Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Can Coderre Save Montreal?

For those outside Quebec, you probably don't know that elections were held last Sunday for mayors and town councils across the entire province.
In Montreal, uber-federalist Denis Coderre won the job as mayor, but failed to elect enough councilors to form a majority.
I'm glad the way things worked out, most of those on Coderre's team were retreads from the defunct Union Montreal party that was racked by scandal and corruption.

I don't know Coderre personally but gather from media reports that he is a consummate politician, not too bright, but an expert self-promoter.
I wouldn't worry about his intelligence, in my experience, politicians with high IQ's are no more effective or successful than those on the lower end of the intelligence scale.

Let us remember that Paul Martin was an excellent finance minister who managed to run Canada's budget in the black. But as a Prime Minister, he destroyed the Liberal party by calling the Gomery Commission that looked into the Sponsorship Scandal.
He should have taken advice from Jean Chretien, who while no mental giant was one of Canada's great Prime-Ministers, dukeing it out with the separatists with any means at his disposal.
Chretien's sage advice was to sweep the entire sponsorship scandal under the carpet, even if it made for an awfully big bump. HA!

There were successful American presidents with high IQs, like Bill Clinton and then there were busts like Jimmy Carter, who supposedly has the highest IQ of any president ever!
So don't listen to the pundits snigger over Coderre's supposed lack of intelligence, it is actually inconsequential.
I hope he hires his mayoral rival, Marcel Coté who very definitely is smart, to fill the job as the new Inspector-General, a job that Coderre promised to create in order to get a handle on corruption and over-spending. Coté is a no-nonsense guy who is driven by the numbers. Good leaders need a qualified team to make them look good and I hope Coderre recognizes this.
This afternoon Jacques Duchesneau's name was floated for the job of Inspector-General and when asked if he was interested he immediately said yes.
I laughed at the response, it was to be expected. The Jacques Duchesneau I know has always had an eye on the next job.
Here's what I wrote three years ago about Duchesneau in a blog piece defending him, when his integrity was attacked.
"I knew him from the time he was chief of police of Montreal where I noticed right away that he didn't do much of the  mundane everyday work related to his job, preferring to let highly capable associates carry the ball.
It was his style of management to delegate everything, whilst he looked for a new challenge. Something his employees joked about. Ambition.  "
Link
Don't get me wrong, I like and respect Jacques, but truth be told, he never had much Sitzfleisch.

By the way readers, telling some uncomfortable truths about friends, acquaintances or politicians who I generally like, is the most difficult part about blogging out in the open. It'll take some getting used to.
That being said, Duchesneau would also be a great choice for Inspector-General and he'd no doubt get the job done by getting his band back together.

So all I can say is good luck, Coderre will need it. Corruption and waste can't be rooted out overnight, but I do hope we have turned a page and embarked on a process, and believe it or not, I remain cautiously hopeful, because Coderre never deflected or flinched when it came to language or the Charter of Values and he has already gone on record promising that the City of Montreal will launch a legal challenge under his administration.

It will be interesting to see the relationship between the PQ and this staunch federalist, a situation that will likely drive Montreal farther apart from the rest of the province.
I'm crossing my fingers.

Oops... going back to the comments section, I appear to be parroting a comment penned by  'AnecTOTE';
"With Coderre being ushered in as new Mayor for Montreal, an individual not fond of the separatist cause apparently, it will be interesting to see how much head-butting there will be between him and popo...lol
That's OK.
I've told readers all along that I read the comments and form or change opinions as a result! When I borrow directly, I always credit.

Two other stories concerning Sunday's election caught my interest, the first about the new mayor of Laval Marc Demers, a retired detective who has promised a massive cleanup.

Before I tell you that story, I  want to tell about a poll that indicated that 38% of Lavalois would still have voted for Gilles Vaillancourt had he run for mayor. Is that not unbelievable?

At any rate Marc Demers' legitimacy is being challenged because some say he hasn't been a resident of Laval over the previous 12 months, as required by the election rules.
There is talk of a court challenge or a complaint to the Elections office by the losers.
But imagine the mess if a challenge occurred.
Demers is going to be installed as mayor now and should a challenge occur, it will take months and perhaps years with appeals. But at that future point, Demers would have lived long enough in the city and so kicking him out in favour of a new election seems rather silly.
In this case, the law is an ass. If he didn't qualify, he should have been disqualified before the election.

And finally my favourite election story was the race between Mindy Pollack a Hassidic 25-year old in Outremont and Pierre Lacerte, an anti-Hasid activist.
The large field split the votes, allowing the Hasid bloc vote to propel Ms. Pollack into city council as the first Hasid ever to gain election.

Outremont is home to Montreal's 10,000 strong Hasid community and relations haven't been easy between them and their neighbours. Link
It isn't a case of antisemitism, the Hasids are notorious scofflaws.

Mr. Lacerte runs a blog highlighting what he documents as Hasid abuse. It's a hilarious and comical battle to watch, but only if you live outside of Outremont, I imagine. Read the blog {fr}
Up to now the Hasids have claimed one victory after another, over the hapless Lacerte, who seems to be playing for the Washington Generals and seems to get clobbered by the Hasids, as often as Wile E. Coyote.

