passed.
Winston Chan and Robert Vezina of the
Winston Chan & Robert Vezina of the Conseil superieur de la langue francaise
In a report released Wednesday,  The Conseil superieur de la langue francaise, the official advisory body for the Minister of Language, said it has no doubt that the use of French is declining in Quebec. In fact, it said everyone in the province, including native francophones, would do well to brush up on their French language skills.
"The level of literacy in Quebec is pretty low in general," said Winston Chan.
"The bureaucrats say the quality of French spoken by anglophones is of particular concern, and generally not good enough to let them work in Quebec.
"One of the challenges for English students... is the immersion skills are lower and we see that difficulty in the workplace later on," said Chan.
Bill 101 badly needs updating, said the CSLF.

“Now there are new challenges. New immigrants, and allophones taking their place in our society. We have to make sure that French is the language of social cohesion,” he said. Link

...but Bill 14 appears doomed to defeat

"The Parti Quebecois’s plan to toughen Bill 101 could be in trouble.
The Coalition Avenir Quebec confirmed Wednesday the existence of a draft of a letter stating it will oppose the most controversial aspects of Bill 14, the proposed legislation to beef up Quebec's French language law.

In the letter, the CAQ stated it is opposed to the following provisions of Bill 14:

  • The right to remove a municipality's existing bilingual status
  • Removal of the right of children of francophone military parents to attend English school
  • New measures forcing companies with 26 to 50 employees to conduct their internal communications in French
  • Measures to restrict francophone and allophone students from attending Anglophone CEGEPS." Read more

Duceppe to lead Employment Insurance Commission

"Quebec Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Alexandre Cloutier unveiled the Parti Quebecois government’s long-awaited sovereignist governance plan Wednesday in Quebec City, and it involves relying on a familiar face.
Former Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe will lead a four-person commission into changes the federal government is making to Employment Insurance.
The commission is just one aspect of a multi-part plan which involves being more assertive with the federal government -- a necessity, Cloutier explains, because the federal government has made unilateral decisions that harm Quebecers, with the EI changes being a perfect example." Link

Controversial mayor gives BBC interview

"Huntingdon’s mayor, Stéphane Gendron oversees a mixed community of French and English speakers. “When we have our meetings, we usually switch from French to English in the same sentence,” said Gendron. “It’s like breathing air, we don’t care.”
Sounds reasonable, but that linguistic back-and-forth in Huntingdon is technically against Quebec’s law.

Gendron recalled receiving an email last year from the Office québécois de la langue française. He said the email informed him that he and his administration are “not authorized to communicate in English with our citizens.” Read the story

Listen to the  interview he gave to the BBC;



Language and the Habs

Last week, I highlighted this picture of a unilingual sign in the Montreal Canadiens dressing room in their practice facility in south shore Brossard.



I'm not sure if complaints about language influenced the team to change the sign in the Bell Centre dressing room or if it was there before;



But then again it's a different story when the Canadiens go on the road. Apparently the sign is a fixture in their dressing room and part of the team culture and so the Canadiens paste up the sign in all the dressings rooms they visit while on the road



Hmmmmm.... Repeat after me....."Lip Service"

Here's a message that some fan held up in Pittsburgh to make fun of Michel Therrien's inability to pronounce the hard 'T.'
He was a coach there for some time and I guess fans remember....ouch!
Read a story about it in French HERE
And for no other reason than it's Friday and we are on the subject of hockey, I include this animated GIF of Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask reacting to an improbable and infuriating loss to the Habs. Sweet!


 
It's the weekend, so how about enjoying the best gin in the world. From Quebec!



Have a good weekend!
Bonne Fin de Semaine!

88 comments:

  1. FROM ED
    Come! Come! Editor, Everyone knows that Quebec's gin is De Kuyper. The old "Geneva Gin" was popular because it was the cheapest. Brings me back to the Arawana Club on St.Patrick street in the Point where the gin collins were 60 cents each. Frank Hanley owned the club. The collins contained no ice but was served from bottles that had been kept chilled. Ed

    ReplyDelete
  2. FROM ED
    I don't know what happened to my post but I'll try again.
    The gin you mention is not Quebec's favourite. The favourite is De Kuyper Geneva Gin. It sold well here because it was the cheapest and the the green bottle fitted nicely in the pocket. Ed

    ReplyDelete
  3. Just to be clear, the story broadcast by BBC/Public Radio International about Quebec is in two parts:

    Part 1: http://www.theworld.org/2013/03/is-french-still-vulnerable-in-quebec/
    Part 2: http://www.theworld.org/2013/03/sugar-sammy/

    It’s so cool to see a Montreal comedian being interviewed in Mumbai for India’s 1.2 billion people… except, hang on a minute, a Quebec-born comedian speaks other languages besides French!?! So ethnically, he’s not really “nous”, right, ethnocentric nationalists?

    Well, bullshit to that! Thanks to him, even in India they now know about the Sugar Sammy Videotron commercials!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srwQnrB6zpg

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "So ethnically, he’s not really “nous”, right, ethnocentric nationalists?"

      ethnically? of course he's not, he's indian! do you know what ethnicity means, mate?

      now is he "nous" is another question. you'll have to ask him about that.

      Delete
    2. La notion d'identité semble très floue chez nos amis canadians.

      Delete
    3. Man, we really do have to build Separatist island quick and ship you guys off the Quebec mainland.

      You guys are so drunk on racism, you don't have the first fucking clue what you're talking about.

      "you'll have to ask him about that."

      He has been asked that question...many times. If you weren't so fucking lazy and took the time to perform the very research you urge of others you might have dug this up.

      Delete
    4. Samir Khullar est un Indien pro anglo...La preuve: Sugar Sammy

      Delete
    5. Pis?...Justement en Inde,les vaches sont sacrées.

      Delete
    6. LD

      The Separatist indoctrination camp (aka Quebec French public school system) didn't seem to have the desired effect on him. It created a multi-lingual Federalist that speaks better French than the Pur Lainers. The problem must stem from the lack of Québécois nationalist History being taught in schools, n'est pas?

      Delete
    7. @L(S)D

      Un bel exemple: Le débat récent des candidats du PLC ..."In French"

      Quel massacre...N'est-ce pas?Vous avez dit "multi-lingual Federalist"? Errr

      Delete
    8. @resident evil

      "He has been asked that question...many times. If you weren't so fucking lazy..."

      dude be more polite with r.s. he's the one who asked the question about sugar's identity.

      Delete
    9. It’s surprisingly easy to bait those two into saying the stupidest things. So what if he’s ethnically Indian? He was born here, not there. His family immigrated here from a different country and at a different time than yours did, that’s all. This would not even be a subject of debate outside Quebec. This is further manifestation of the separatist mindset, to debate or quibble over whether or not he might be part of “nous”. It certainly doesn’t augur well for what could be expected in a future country of Quebec.

      Delete
    10. @true montrealer

      "So what if he’s ethnically Indian?"

      nothing at all, mate. it's fine with me. address r.s he's the one who asked in the first place.

      "This would not even be a subject of debate outside Quebec. (...) to debate or quibble over whether or not he might be part of “nous”."

      you and r.s are the ones making a fuss, by the way. the quibble is yours.

      i just wrote his inclusion in the "nous" depends on him. that's all. is this an outrageous opinion?

      Delete
  4. FROM ED
    I don.t understand why filling potholes is a problem. Forget the gangsters. Use the money that would have paid them to hire men and buy or rent trucks. City workers always did the job before corruption took over. Just do it. Ed

    ReplyDelete
  5. I don't know if I'd trust yellow gin ... :p

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. “Yellow”-coloured gin is the nicer way to call it. It’s interesting to note that it is branded as “Ungava Canadian Premium Gin” (“made with rare botanicals from the Canadian North”) all over the world but as “Ungava Premium Dry Gin” (“aux herbes indigènes québécoises”) in Quebec only. (link)

      I think I’ll stick to Tanqueray, Hendrick’s or Bombay Sapphire, thank you.

      Delete
  6. I'm glad the BBC is weighing in on this. The more international this goes, the better. I listened to the clip, and Gendron is still spot on, while Lisee is still a spinster extraordinaire. I found interesting Lisee's comment about "market failure" and how the language laws are meant to correct it. Yet he refuses to consider a second interpretation: because Quebec is so small, maybe it would be better to adapt Quebeckers to the surroundings instead of trying to bend the surroundings to Quebec? The second (favored) choice might be more noble, but it is also Sisyphean - it goes only so far only to fall terribly short, it inflames expectations only to disappoint badly, it creates zombies like student and SR whose life mission is to find the elusive and ill-defined "respect" that they were told to seek out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LD

      I think Gendron made a much more convincing argument than Lisee did in that BBC piece. Here we have a small town mayor, actively seeking investment dollars for his town to put food on the tables of his citizens Vs the impeccably bilingual Lisee, who's party openly pushes against bilingualism for its citizens and for whom, job growth and wealth creation is not even close to being a priority. We need more Gendron type politicians in Quebec as far as I'm concerned. The more jobs we create, the better off we all are as a society. Language squabbles don't put food on anyone's table.

      Delete
    2. ...and yet they take offense when we call them racists.

      They don't understand that you CANNOT be a separatist and not be a racist.

      Delete
    3. FROM ED
      Evil, I hope you don't mean SR and Student when you speak of our people. They are not our people, they are our enemy. When someone spends his life trying to destroy yours he is your enemy. Their whole raison d'etre is to crush those that speak our language. Their intent is to fill this blog with bullshit items, all double spaced to take away any space we might use to post the truth that we need to fight for our rights. These two are pawns of Marois, D'Courcy and crew whose aim is to make our lives miserable enough that we will leave. Unfortunately some posters fall into the trap and answer them. I can understand this because I have been tempted myself to answer but I think of something more useful to post and do it instead. Ed

      Delete
    4. "I think Gendron made a much more convincing argument than..."

      La preuve que vous connaissez très mal le Québec : Gendron est un clown insignifiant,une putain médiatique mais je comprend que vous preniez tout ceux qui vous sont favorables,même les grotesques individus comme Gendron,mdr.

      Delete
  7. All of student's postings are spam, LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yea for Mr. Gendron - Our community must stop placating these language bigots - what is the matter with us that we don't fight back against the destruction of our country - get on your keyboard and start sending e-mails to everyone and anyone you can think of - the silent majority can no longer sit back and do nothing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The interesting thing about Gendron's comments was that he placed less emphasis on the bigotry aspect of language politics, but more on the diversionary aspect. He laid it out clearly how he thinks that this language "issue" is just a diversion from more serious issues that the government either does not want to, or does not know how to tackle. (e.g. jobs leaving due to the "new economy")

      Identity politics and culture wars is what the powers serve in order to deflect from important issues, universal issues, common issues, issues to which people would readily point if they were not diverted, if they were given time to think about what it really is that they need.

      ----

      "The point about disputes on such topics as the value of sexual abstinence, the role of religious charities in state-funded activities, the question of gay marriage, and the like, is that they are not framed to be resolved. The political function is to divide citizenry while obscuring class differences and diverting the voters' attention from the social and economic concerns of the general populace. Cultural wars might seem an indication of strong political involvements. Actually they are a substitute. The notoriety they receive from the media and from politicians eager to take firm stands on non-substantive issues serves to distract attention and contribute to a cant politics of the inconsequential."

      Sheldon S. Wolin - "Democracy Incorporated - Managed Democracy and the specter of Inverted Totalitarianism"



      Delete
    2. @adski

      "this language "issue" is just a diversion from more serious issues that the government either does not want to, or does not know how to tackle. (e.g. jobs leaving due to the "new economy")"

      if jobs leaving is a serious issue, why unemployment numbers don't show it?

      "Identity politics and culture wars is what the powers serve in order to deflect from important issues..."

      what are you doing here on this blog, then? why don't you use your time on important issues, mate?

      Delete
    3. Pas de questions trop complexes student.

      Delete
    4. "why unemployment numbers don't show it?"

      A mill closed down in Gendron's town in December 2004, 1000 jobs gone in a single day. Electrolux is relocating from Assomption to Tennessee, to a more "business-friendly" market. Welfare is standard all over the Regions. Why don't the numbers show it? For the same reason they don't anywhere else. The numbers are underestimates, but more importantly they do not take into account underemployment which is the real cause of tension in people whose anger is redirected to decoy matters. A guy is let go from a mill or a mine, he gets a job as a part-time greeter in Costco. Officially, he's employed, in reality he's underemployed and pissed. Out of necessity, he traded a well-paying job that he was proud of for a job that is ridiculous. With the gutting of the blue collar sector and herding people into the service industry, diversion has become very common all over North America, the only difference is in the topics that are used for diversionary purposes.