Pollack's election victory was not only a bitter pill for Lacerte, but also for Richard Martineau, the secular fundamentalist journalist who writes for Le Journal de Montreal. Martineau savaged Pollack in an article, telling readers that Pollack refuses to shake hands with men and regularly asks her rabbi for advice. THE HORROR! Link{fr}

That being said, I'm no fan of the Hasids, they are an annoying cult that flaunt the rules and act as if they own the place. Representing only about 10% of the Jewish community in Quebec, they are responsible for 99% of the bad press the Jews of Quebec receive.
It isn't about antisemitism ,because even in Israel, Hasids are roundly disliked by the general population.
Read a post I wrote about them: Hasid's Demands for Accommodations Hurt Image of Quebec Jews 

.........
I'd like to thank readers for the many kind messages and emails over the last days. I heard from people all over the world and without yours and their support, I wouldn't continue writing this blog.
While I told you in the past that many people knew who I was, I was surprised by how many readers, even within my family didn't know it was me writing this blog all the time!

I'd like to make an appeal to those who can further this blog along by offering tips or revelations about their experience as an Anglo or Ethnic in Quebec.

If you see something going on in your company, town or in the street that would interest readers, please let me report it.
If you have a good or bad language experience, share it with others through this blog.
I promise to safeguard your anonymity and as they used to say on DragnetI will change the names to protect the innocent!

132 comments:

  1. FROM ED
    What makes you think any of us are innocent. I was down on Jacques Duscheneau during the election. I did not like the things he was saying about Charest especially since he had earlier praised Charest for calling the commission and being honest and seemed to be saying the opposite. I suppose it was just typical electioneering. I once went to Verdun station to pay some traffic fines and found out I didn't have enough money. I had to call my boss to come and sat down to wait for him. The sargeant said I would have to wait there until the fines were paid. Since the tickets were on the five ton I drove and the company cars the boss came to pay them willingly. When the officer told me to stay inside the station, Duscheneau who was the Commander in Verdun at that time said, "You better do as he says, I'm a c rack shoy you know." He laughed so hard when he turned around and saw me standing on the porch looking at him through the glass door with my thumbs in my ears waggling my fingers at him. Another time I passed him and three other cops outside a restaurant. A s I passed by one of the men go a call on his cell. As he answered it, I asked, "Is it for me?" he said , "No, it's for me then he realized he'd been had
    and laughed with Big Jacques and another man. One of them got mad, cursed and told me angrily to get lost. As I laughed and walked on I noticed Dusceneau talking angrilly to him. Since he was Commander here we have no gangs in this area and our streets are still safe to walk any time of day and night. It is real family area. Ed

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  2. I won't be surprised if the corruption picks up where it left off. This has been a chronic problem in Quebec long before any of us reading and commenting was born. Being an ex-Lavallois, I'm appalled 38% of voters would have voted for Vaillancourt had he run again. Goes to show how deeply the rot of corruption has infiltrated. Two in five voters wouldn't know corruption if it bit them in the ass.

    Oh, and before some dumb shmuck makes cracks about Rob Ford, please note he is not my mayor. Mine is 93 years old and has been mayor for 35 years. I think she holds the record for most consecutive election wins. Oh, and she was born in Port Daniel in the Gaspé Peninsula. Until a couple of years ago when it was learned her son had the inside track on a multimillion dollar land development deal, she had a pretty clean record. She won't be running again as she'll be 94 when her term next October 27th expires with a new mayor in place. She announced when she won the last election this would be her last term in office.

    Anyone has a beef against Rob Ford? Be my guest and take your best shot. My mayor is better than your mayor! Toronto's mayor, too!

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    1. It's OK Mr. Sauga - the comedians in the US are doing enough to have him look like the ass he's turned out to be. The fool should step down because now he just looks like a liar, a drunk, a drug addict and apparently there is more to come. Women somewhere in there I'm sure. Gives us someone else to talk about I guess because personally it means nothing to me at all.

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    2. FROM ED
      On the subject of Hasidics. I worked for Jews for 5 years after I left highway driving. Started out as a truck driver and after became manager in charge of operations in three buildings and a million dollar company. I reorganized their shipping and receiving to make the operation of the company more effecient. Stock came in one end of the building, was stored in a stockroom next door to the shop where it was processed and shipped by trucks in and out the other end of the building. I also reoaired the machinery and made the odd delivery with the five ton.
      The family were religious hard working people who had no love for the hasidics. I remember one time a hasidic Rebbe came to the shop looking for a favour and they angrily ushered him out. The boss told me, "They give us Jews a bad name because people judge us by them." Ed

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    3. From Ann
      Schoolyard taunts don't solve anything. Smugness also doesn't solve anything. Remember the words of Bob Dylan..."The first one now will later be last". One never knows what can happen with the changing of the guard. New York was a pit until a mayor came in and turned it around. Detroit was great until mayors came in and wrecked it. Life can change, circumstances can change...for the better or for the worse. Laughing at someone else's misfortune is never a good idea because one never knows when the tides will turn.

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    4. Mr Sauga, the fact that 38% of Laval would vote for Villocourt despite everything known about him tells us what percentage of the public is in on the scams and benefit from them.