      "why don't you use your time on important issues, mate?"

      It is important to inform people on how the unimportant can be and is used as diversion from the important. For example, how the topics covered in the media that people get so worked up about are really trivial, while the truly important issues are not discussed.

      Shouldn't have Wolin pointed this out in his book? Maybe you ought to send him an email and say that he should do something important instead of pointing stuff out.

      Delete
    5. @yannick

      adski supposed there were "jobs leaving". so it would appear in unemployment numbers if it was the case, whatever the numbers really measure. as long as the formula doesn't change over time.

      now he changed his speech and says jobs don't leave, but they change, and it's happening all over north america. this i won't argue. and it's probably normal.

      on top of this observation he pretends that jobs changing is a more "serious" issue than culture and identity. and that the latter is used by quebec government to hide its presumed inaction on the former. in other words, according to adski, the government should let the "market" cope with culture and identity and intervene more on preventing shops from closing and services outlets to open.

      or, on an even blunter tone, let french canadian culture disappear, but save the vacuum cleaner jobs. err...no.

      adski's theory that governments use diversions to steer attention away may be true, but i don't think quebec's jobs versus identity is a good example of it.

      Delete
    6. Adski, I always read Student and S.R. with interest. Both demonstrate the limited value of sneering at one's fellow citizens. And when S.R. tries to be serious we just get la meme rengaine circa 1961 - "Why I am a Separatist" per Chaput. S.R. you are very obviously a young man with the received opinions of a 75 year old "militant de la premiere heure" who feels free to criticize productive, thoughtful citizens like Gendron. Old before your time. Your childish arrogance is, unfortunately, far too common in the sovereignty movement. So Gendron is "un clown...une "putain mediatique" (sic). Really! So tell us all S.R., please, - what qualifies you to make a judgment like that ? When was the last time that you were elected Mayor of a Quebec municipality? And when was the last time you had to meet a payroll? S.R. try thinking for yourself for a change and spare us all your tiresome juvenile sarcasm and your mindless repetition of what some aged militant told you is a "good" or a "bad" Quebecer. Say...S.R. are you any relation of Sylvain Racine - expat Quebecer living in Sweden who misses his native land so much that he compulsively participates in Quebec blogs on sovereignty issues ??? No ? Just a coincidence ? Too bad. But you and Sylvain would be ideal pen pals.

      And Student, or should I call you "mate" ?? What are YOU doing on this blog? Or have I missed some layer of meaning in your crack about "important issues" ? You have so little to say, but so much spare time to say it. But you are a student. Of what, exactly? My best guess is that you are taking a 3 year correspondence course in how to immigrate to Australia. If so, please advise because I am confident that a number of commentators on this blog will be happy to give you a reference. You obviously have no chance of a successful future in Quebec.

      Delete
    7. "adski supposed there were "jobs leaving". so it would appear in unemployment numbers if it was the case, "

      Not really. 1000 jobs leaving does not equate with 1000 more unemployed. It equates with 1000 jobs lost. In its place, more often than not especially for blue collar, the next job is a step down, often into the service industry, sometimes into temporary and uncertain contract work. Which means tension and frustration that has to be channeled in some way.


      "he changed his speech and says jobs don't leave, but they change"

      I meant jobs leave. They're gone. Never coming back.


      "jobs changing is a more "serious" issue than culture and identity."

      This, I am in fact saying, if "changing" means decent in status and/or security, as if often the case in the new economy ( http://www.amazon.com/Work-Consumerism-Poor-Issues-Society/dp/033521598X ). Economic security, providing for the family, pride in what one does, all these matter much more than culture and identity. Gendron touches on this as well.

      And yet, this is not a debate on whether language and culture are or are not important. This is a question of whether they are sufficiently important to hog the spotlight and crowd out other issues. Are they sufficiently important to be the sole issue? The main issue? A parallel question is: are there in the meantime any other issues that are rather important but go under-reported or unreported?

      On the first question, the answer is subjective. Just like some gays think that the issue of "gay rights" deserves to be in the news everyday, even though it affects hardly a 1% of the population which already has all the rights, so you might think that the issue of your culture deserves 95% of all airtime. In my opinion, however, the identity issues like the ones just mentioned should get maybe 5% of coverage combined, not 95%. On the second question, the answer is objective: there certainly are issues that are important but are downplayed. These are the issues related to the system of corporate capitalism, such as the one in Canada and Quebec, issues like poverty, environmental degradation, job offshoring, etc...These issues are uncomfortable, so they get omitted. Instead, we get endless debates on identity politics, alongside celebrity gossip, entertainment, etc...

      Here's a good interview on this:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILXLkMAn1Qo

      Delete
    8. @adski

      "1000 jobs leaving does not equate with 1000 more unemployed. It equates with 1000 jobs lost."

      of course, but not taking into account the 1000 jobs created at the same time is dishonest in my humble opinion. and i'm not so sure that a service job is any worse than a shop job by the way, as far as the dude's pride and quality of life is concerned.


      "I meant jobs leave. They're gone. Never coming back."

      no you meant they change, here's where you did so: "With the gutting of the blue collar sector and herding people into the service industry..."

      and they will come back when the canadian dollar goes down.

      "pride in what one does, all these matter much more than culture and identity."

      are you sure the guy who used to work on the vaccuum cleaner line is less proud now that he has a service sector job?

      "Are they (language and culture) sufficiently important to be the sole issue?"

      i'm starting to think this blog is your only source of information. check out ledevoir.com sometimes.

      "so you might think that the issue of your culture deserves 95% of all airtime."

      no i don't think so, and it's not what it gets either. so this is irrelevant.

      "These issues are uncomfortable, so they get omitted. Instead, we get endless debates on identity politics, alongside celebrity gossip, entertainment, etc..."

      again... no celebrity gossip in le devoir, mate. you should get a subscription to hasten your update on serious issues.

      Delete
    9. @sandy

      "What are YOU doing on this blog?"

      same as you i guess: exchanging views, learning, having fun with the lesser gifted, etc.

      "But you are a student. Of what, exactly?"

      i study everything, mate.

      "You obviously have no chance of a successful future in Quebec."

      why not? what am i missing in your humble opinion?

      "you are taking a 3 year correspondence course in how to immigrate to Australia."

      maybe i'm already in australia? or maybe i'm elsewhere.

      Delete
    10. Dear contributors to this thread: The facts of recent history are this: In February, I only heard on the TV news that the Canadian economy GAINED 58,000 jobs, the lion's share of those gains was in Ontario, and Quebec was the only province that month that LOST jobs. For the last month, 54,000 jobs were lost. Most of the losses were in (yes) Alberta 16,000, Ontario and Quebec 17,000 each!

      Now, considering Ontario's population is 40% greater than Quebec's, that's a pretty devastating hit for Quebec, not that it's great for Ontario either. But as I wrote above, the month before, only Quebec LOST jobs in a month where the economy GAINED 58,000 jobs, a very, very, very good month overall, so whatever Quebec lost, everybody else gained.

      This Bill 14 crap is causing loss of investment in Quebec. Is anyone reading this surprised? If so, you're part of the problem. Sadly, I don't think the Quebec government of the day gets it, or is simply impartial. They have a minority government so the chances of their mandate going four years is next to none. As long as these jackanapes are at the helm, prepare for constant bleeding in the job market.

      Delete
    11. Mais notre qualité de vie est tellement meilleure...Ça compense :)

      Delete
    12. I have been living in this province all but a few months (12 spread over three instances) and have travelled a good part of the world.
      I work in a environment whereby I interact with people from many parts of Canada and the US, but for the most part from Quebec (90%).
      When I compare Quebec to other Canadian provinces, I don't see our quality of life as being better. I would say for the most part that a significant portion of the people in this province is actually unhappy.
      Seeing how the subjects of language and separation never go away, I am coming to the conclusion that the fundamental problem with the separatists and language zealots is probably a medical one rather than anything based on historical or current events.
      It is hard to believe that in 2013 there would still be people talking about language and separation. Based on my personal qualitative observations, I would say that the vast majority of these people have the following characteristics:
      • Cynical
      • Distrustful
      • Angry
      • Vengeful
      • Passive aggressive
      Without being a psychiatrist or a psychologist, I would guess that our chronically unhappy friends are probably living with some sort of undiagnosed form of chronic depression. What else could possibly explain being so angry all the time? What could explain why would so many people in this province vote for a political party that has no real solution to any problems (ex QS, PQ ON etc.)? Why would you vote for the Bloc Quebecois when they cannot even form a government? It makes no sense - that is why I believe the problem may actually be psychological.
      If anyone wants to comment, please do so.

      Delete
    13. @sauga

      "...and Quebec was the only province that month that LOST jobs."
      "But as I wrote above, the month before, only Quebec LOST jobs..."

      but what about the month before? did quebec LOSE jobs or what?

      thing is you only repeated it two times and usually you repeat in the range of 4-5 times. is it that you are more confident in your irrelevant number this time around?

      Delete
    14. @mtl1973

      distrusful? you mean like resident evil who can't fathom that a separatist can be honest?

      angry? like self proclaimed angryphones cutie003 and ed?

      vengeful? you mean like hardcore federalists un gars bs de calgary and sauga who wet dream about quebec's misfortunes after having failed to build up a happy life there?

      passive aggressive? you mean like cebeuq, durham or r.s who are calm when they preach to the choir but instantly fall back on insults when they are challenged?

      right?

      Delete
    15. FROM ED
      Mtl.'73, I agree with all five characteristics you mention but the one that qualifies them all is low intelligence. Any one knows a light switch is up when it's on and down to turn off. Quebec is the only place where I've seen some up some down. When replacing a manhole cover in the center of the street is it too much to make sure the yellow line is lined up. Only in Quebec. Is it too much to ask that you keep your basket on one side of the grocery aisle or the other. For that matter most places in the ROC or US stay to the right like traffic to avoid problems but not here. The worst part is they evade education like it burns. In the sixties, a member of the house in Ottawa asked why the page boys were all French. The answer was that traditionally pages were 13 to 15 years old and only French boys were available because English children preferred to stay in school. The French boys dropped out when they hit their teens and took jobs delivering groceries etc.or whatever was available. Girls back then were never educated past grade seven, they stayed at home and learned to be housewives. Ed

      Delete
    16. @ed

      "I agree with all five characteristics you mention but the one that qualifies them all is low intelligence."

      "...traditionally pages were 13 to 15 years old and only French boys were available because English children preferred to stay in school."

      you seem to equate intelligence with education level.

      here's a article for you: http://tinyurl.com/cykqv7m .

      relevant bit:

      "Vaut-il mieux avoir un diplôme universitaire pour siéger à l'Assemblée nationale? Tous partis confondus, 72% des candidats aux élections en ont un. Le PQ est le champion: 76% de ses candidats sont diplômés universitaires. Québec solidaire en compte 74%, la Coalition avenir Québec 71% et le Parti libéral du Québec 65%."

      translation for you ed because you only understand english: the separatist parties had the highest ratio of university graduate candidates and the liberal party has the lowest.

      now that you know, who is of "low intelligence", mate?

      Delete
    17. @yannick

      i'd expect liberal lawyers, quebec solidaire social studies, caq managers and pq a balanced mix of them all as the independance idea obviously unites people from all schools.

      the point is if we are to use ed's intelligence criteria, it is quite obvious the federalist liberal crew was the stupidest one on offer last september.

      Delete
    18. @yannick

      wow! you compiled the diplomas of all 125 candidates from the four parties? good job. what's the exact share of scientists and lawyers for each?

      Delete
    19. oh right. ok then. let's see what kind of "scientists" the caq attracted:

      sebastien d'astous: ingineer
      richard campeau: engineer-manager
      ian latremouille: forest engineer
      yvan blanchard: forest enginer
      hugues beaulieu: biochemistry, works in the cosmetics industry
      stephane le bouyonnec: engineer, worked as a manager
      robert milot: restaurant and medical imaging clinic owner
      maud cohen: engineer, oiq manager
      victor tan: engineer, mba, works as a manager
      jean l'ecuyer: engineer, worked as a manager
      dereck blouin perry: dep (not university) in protection et exploitation des territoires fauniques. works as a tourist guide.
      bernard flebus: couldn't find his diploma, but worked as a mayor.
      walid hadid: presented as a businessman. no info on his diploma.

      so grosso modo caq's scientists are engineers turned managers. is this the profile you had in mind when you checked for "scientists"?