      This is the problem of Quebec. So many people are in on the scams and fraud that it's become "the system" protecting itself now.

      It's quebec society defending itself. 38% of the population of Laval are leeches. Unions members that benefit, politician families, construction wrkers, civil servants etc.

      Quebec is deeply divided about fixing corruption. 40% of the population are net receivers fo the fraud and corruption. Whent he numbers are that high then people start to adopt this as the basics of their culture.

      Quebec is basically early stage Italy or Venezuela. So many citizens are involved with the fraud that fraud has become the economy itself.

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    5. cebeuq: Can you substantiate this? I'm not saying you're wrong, but it just looks like you're taking wild guesses about the subject.

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  3. From the Rationalist:

    Your assessment of "the Hasids", Mr. Berlach, is a tad prejudiced, don't you think? Unless, of course, it was that other Jew you had in mind. You know. Saulie Zajdel. A Lubavitcher Hasid.

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  4. I'm tacitly optimistic about Coderre. I voted for Côté because he was the only manager running in the election but I'm willing to give Coderre a shot. I read that during the campaign, he paid a visit to the Dean of Montreal politics, Westmount's Peter Trent, with a copy of his book about the merger fiasco that was highlighted and scribbled with questions. That shows to me the man is willing to learn and that he's willing to tackle an issue that most Quebec politicians pretend doesn't exist, the municipal pension time bomb that will cripple Montreal and Quebec City. If these were private companies, they would be under creditor protection (CCAA) by now and we'd be selling off the furniture. Here is a great story from The Globe and Mail of how little Rhode Island tamed their Public Sector pension beast and thus ensured its future; http://fw.to/2PinrCa
    Coderre is also unabashedly Federalist which is a huge plus in my books. That tells me he has a National pan-Canadian perspective and isn't happy making Montreal merely the premiere city of Quebec but of Canada. He will court big business looking to make Montreal the centre of their National operations not just branch offices taking orders form Toronto. I'm getting real sick and tired of watching Toronto sprout up new towers that are home to global companies while we have to beg, cap in hand with subsidies for companies to set up shop here. We're better than that. Dore, Bourque and Tremblay (two Separatists and a wet noodle Federalist) were uninspiring figures that had front row seats watching Montreal deteriorate and failed to turn the tide. Let's hope this guy can turn things around.

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  5. Well this is just wonderful news - tougher than originally proposed. The CAQ has best vote this down with the liberals or we will have a big problem with people having gainful employment especially in the health care field which is already a disaster:

    http://www.cjad.com/cjad-news/2013/11/06/charter-of-values-proposal-thursday-will-be-tougher-than-original-proposal?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

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    Replies
    1. So much for wanting to have a debate on the subject. Every institution on the island of Montreal doesn't want it so much they said they'd opt out, normal people would get the message that they don't want the bill, the PQ? No they say well then we'll ram it down their throats, that's what a debate is right? Only hearing what you want to hear.

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    2. They want the liberals and the CAQ to stop the bill so they can, again, claim to be the only party that truly represents the interests of the people - all this to move toward a majority and another referendum. Time for Montreal and some of the rest of us to get away from these nut jobs that are selfishly bankrupting the whole province. They don't care about anything but power and fed money.

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    3. Hey Cutie, Stefan wasn't re-elected to Gatineau Council. Too bad. Well, I can't wait to see Pednaud-Jobin is going to do, since he is in minority on council. Well Penaud-Jobin was talking about his friendship with Stefan, so good sign.

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    4. Yeah I know. I think the reason for that is his tie in with Action Gatineau - a lot of people don't want their city councils run that way where they vote in block for certain things plus it's seen as another level of government. I know I voted for Stefan because he was a good councilman but wish he had stayed independent. Glad the seppie is in a minority position for sure. We'll see how well he does under pressure - he talks up a storm and attended events which Bureau wouldn't do and that hurt him tremendously. You would think he would have known better. Let's see how things go.

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  6. Two interesting questions asked during the English Mayors debate. Coderre's response is quit interesting.

    http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Montreal+municipal+elections+Gloves+come+campaign/9092068/story.html

    Should Montreal have special status as a distinct status within Quebec?

    Coderre --> Does not answer the question.
    Joly --> Believes MTL should have special status.
    Côté --> Says it is politically impossible. Solution is an in house cleanup.
    Bergeron --> I will defend Montrealers and Montrealers only.


    Language Question, Will you defend language equality:

    Coderre --> Respect and Rights, Role is that their people need to be happy. Provide services.
    Joly --> Does not answer the question. I won't pick battles I can not win.
    Côté --> Does not answer the question. Just mentions that there should be more representation in civil service.
    Bergeron --> We reached a good balance regarding language in MTL. Nothing needs to change. He stated that you can already receive service in English anywhere in MTL.

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. Les maires peuvent émettre des opinions mais n'ont absolument aucun pouvoir sur ces questions...Désolé :(

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    3. FROM ED
      The Provinvial Premiers will be meeting in December. One of the items to be discussed will obviously be transfer payments. I'm hoping the payments to Quebec last long enough to give the new government some money to build on.
      I wonder what other postersthink will happen. Ed

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    4. Ed, I'm solidly in the other camp.

      I'm hoping Quebec gets cut off and goes in the corner and has an even bigger hissy fit.

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    5. From Ann,
      Cebeuq, if Quebec gets cut off, then the citizens suffer, not the politicians. Politicians are only in it for themselves, as long as they are fine, they don't care what happens to the citizens. So if Ottawa shuts off the money tap, it will be everyday people who will be hurt while Marois and her gang will still be sitting pretty with their money and perks. Be careful what you wish for.

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    6. Bang on cebeuq...

      Quebec has scammed this country for over 50 years…this should be exposed for what it truly is, money laundering…one gigantic boondoggle with Quebec being on the take.


      TOTAL EQUALIZATION PAYMENTS TO PROVINCES - 1957 to 2011 (55 YEARS)

      THE TOTAL WAS THREE HUNDRED AND SEVEN BILLION, EIGHT HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIX MILLION DOLLARS. ($ 307,836,000,000)

      NEWFOUNDLAND, received over twenty-five billion dollars ($25.095) or 8.2 % of the total for the years 1957 to 2007 (51 years), but did not receive any payments for the years 2008 to 2011 (4 years).

      PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, received over seven billion dollars ($ 7.424) or 2.4 % of the total for the years 1957 to 2011 (55 years).

      NOVA SCOTIA, received over thirty-five billion dollars ($ 35.701) or 11.6 % of the total for the years 1957 to 2011 (55 years).

      NEW BRUNSWICK, received over thirty-four billion dollars ($ 34.745) or 11.3 % of the total for the years 1957 to 2011 (55 years).

      QUEBEC, received over one hundred and fifty-three billion dollars ($ 153.618) or 49.9 % of the total for the years 1957 to 2011 (55 years).

      ONTARIO, received over three billion dollars ($ 3.159) or 1.1 % of the total for the years 2009 to 2011 (3 years) but did not receive payments for the years 1957 to 2008 (52 years).

      MANITOBA, received over thirty-six billion dollars ($ 36.950) or 12.0 % of the total for the years 1957 to 2011 (55 years).

      SASKATCHEWAN, received over eight billion dollars ($ 8.138) or 2.6 % of the total for the years 1957 to 1974 (18 years); the years 1976 to 1980 (5 years); the years 1986 to 2007 (22 years) but did not receive payments for the years 1975 (1 year); the years 1981 to 1985 (9 years) and the years 2008 to 2011 (4 years).

      ALBERTA, received ninety MILLION dollars ($ 90 million) or 0.0 % % of the total for the years 1957 to 1964 (8 years) but did not receive any payments for the years 1965 to 2011 (47 years).

      BRITISH COLUMBIA, received over two billion dollars ($ 2.556) or 0.8 % of the total for the years 1957 to 1961 (5 years); the year 1999 (1 year); the year 2001 (1 year); the years 2003 to 2006 (4 years) but did not receive payments for the years 1962 to 1998 (37 years); 2000 (1 year); 2002 (1 year) and the years 2007 to 2011 (5 years).

      This needs to be exposed ASAP. This would be bigger then any other scam this country has ever seen…no doubt about it.

      QUEBEC AS A SO CALLED "HAVE NOT" PROVINCE HAS RECEIVED OVER 168 (updated 2012 numbers) BILLION DOLLARS OR FIFTY PERCENT(50.%) OF THE TOTAL EQUALIZATION PAYMENTS. Is anyone in this country willing to talk about this scam for Quebec???

      And how have they said thanks in french for all this money? Well try decades of anti-English language bigotry, racism, intolerance, hatred…a la bills 22, 178, 101…nice eh? These are the facts folks, you may not like them but it’s the truth.

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    7. And Ed - what makes you think that a lot of that transfer money will end up in Montreal? The PQ base is not in Montreal and they don't give a damn for any area of quebec that does not totally back up their plans for independence.

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    8. We are also the second most populated province.

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    9. Ann,

      We have been giving money to Quebec for 50 years and it's done nothing to change the dynamic.

      I've said it before and it's time again. Quebec needs to be treated like an alcoholic. Up until now we have all been enabling Quebec. Until Quebec can finally hit bottom (and REALIZE it's at bottom) no progress can be made.

      Seppies will never understand anything as long as they are sucking money from somewhere and Pauline can still drive around in her purple Porsche.

      If we have to suffer more in the short term so be it. Quebec is going down. It's just a matter of timescale.

      If you try the same strategy for 50 years with the same result, how can you expect anything different this year.

      That is the 1960s approach to dealing with Quebec. Now it's almost 2014 and it's a new world.

      Quebec is in a race to the bottom. If once we get there it's a shithole that can;t be saved, then we just move out and leave the remains to "Les Quebecois".

      That's what they want anyway. The poverty will allow them to spend all their time worrying about culture cause there won;t be any industry that isn;t the govt.

      On the plus side if there is anything salvageable or Montreal is to be split off, only once the total disfunction of Quebec is obvious to all can it happen.

      In the current situation we are slowly going downhill but nobody except anglo's and a few politicians notice or care.

      Let's speed it up so it happens in our lifetime! Seppies need a their day of reckoning!

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    10. "Quebec needs to be treated like an alcoholic."