      "it seems that Quebec is already so left-wing that as pragmatists they end up in the most right-wing party."

      hum no. it's more business owners/managers ended up in what appeared to be the most business friendly party.

      Delete
    20. FROM ED
      Yannick, I am orally fluent in French but I read it very slowly. When I see a post in French, I only read it if it's from someone who can't speak or write English. This is an English blog so if they can write in English they dam well should. Editor made that very clear months ago. If we're going to follow pushing back with English we should start here. Ed
      It may be true that the PQ has educated people but as I said they are low intelligence. If they are smart why is the province in the shape that it's in. Why have Marois and De Courcy made so many stupid blunders. Harry Truman was one of the greatest Presidents but he never went to University..

      Delete
    21. Well...this thread has lengthened significantly since my last contribution! To the contributor who states the quality of life in Quebec is better: If this is so, why does Quebec have a suicide rate that his MUCH HIGHER than in the rest of Canada?

      Guess what? Your precious big-mouth-no-action buddy Duceppe is going to make a lot of noise, and achieve NOTHING! In fact, the suicide rate after the something-for-nothing lazy asses who regularly collect fed freebies (or soon formerly will) will sing about the suicide rate using words similar to a song by Shania Twain: "Up up up there's no way but up for them"!

      Delete
    22. Oh, I almost forgot. To the contributor on this thread who above mentioned I didn't comment enough about the unemployment rate in Quebec: I don't have to go back more than two months; the Editor has written about the upward unemployment rate many, many times before.

      How about Jean Coutu opening a big warehouse in the Cornwall area? If I understand correctly, many Quebec businesses, large and small, are divesting their interests in Quebec for the likes of Eastern Ontario and other climes. This divestment in Quebec, ceteris paribus, will increasingly worsen the Quebec economy, and your "better quality of life" will become unaffordable as debt increases, taxes increase, and take-home pay DEcreases!

      How about an answer to THAT question, trolls?

      Delete
    23. @Mr.Suga (alias Donut junkie)

      Le Québec n'a plus le pire taux de suicide au pays

      http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/sante/201301/30/01-4616552-le-quebec-na-plus-le-pire-taux-de-suicide-au-pays.php

      Delete
    24. Sandy McTire:

      I note you are unable or unwilling to respond to me in "The Slippery Slope of Language Intolerance" thread.

      Delete
    25. Yo, troll: OK, I stand corrected on the RATE of suicide, not the number of those committing it; furthermore, the Francophone rate exceeds the Anglophone & immigrant rate. Why? You've got your language laws that protect you, not the minorities!

      Oh, and BTW, I did have a doughnut this past week. A departing colleague of mine brought them in as a testament to his team who helped him improve an an employee over the couple of years he was with us. I think that was my second doughnut in 2013. If two doughnuts in about 100 days constitutes a junkie, I think you have it all very wrong, so wash that May West sticking in your throat down with a Pepsi!

      Delete
    26. Tony, I was not aware that you had replied to me on the last topic until by chance I just saw yours of 2:16 am. It seems you either have insomnia or you reside in a different time zone west of Quebec.

      But having now read your replies to me I am happy to inform you that I am neither unable nor unwilling to respond to you. I'm simply not interested. I will briefly explain why. You did say that I know nothing about you or your history in Quebec. Wrong. It's very easy to find out about you with a search engine because you work so hard at self promotion. And I have been aware of your self published polemic titled "Why Canada Must End" since I first read about it in Vigile. Those people love a guy like you. Because like the inhabitants of Vigile you are a fringe merchant. Poor analytical skills and a misunderstanding of Quebec and Canadian history have led you into a corner and all you do is repeat your faulty conclusions. I have no time for fringe merchants.

      And the second reason I am not interested in debating with you is that you are not a stakeholder. According to the sources on the internet, including your personal website, you reside in Mesa Arizona or possibly Vancouver B.C. Tony, there is a reason why only shareholders get to speak at the annual general meetings of corporations. This blog is not a corporation and no one can stop you from commenting but I just don't give a damn what some guy in Arizona thinks about Quebec and that goes double for a fringe merchant who predicts the end of my country. But allow me to offer some free advice. Why don't you look up Howard Galganov and have tea with him? Like you he quit Quebec years ago. Or if you can write en francais sign up for a regular "Chronique" on Vigile ? And consider joining "IPSO"/Intellectuals for Sovereignty - with your analytical skills and ego you would fit right in.

      Delete
    27. Sandy:

      Unable. Fine.

      At such time you are willing to debate substance, I am more than happy to exchange ideas with you. Until then, I am forced to conclude that you are unable to provide any substance to a debate which you started. Those who resort to snide remarks are usually unable to.

      I suggest, however, that you shouldn't devote SO much energy in posting lengthy responses, as you do above, that contains no substance,just ad hominems and nasty asides. You may want to consider redirecting your energies more productively.

      As for your shareholder analogy, I suggest that as a taxpayer in Canada -- and citizen of Canada currently residing outside of Quebec -- in which MY share of tax dollars go to fund YOUR lifestyle in Quebec to the tune of $8 billion a year in equalization, that I most certainly have a stake in Quebec. Otherwise, Sandy, I suggest that you lobby the Quebec Provincial Government to return said funds to the central government.

      And you may want to tell politicians such as Brian Mulroney -- who advocated vociferously for an end to Apartheid in South Africa while he was Prime Minister -- that he was wrong to do so, as he did not "live" in South Africa. There are, literally, 10s of thousands of activists across Canada that your non-stakeholder rule would apply to as well...not to mention the Sudan, Ethiopia, Israel, etc., etc.

      Oh, and as for Howard: I am familiar with what Howard has done for human rights in Quebec. I am NOT familiar, however, with your record. Perhaps you would care to share with us what YOU have done (other than refusing to speak French when you don't want to, as I believe you related on the other thread), so that we can compare the two resume's of accomplishment in this area.