      Et l'ontario comme un fumeur de crack:)

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    11. Separatists can mock Rob Ford all they want - I won't stop them, after all, it's true.

      But once again, we have a case in which the seps are looking down their noses at everyone else like their own shit doesn't stink.

      Might I direct your attention to one Andre Boisclair, who was snorting tons of cocaine while occupying much the same position as Rob Ford. For those of you that don't know, crack is made up of concentrated cocaine.

      Both Ford AND Boislcair have admitted to use of this drug. So why didn't we all come down as hard on Boisclair as we have on Ford?

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    12. That would have been "quebec bashing" again but if it's someone from the ROC it's OK to have jokes all over American TV about the mayor of Toronto. Of course, Boisclair was never known outside the seppie circles - the ROC would never have heard of the idiot unlike the mayor of the biggest most successful city in Canada.

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    13. Trop tard,la nouvelle est internationale...belle image du canaya :)

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    14. "if Quebec gets cut off, then the citizens suffer, not the politicians. "

      But that's good. Only a dip in the standard of living and a tightening of the belt (which to many will be like "suffering", I agree) can wake up the Quebecois.

      If Canada keeps dishing out the transfer payments to cover the costs of QC elite's ineptitude, how will the regualr people register this incompetence? They won't. They will carry on thinking that QC is just such a fairly prosperous and a fairly well-managed place.

      Some "suffering" is probably the best thing that can happen to this place.

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    15. Hate to agree adski but I do - may not have about 15 years ago but sure do now. We are headed straight down the tubes unless we change that's for sure.

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    16. Ce sont les les fédérastes qui vont se sentir trahis.

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    17. FrOM ED
      Ann, you are 100% right. the people are innocent, why hurt them? If we have the payments for a while it will give Dr.Couillard and his crew a chance to develope the resources. and put the province on it's feet.
      Cebeuq, Your hatred for Quebec causes you to exagerate. Quebec has not been supported by Canada for 50 years. The transfer payment started in 2005. Before that Quebec was autonomus. Until the PQ showed up we has a balanced budget and were the richest province until the Separatists started driving companies and tax payers away.
      Cutie, Again I don't know what you're on about, I never mentioned Montreal. Why would Transfer payments have anything to do with Montreal? Ed

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    18. Money from transfer payments are provided to the quebec government to spend as they see fit Ed and I was trying to make the point that most of the money will be spent where their loyal base lies which is not in Montreal, Laval or the Outaouais. And the businesses started leaving long before 1995 - that started with Bill 101. I realize you are on limited income and are worried too but I don't think even they are stupid enough to start cutting welfare or the QPP which people have paid into for years. I really wish you would wait for the liberals to come out with some sort of platform before you start talking about them developing resources - where did you see that? Not that I don't think it's a good idea I just haven't read anything about what they intend to do to improve the economy anywhere as yet. And cebeuq doesn't hate quebec anymore than the rest of us - he's just telling it like it is and he's on the mark.

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    19. In response to all of you, I agree that this province needs to be taught a lesson, and up until the senate scandal I really believed that Harper would be the one to serve it up, it would be quite fitting since he got nothin' from la belle province last election. To his credit he pulled off a majority win without QC. So naturally he owes us nothing...(yeah yeah he's everybody's PM my eye), in any case, I am sure that pre-senate scandal there was definitely consideration being given to curtailing transfer payments to quebec. But now that the you-know-what has hit the fan with this senate ordeal, I am not convinced he will go through with it.

      Once a party leader becomes PM what do you think he is vying next? That's right, his place in History. Harper will want to maintain power and will want to hang on to his PM title, and the power that comes with it, cause let's face it, that's how he rolls. After this senate fiasco, (senators he appointed after all, have wrecked his Rep), some conservatives will be unforgiving. IF he survives into the next election, he will be looking to make friends, and he may remind Quebec two yrs from now, that when push came to shove he did not cut them loose, he still came through with the moulaaaaaaa baby, he'll want..payback, so to speak. And so, Quebec lives to see another few yrs milking off the Canada's-tit. LOLOLOLOLOL

      Somehow, I get the feeling it may go down...exactly like that!

      Mr. Sauga, I'll be in your neck of the woods in a few days, I hear I should check out Mattucci Ct., lolololololololololo. Your thoughts?

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    20. FROM ED
      Christ Cutie, How could you think that I'm stupid enough to think that transfer payments would be going to Montreal. I don't need you to tell me that.. My God woman, you should stick to just agreeing wiith everybody. Of course the Liberals will developee resources, any party would do that. ILeave the economy stuff alone it's over your head. You doubt everythingn until you find it on s link. Ed

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    21. You are just going to go on and on until there is an election about how Couillard is going to save us from ourselves aren't you ED? Stop being so damn abrasive and try to talk to people without sounding as if you KNOW what you're talking about. You know nothing more than anyone else on this site so get over yourself. I would much rather agree with someone when they have a good point than always being a self absorbed know-it-all. When you have PROOF of how the liberals are going to do anything that will help this place, other than your OWN opinion, be sure to give us a link!

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    22. "......belle image du canaya :)"

      Speech impediment?

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    23. Non je viens d'acheter l'ancien clavier de Eddie.

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    24. @adski

      "If Canada keeps dishing out the transfer payments to cover the costs of QC elite's ineptitude..."

      err no. that's not what it is. it actually is a redistribution of oil money to all canadians. alberta and newfoundland oil is every canadian's oil. i'm surprised that you jump on a bandwagon that's so obviously full of basic bashers adski.

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    25. ""Quebec needs to be treated like an alcoholic."....Et l'ontario comme un fumeur de crack:)"

      Oh boy you really told'em eh s.r. ...feel better now? Polly wanna cracker? Lol

      The Mayor of Toronto is but one person and he's the target, no one is making fun of Toronto, they are taking jabs at him, not the city. But what has and is happening here, in qc, the pastagate incident, bill 14 and the charter are the offspring borne of an incompetent provincial gov...and the players of which have collectively made an entire province look bad.

      That's the diff...

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    26. "Non je viens d'acheter l'ancien clavier de Eddie."

      Bravoooo...lol good one!

      +2

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    27. @anectote

      "...they are taking jabs at him, not the city."

      that's false. i think the ford affair reflects very negatively on the whole of toronto cause the first question a japanese or an australian who watches the news will ask is these guys voted for this fraud?!? but i agree toronto doesn't deserve to be tainted cause it's really douchebag suburbia that thinks this guy is worthy.

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    28. You stopped being a troll for two seconds, lol ok I'll take, but keep trying harder, you can do it..LOLOLOLOLOL

      @Ed...and you said it couldn't be done! wink!!

      Btw pinstripes, you still owe Muslim women everywhere that apology. This was a momentary stay-of-execution, as you have it in you to up your game from time to time from the brainless state of just being a waste of space in troll-mode.

      You're welcome.

      Delete
    29. @anectote

      "...you still owe Muslim women everywhere that apology."

      please quote me.

      Delete
    30. "it actually is a redistribution of oil money to all canadians. alberta and newfoundland oil is every canadian's oil"

      Knowing that 8 billion dollars flows to this province annually does not sit well with me. Even if you could prove to me that this money makes no difference (which it does), it would still not sit well with me. On principle. One should not feed those who bite the hand that feeds them. It's a simple principle.

      "i'm surprised that you jump on a bandwagon that's so obviously full of basic bashers adski."

      You're not being paid to be be caught by surprise. Focus.

      Delete
    31. "Hate to agree adski but I do - may not have about 15 years ago but sure do now. We are headed straight down the tubes unless we change that's for sure."

      You agree with me, but then say something that doesn't fit with what I said. I said cutting transfer payments would be good precisely to steer the province down the tubes, so that it can be reborn and rebuilt on new foundations. QC could then rise like a phoenix, cleansed and stripped of the ethnocentric foundation and the politics of blackmail that have been so internalized that QC politicians and the population that they do not even notice when they dish out threats and demand entitlements.

      Heading down the tubes might not be such a bad thing for this province. If it doesn't head down to the tubes, it will never change.

      Delete
    32. @adski

      "Knowing that 8 billion dollars flows to this province annually..."

      three of them coming from quebec, so net is actually five billions. hey you just got a 37.5% discount mate. is it ok now that your figures are accurate? or is it still too much? what is your ideal number then mate?

      "...does not sit well with me."

      right. well mate it seems to me that it's canada's constitution you don't like. you should focus on this and lobby against sharing the wealth amongst canadians

      "On principle. One should not feed those who bite the hand that feeds them."

      now that's one immoral principle you have there mate. you mean that provinces that don't have oil should shut up. is this what you advocate in your personnal life too? ten quids to anyone who doesn't see things your way? or is it just a principle for others?

      has your nickname been hacked mate? the quality of your comments has decreased lately.

      Delete
    33. "what is your ideal number then mate?"

      Not a penny would be ideal in this case. The actual number is irrelevant, in some cases 8 billion $ would not be enough, in some cases 1$ would be too much. It's the principle that counts: give all you can to those who respect you, do not give to those who don't.

      "it seems to me that it's canada's constitution you don't like."

      More federal government's spinelessness. I agree with Levesque that Canada is playing checkers while Quebec is playing chess. I want Canada to play chess at all times for as long as QC is doing it.

      The transfer payment system works according to a formula that QC bends to its advantage using blackmail. I don't like it but even if QC did not bend it, I wouldn't like it. Again it's the principle.

      I am against asymmetric relationships within the federation. I am for QC leaving Canada, or staying in it on symmetric basis.

      Delete
    34. "...it actually is a redistribution of oil money to all canadians. alberta and newfoundland oil is every canadian's oil."

      It's rather amusing and pathetic that seppies like student only refer to themselves as Canadians when it involves parasitizing money and other goodies from the rest of the country.

      Delete
    35. adski - I agreed with you because I think you are probably right about nothing changing unless we hit the bottom of the barrel even though it is a frightening prospect in many ways. I just don't see any political party in the wings that can win a vote here and change anything from the mess we're in. Before the leaping off of the cliff into the unknown, I would be much more comfortable with something we could count on to bring change - huge change - to the way this province operates. Right now there does not seem to be a leader of any party that is capable of steering the ship off the reefs.