      Delete
  9. FROM ED
    I think Francois Legault is going to far when he suggests that corruption witnesses be charged. That's liable to deter other witnesses from testifying. Let's get the evidence first and then go to court. He is trying to gain noteriety for him and his party., quite natural but not the best for the Charbonneau Commission. Ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ED, there is a legal issue that you may not be clear on here. Quebec's Act respecting public inquiry commissions, Section 11, provides that evidence given at an inquiry cannot be used against the witness in a prosecution under any other Act (except perjury, which is the basis of a couple of cases against some of the recent witnesses who have lied under oath at the inquiry). So if the crown wants to initiate either criminal (theft etc.) or civil(give us back the money you received) proceedings against someone who has testified at the inquiry they cannot use what the witness said at the Charbonneau inquiry. The crown has to dig up independent evidence of the fraud. So the testimony at the inquiry is protected. But the inquiry has the power to subpoena witnesses. So they must show up. And if there is independent evidence of a fraud or taking a bribe, and there usually is, it is quite appropriate to go after the fraudster. That is why Montreal is suing Suprenant and others.

      Legault's statement is perfectly appropriate. He is just stating the obvious. There is no question of deterring witnesses. If they are subpoenaed to testify they have to be there or they will be hauled into the inquiry by the police and they will have to testify whether they like it or not. The Wheels of Justice grind slowly- but exceedingly fine.

      Delete
  10. FROM ED
    I disagree Sandy, we've had problems before with mobsters going to Sicily and being untraceable. They also are more careful what they reveal if they think they will be prosecuted. Remember the old adage, "You can lead a horse to water but if he only farts, ya got nothin'.?
    Ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ED, re your comment about witnesses being careful about what they reveal, you are quite right. But that is typical of public "show" inquiries like this one. And it happens every day in civil and criminal trials. What is missing at the inquiry is the adversarial system and the careful, methodical compilation of written records obtained via search warrants that will happen at a criminal trial. Unfortunately for the fraudsters, the pervasive corruption has raised the stakes so high that the governments -municipal and provincial - have no choice except to pursue these disgusting people with the full weight of their resources and make a public example of all of them. These pathetic creatures are going to be taken apart in front of you for years to come. Many will plead guilty. But their corrupt lives are over forever. And we have an extradition treaty with Italy, just updated in 2010.

      Delete
    2. FROM ED
      Sandy, You really know what we're talking about, thanks for the info. My next question; would the trials and hearings gain us more than what we might get back from them in retribution? Ed

      Delete
  11. ED, thanks for the vote of confidence but I have been practicing law for over 34 years including criminal defence work when I was younger and what we are seeing at the Charbonneau inquiry is, sadly, garden variety minor criminal conspiracy with one of the classic motives for criminal behaviour : bucks. Re retribution, if you mean punishment then the little guys in this piece are going to get a double whammy. First a public shaming with a road map for the police to the evidence they need to prosecute. Then a criminal or civil proceeding, or both, with jail time and restitution of what they took. And they will have to pay their own lawyers etc. The little guys will never get decent jobs again and they will be turned upside down and shaken to recover the bribe money. Personal bankruptcy looms. These sorts of affairs have also been known to provoke suicide.

    If you are wondering about restitution then the only way to get the money back is to sue or prosecute criminally and seek a restitution order. So there will almost certainly be proceedings subsequent to the inquiry against the people who took big money rather than just the odd free vacation or case of wine.

    But all of this diverts resources from a justice system that is already strained. Important work like pursuing gangs, murderers, and child molesters suffers as a result. We'll see. I would stay short on SNC Lavalin stock if I were you.

    The weed of crime bears bitter fruit !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. " I would stay short on SNC Lavalin stock if I were you."

      Thats excellent advice.

      Once SNC gets "convicted" they will be seriously restricted inthe international business they will be elligible to bid on (ie way way reduced).

      For example much business within the USA will be off limits to companies convicted of bribery etc.

      Add that to corporately supporting Quaddaffi.

      The USA will not be giving them nearly as much business.

      Quebec will lobby behind the scenes (what else do I pay my taxes for?) for SNC.

      No matter how much Quebec falls all over themselves to defend SNC and hide the evidence the problems are there.

      Shorting arrogant Quebec Inc and making money? Priceless!



      Delete
  12. Oh noes! Anarchopanda has lost his head!

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/04/06/montreal-anarchopanda-head-seized-protest.html

    ReplyDelete
  13. This CBC news report (@13:55) about Rocky Leja was broadcast on Friday. He was the man who defused the bombs that the FLQ planted in mailboxes in Westmount and was hospitalized for the rest of his life for his efforts to protect ALL Quebecers from terrorism.

    The Facebook group (please “Like” it) dedicated to having the National Assembly recognize Quebec’s forgotten hero came about as a direct result of Amir Khadir’s aborted attempt to have terrorist Paul Rose recognized instead. The 50th anniversary of Leja’s sacrifice is coming up on May 17th, 2013. Robert Poeti, the MNA in Lasalle, has indicated he is prepared to propose a motion to the Assembly. If you too wish to encourage him (and/or your own MNA) to do this, his contact information is available there and on the Facebook page and it is having an impact.

    This article about the campaign also appeared in the Journal de Montréal on Saturday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It’s very sad to see how some francophones are trying to mock Leja’s sacrifice by citing improper behaviour by the RCMP (one person even cites Westmount’s not having renamed Dorchester Blvd. as a justification!!!) or because people were imprisoned on account of the War Measures Act, whose implementation was prompted by the FLQ. In particular, they are citing the case of Robert Samson, a RCMP Security Service member who blew off some of his fingers in attempting to carry out a bombing on behalf of organized crime (unsanctioned by the RCMP) and which led to the creation of the McDonald Commission. (link)

      I hope that people here will “Like” the appropriate comments at the JdM article to show that none of this in any way negates Leja’s sacrifice.

      Delete
  14. Moi j'ai trouvé leur français bien meilleur que l'anglais de Mme Marois.

    Mets-en, Yannick! The poor guy can't help himself; he keeps making a mockery of the PQ every time he pulls out his keyboard here.