      Delete
  7. Ann, isn't it time that the population realize what they have allowed to perpetuate for the past 40 years here in Quebec by continuously voting for Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb? If they cut off the tap to a largely ungrateful Quebec electorate, the PQ or whomever is in power will finally have to make the tough decisions that have allowed us to live in this fantasy land called Quebec off the backs of other working Canadians. Practically free university tuition, 7$ a day Daycare, and bargain basement hydro rates are nothing but a twinkle in the eyes of ROC Canadians. They have been subsidizing our lifestyle for years through transfer payments and we're still 250$ billion dollars in the hole. Quebec politicians need a reality check and cutting transfer payments is the poke in the eye they will get.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. From Ann
      If the transfer payments dry up, I think it would be a lot more than that which will be cut....QPP, health care etc.

      Delete
    2. Ann - I know all this is scary for a lot of us but that fact of the matter is that none of this nonsense will stop until they are made to stabilize the economy of the province and quit relying on the ROC to keep us a welfare province. Tuition increases and this $7.00/day day care has to come to an end - we cannot afford to keep these types of programs operating especially on the back of the ROC. Stupid students will be out on the streets again but we can't afford to keep supporting these bums and day care is a joke when you can earn $200 thousand a year and still get 7.00/day daycare. Talk about a socialist province - I always tell my friends if they have any bums for relatives, send them to quebec. Nowhere else in this country are bums treated as well as quebec therefore not much incentive to get off their asses to work. I'm not talking about immigrants or anglophones here - they can't find jobs - I'm talking about a quebec mentality to think that they have the right not to work just because they don't damn well feel like it. A whole segment of the population here feel like that.

      Delete
    3. From Ann,
      Fertility treatments is another one that should not be covered by the government. As for the right not to work..I have met some anglophones with the same mentality. The fact that there was such low voter turnout on Sunday is a clear indication of the type of people we have in this province. Very sad.

      Delete
    4. I agree Ann - and some anglos do feel the same - no doubt - as I said the mentality of living off the government here just seems to be different than other areas of Canada and it is sad. How we change that is the difficulty but with all our provincial governments here never even trying to get people to work together and to push for a better economy, they all promote that same mentality. The government will look after you; don't bother to work.

      Delete
    5. FROM ED
      Lord D. You say, " the PQ or whatever government is in power." Do you really expect the Pq to be here after April?
      Adski, "Nothing but a dip in the lifestyle" Those of us on pension and welfare cannot afford a dip in the lifestyle which
      translates as a dip in income. For those still working it would mean atax increase. For those of on fixed incomes we don't pay taxes because rent,and food are not taxable. For me that's where all my goes after Hydro which is taxable I can't afford a dip in the lifestyle.. Ed

      Delete
    6. FROM ED
      Cutie, That is an out and out lie. The Liberals always advanced the economy and encouraged people to work through the Ministre de Travail program which changed the welfare offices to a system where people reported to the work counsellors first before applying for welfre. Again kill the winning horse before it's out of the starting gate. Ed

      Delete
    7. I'm going to get you an application for employment from the liberals Ed so you can get paid to work for them. For heaven's sake, we had some social peace when they were in power but they did little to "advance" the economy.

      Delete
    8. FROM ED
      Cutie read the report from the Financial times that I posted Wednesday at 8:30 pm. When you say they did little to advnce the economy you prove you don't know what your talking about.. The Financial Times says the truth. Why you feel you have to attack my post when I speak the truth about the Liberals, I'll never understand. I don't need an application, what I need is for you to stay out of my posts. If you must run downthe Liberal Party don't address it to me.
      Jason Holborn was right about you. You're the kind of person that makes others want to leave the blog. Ed

      Delete
    9. Will it work with your nasty personality Ed? Maybe there's hope after all. I have just as much right to criticize the liberals as you do every other party we talk about. Read complicated's comments at 9:11 this morning and stop giving so much credit to the liberals for everything. By the way, the post you made was from 10 years ago and nothing to do with the reality of quebec and the liberals from then on. I DO NOT POST MY COMMENTS TO YOU CONCERNING THE LIBERALS, YOU ATTACK ANYONE AND EVERYONE THAT POINTS OUT THAT THEY ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS! If you cannot be polite to other posters, then it is you that is in the wrong, not everyone else as you seem to think! And Jason Holborn was not even a resident of this province and knows nothing about what is going on here nor does he live under the pressure of the PQ government so his comments don't mean very much do they? I have asked you politely before and I will request again, that you do not respond to any of my comments and I will not respond to any of yours - deal? God I hope so; others have to read this BS.

      Delete
    10. FROM ED
      Sorry Cutie, I don't think Complicated is anyone to judge the Liberals, he still thinks the CAQ is number 1.
      Everyone on the blog knew my post referred to the incoming party after an election. When you misread my first post all you had to do was say O.K. ed, I thought you were talking about the new Montreal party but your ego won't ever admit you could be wrong so you go on trying to make me look like the idiot telling me how transfer payments read like I just fell off a turnip truck. Trying to make me the scapegoat. Disgusting. Ed

      Delete
    11. Again, politely, no response is necessary - making excuses for your posts does not impress anyone - I would like this to be the last time you respond to my posts and even complicated has a right to his opinion no matter what you may think. You are not the only one on this blog and everyone has the right to respect and courtesy not insults and demeaning comments. This is called "social networking" for a reason. Try to remember that when you spit out your attacks on anyone that disagrees with you.