    ReplyDelete
  15. FROM ED
    Yannick,
    "Un bel exemple: Le débat récent des candidats du PLC ..."In French" I don't understand the reference to this statement because the three PLQ leaders also held a debate completely in English. I wonder how many PQ cabinet officers could do that.
    Have you noticed how the trolls keep people arguing in French. You can never win arguing with trolls . They have no bounds. Anything they say is a winner for them, especially when the get you writing in French. People all over the world are looking in on this blog `and for most of them French language looks like Chinese characters. Another reason English is used world wide. To whom then should we be trying to get our message?; To the trolls or to people around the world. ANYTHING that is said to the trolls is a winner for them. One of the news people that looks into this blog is Anderson Cooper. Are the trolls more important than that. of CNN. His office tells me they are watching and gathering material for a story, are the trolls more important than that. We seem to be losing site of our goal to promote English. No wonder Howard Galganov couldn't win he probably had S R and student working against him like we do here. Ed

    ReplyDelete
  16. «Le Québec n'est pas une race, c'est une nation multiethnique depuis sa naissance, multiethnique, mais pas multiculturelle! Comme le dit l'écrivain Neil Bissoondath, le multiculturalisme est une doctrine perverse. Dans les pays où le multiculturalisme a fait son chemin, savez-vous qui en profite? L'extrême droite! Le Québec est un pays où il est facile de s'intégrer», a déclaré l'ex-premier ministre.

    ReplyDelete
  17. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYSunday, April 7, 2013 at 9:20:00 AM EDT

    Everyone!!!

    Read the following: "A former Montrealer has started a campaign to recognize a Second World War veteran maimed by an FLQ bomb."

    http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2013/04/20130406-170013.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ugBSdc

      Ce n'est pas que votre scoop n'est pas intéressant mais je crois que ceci peut vous toucher plus directement : Récemment 18,000 quidams ont perdu leur emploi en alberta...Fini le ski et le Chardonnay.Mdr

      Delete
    2. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYSunday, April 7, 2013 at 1:52:00 PM EDT

      Ta reference, chose?
      Le seul rapport verifiable demeure celui de cbc.ca de vendredi.
      http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2013/04/05/edmonton-jobs-drop-alberta-march-statistics-canada.html

      Faits saillants:

      1. Alberta lost 11,000 jobs in March
      2. The province’s unemployment rate is still the lowest in the country -- 4.8 per cent in March
      3. Year-over-year figures show Alberta saw an employment growth of 1.7 per cent.

      Fini le ski? Fini le Chardonnay? Probablement seulement pour le quebekistan:

      http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/loss-of-54-500-jobs-in-canada-sends-unemployment-to-7-2-per-cent-1.1225328
      http://www.northumberlandview.ca/index.php?module=news&type=user&func=display&sid=21461
      Faits saillants:

      1. Quebec reporting the biggest losses – 17,000 workers
      2. Quebec unemployment rate rose 0.3 percentage points to 7.7%.


      Tu me decois S.R. car je te croyais intelligent.

      Prends donc un verre de Chardonnay avec student, ED et cutie, mes biens petits quebecois.

      Delete
    3. "Tu me decois S.R. car je te croyais intelligent."

      Merci mais croyez-vous que si j'étais vraiment intelligent,j'échagerais des inepties sur ce blogue avec vous?

      Delete
    4. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYSunday, April 7, 2013 at 6:17:00 PM EDT

      Reste que tu es un cave anyway. Pi je me contre crisse que tu parles comme un encule de Paris.
      Continues a vivre ta vie superficielle, l'envie de chier.
      Tes commentaires manque de fondements a chaque fois. Triste individu va.

      Delete
    5. Superficiel moi? ... Pas vraiment.

      Mais vous peut-être que oui,avec votre condo de luxe avec vue sur la montagne,votre bagnole Européenne haut de gamme,votre équipement de ski et tous vos jouets électroniques.

      Les convocations dans les bureaux des patrons doivent être particulièrement stressantes ces temps-ci,non?

      Delete
  18. "...it's the end of the world if there are a few comments in French here and there"

    Un peu à l'image du Nouveau-Brunswick quoi.Aussi,je tiens à souligner que notre première ministre,Madame Marois,a fait de réels progrès en globish.

    ReplyDelete
  19. http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/actualites/politique/201304/06/01-4638343-etats-generaux-sur-la-souverainete-landry-prone-les-bons-mots.php

    Bernard Landy and other washed up separatists having discussions to decide which words they should use to gain more support.

    Instead of "souveraineté", they should use "indépendance"!. One person in the article even mentions how they should probably stop using the term "Québécois de souche" because it could be seen in a negative light..

    This is exactly what the separatist movement is based on, manipulation and propaganda. It's the only way they can get any support for their racist cause.

    I'll keep calling it separatism, racism and xenophobia, I hope they don't mind too much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYSunday, April 7, 2013 at 2:16:00 PM EDT

      So....... Why won't Harper do anything against it all?
      I mean we can't have this in Canada.
      Racism? From separatists? Shocking.

      Delete
    2. "M. Paquette dit voir comme un point positif le fait que 77 % des jeunes Québécois francophones se disent Québécois d'abord contre 70 % chez les francophones en général et 50 % dans l'ensemble de la population du Québec. «Le fait que la québécisation des jeunes soit plus grande que celle des autres couches d'âges est selon moi un bon signal pour leur implication future.»"

      It turns out a new word is entering the lexicon: la québécisation (quebeckization). I guess "francization" for immigrants, while "quebeckization" is for the unconvinced francophones.


      "Dès le début de son discours, l'ancien premier ministre invitait les militants à renouveler leur discours et à utiliser le terme «indépendance» plutôt que «souveraineté».".

      What Landry is failing to mention, willingly or not, is that the word "sovereignty" did not just appear out of nowhere. In fact, it was deliberately chosen over "independence" because it sounded softer, was not as definitive, and was thought to be better for selling the idea to the population.

      Delete
    3. "So....... Why won't Harper do anything against it all?"

      Parce qu'il sait que nous avons raison?

      Delete
  20. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYSunday, April 7, 2013 at 4:20:00 PM EDT

    Ma tante Pauline demands that her cronies exclusively speak french to their "Canadian" counterparts.

    Now LaPresse is choked over the fact that Minister Fantino demands English only in his correspondance:
    http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-canadienne/201304/07/01-4638403-langlais-seulement-pour-un-ministre-conservateur.php

    "Cette directive pourrait contrevenir à la Loi sur les langues officielles".

    Screw you quebec. It's only good when it's from or by you. It's so unfair when it's done to you.
    Please f#$king separate now, get the hell out and stop sucking the life out of Canada.
    You won't separate though because you people are spineless, big mouths. Go demonstrate now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. On travaille activement sur ce dossier ugBSdc mais les fédérastes résidants sur notre territoire sont de vrais sangsues,difficile de s'en débarasser :(

      Delete
    2. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYSunday, April 7, 2013 at 6:14:00 PM EDT

      "mais les fédérastes résidants sur notre territoire sont de vrais sangsues,difficile de s'en débarasser :("

      Fais de quoi calisse!

      Delete
    3. @ UnGars (and everyone else)

      Our two village idiots (SR and Student) are nothing but internet trolls whose sole purpose here is to discredit and destroy this blog. They always reply with provocative answers, for which there is never an acceptable response. By engaging with them you are falling into their trap and helping them to achieve their goal. As tempting as it may be a times, please exercise self restraint and do not reply. You will be doing all of us a favour.

      Regarding the topic of Quebec MNAs speaking only French from now on when meeting with other provincial leaders and federal MPs - good for them (Very mature). The PQ are just trying to provoke the rest of Canada and any negative reaction to this from other provinces will mean that they have fallen into the PQ trap. The best reaction from English-speaking MPs and MPL from the rest of Canada should simply be: "Great - I will now be able to practice my French". Personally, if my secretary told me tomorrow morning that from now on she would only communicate with me in Spanish, I would be delighted. I would get beyond saying "Una cerveza por favor" in no time.

      Delete
    4. ugBSdc est très très mal dans sa peau (agressif et irrespectueux) et probablement dans sa tête : Un Elvis Gratton au carré mais "brainwashé" par l'armée canadienne et par sa formation de petit capitaliste "dretteux" des HEC.Un mélange explosif si je peux m'exprimer ainsi.

      Delete
    5. @Yannick
      Je ne sais pas d'où sort votre commentaire et je ne suis pas contre la langue française - langue de mes ancêtres.
      Mais je suis contre les suivants:
      La stupidité collective
      Un gouvernement irresponsable qui s'engage dans des jeux d'enfant
      La provocation de chicanes inutiles entre voisins et familles

      Serait-t-il possible que notre gouvernement consacre un peu de temps pour régler les problèmes suivants:
      Economie stagnante
      Taux de décrochage scolaire élevé
      Infrastructure déficiente et en état pitoyable

      Delete
  21. Name of the leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec - opposes Bill 14 and Bill 20, also the gun registry. Check him out if you get the chance.

    http://adrienpouliot-en.ca/?p=394

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  22. @ Tony Kondaks 3:31 pm. Tony, thanks for your kind words, above. Apparently you want to have a "debate" with me. It ain't going to happen. But I'll expand on my earlier comments as to why I am not interested in debating with you about Quebec issues. I hope my response is not too "lengthy" or too "snide" for you. Poor baby. The truth hurts. Try to pay attention. You see, you and I have nothing in common. You passed through. I am a genuine anglo Quebecer and this place is my home as it has been my family's home for over 200 years. I don't need or want your misguided assistance. Also, you are a very confused fellow and I will never be able to straighten you out.

    First, on your status as fringe merchant. I have dipped into your "oeuvre" and I find that you are a committed sovereignist. All because the federal government failed to protect we poor Anglophones and Bill 101 is evil. Here is a quote from your the introduction to your pamphlet "Why Canada Must End" that can be found on your personal website (the same website that says you reside in Mesa, Arizona) : " I want Canada to end. To dissolve. I want Quebec to separate from Canada and become an independent nation." And where will this lead ? Here's another quote from you in 2008 : "My vision for a Canada without Quebec is absorption by the U.S. But I would hope that the U.S. doesn't let the ROC in as states. Let the ROC provinces become territories like PUERTO RICO : no federal voting rights, no federal income tax. Alberta, especially, should become a territory of the U.S. Such a move could, overnight, if played right, make the U.S. completely energy self sufficient." So Tony - your words - and as I said on the earlier thread you obviously don't know shit from clay. Bill 101 bad = sovereignty good ??? bbbzzzzzttttt!. And tell us all more about what Howard Galganov has done for "human rights" in Quebec ? Galganov is a clown. And so are you, except you don't realize it and you keep on braying from Arizona, or Vancouver...

    And re your status as a stakeholder in Quebec issues. How very predictable that you would respond by trying to expand the definition of stakeholder to anyone who chooses to comment, any time, about Quebec. Tony, your personal tax contribution, if you are in fact paying taxes in Canada and not in Arizona, is a drop in the bucket compared to, for example, the tax dollars contributed by Alberta's oil sands to Quebec. That's the same Alberta that could "if played right" per Kondaks "...make the U.S. completely energy self sufficient." And you are delusional if you think Brian Mulroney playing to the home audience made one iota of difference in South Africa's struggle against apartheid. South Africa's people fixed it themselves, from within. And that is how we will continue to resolve our issues in Quebec. The people who live here will do it, together, without any help from Johnnie come latelies like you, Tony. I would rather exchange ideas with real Quebecers like Adski, ED and S.R., all day long, than waste any more time with fringe merchants like you who have no skin in the game. Now why don't you go and play a round of golf. Don't forget your sun screen. After all, it could be worse. You could be in Puerto Rico !

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    1. It's astonishing to see someone begin their response with "Apparently you want to have a 'debate' with me. It ain't going to happen." And then write 600 words.

      But I can't really respond in any way when you make it clear you don't want to hear anything from me.

      It doesn't appear you will change your mind, Sandy, but if you do, let me know.

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    2. FROM ED
      Tony, For God's sake give it up! You can't debate Sandy, the man has more brains in his little finger than you have in your whole body.Why do you come here only to look for arguments? You were harrassing me till I just refused to communicate with you. You're like the dumb trolls; student, S R and Une gars, just annoying as possible and making little sense.. Ed

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    3. Ed writes:

      "You can't debate Sandy, the man has more brains in his little finger than you have in your whole body."

      I think you're right, Ed. For example, Sandy criticizes my book...without even having read it! That's a talent I don't possess: omniscience! There is no way I can debate with God.

      He has said he prefers to debate with you instead. I can understand why.

      As for "harassing" you, I think you may be confusing disagreeing with you over your support of the Liberal Party of Quebec with harassment. But if I have, in fact, been harassing you, I would appreciate it if you point out to me when I have done that. It should be easy for you to do as every exchange between us is archived on this site.

      I await your documentation of my alleged "harassment".

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