      Delete
  8. I can't stop LOVING this...

    ..A few seppies visiting this blog (most notably our lamentable little Student), have long called federalists and capitalists alike "crooked, corrupt scumbags."

    While in the same breath they boast about how venerable public unions like the FTQ happen to be.

    Really?

    Well here's how a separatist helped a corrupt federalist get richer and conceal his money laundering:

    http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/391926/jocelyn-dupuis-a-fini-par-travailler-pour-tony-accurso-meme-s-il-le-detestait

    I thought our seppies were supposed to be the picture of integrity for the rest of us to follow.

    Guess not.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Top tard...

      Pour les Québécois : "liberals" = Corruption

      C'est comme une association naturelle

      Delete
    2. They are ALL so crooked and such liars they could open a wine bottle with their tongues. What a place and at least 40% still believe that their heros the PQ are honest - I guess there will be no jail time for anyone but I sure as hell hope that a lot of them have to return the money they've absconded with over the past 40 years. Would be nice to put into a fund and return to Canada for all the money they've sent us over the years.

      Delete
    3. @cutie003

      "...there will be no jail time for anyone..."

      false, applebaum is going to jail according to editor. don't you trust the editor?

      Delete
    4. @Cutie003
      I'd prefer to pump that money back into Quebec from the tax payers that have been robbed and finally get some infrastructure that isn't crumbling and a healthcare system that doesn't let down it's citizens. Maybe it would encourage money business to come here and stop the flow of people leaving so that Canada could stop having to send so much money to Quebec.

      Delete
    5. The stupid laws are what's driving people out and getting worse each day. I think it's a noble idea that you have to fix the infrastructure and health care system but the politicians never give us the money for what we need, even the money from the ROC, they give out to their party faithful in one way or another (tuition, day care) to keep their dream for separation alive and keep themselves in their own jobs. They would have no party if the threat of separation was eliminated and they know it. Why give up a sure thing? We need new provincial parties with new ideas and we need them desperately.

      Delete
    6. Without changing the laws sure things'll never be fixed, but hey slap a band-aid on that hemorrhaging wound, it'll stop the flow a bit I guess? :S Unfortunately it seems like it's the best we could do.

      Delete
  9. I'm not sure it's fair to criticism Paul Martin for destroying the Liberal party, his predecessors left him with a ticking time bomb that couldn't be avoided. How was he to know what a corruption inquiry would turn up if he was not involved in it? Tremblay and Charest are criticized for waiting so long to look into or refusing to look into corruption but Martin is being criticized for looking into it. Ultimately he did the right thing, it was unfortunate for him his former party members were crooked, but should we really be advocating that he should have tried to sweep it under the carpet?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thatguy, I agree with your comments about Martin. He is a man of integrity, in my humble opinion, and he did the right thing. The Gomery Commission is a convenient excuse for old school LIberals. That tiresome argument does have some credence in Quebec but it ignores the two camps in the party, the fact that the party was tired and intellectually bankrupt by the time Martin took over and the shortcomings of Martin himself - aka "Mr. Dithers" - notwithstanding his integrity. The Liberals coasted along for years on the benefit of the divisions between the Reformers and other conservatives. And Editor, Bob Dylan also wrote : "the times they are a changing" but the Chretien/Martin Liberals never got the message.

      And while we are on the topic I respectfully suggest, dear Editor, that only a true believer could state that Chretien was one of Canada's great prime ministers. Gaaaaaccck ! I'm covering my computer screen now. I feel a projectile vomit rising in my gorge.

      Ahhh, that's better. (pause for mouthwash...) And there is no better single example of Chretien's incompetence than the disgraceful performance of his government before the 1995 referendum. A near death experience that could have been avoided if the Liberals had mounted a unified, effective campaign. Easily done if they had mobilized the human resources - such as the many articulate federalists who sat helplessly on the sidelines - who were available to the no side in 95. Chretien and Ryan's egos got in the way. It was not an accident that Charest (a Progessive Conservative) ended up being the most effective spokesman for the no side. Or that after a lacklustre federal campaign many Quebecers still thought they could keep their Canadian passport after Parizeau and his fellow lobster fishermen had created an independent Quebec! Who can ever forget the death head's speech that Chretien delivered a few days before the vote. Chretien was never more than marginally competent, but thankfully he was also lucky, very lucky.

      Delete
    2. FROM ED
      Sandy, Thatguy is right on about Paul Martin. he was the best Prime Minister this country ever had. In a few years he balancd the Canadian budget and took one hundred billion off the Federal debt. All this without depriving the country of any programs. Five more years with him this country would have been rich having no debt interest to pay. The Liberal standing were strong in the polls after the Gomery Commission. It was the serpentile Sheila Fraser who reminded people about the incident two weeks before the election. The tory press jumped on it and used it to destroy the best goverrnment we ever had. Ed

      Delete
    3. @thatguy & @ed

      "He is a man of integrity, in my humble opinion, ..."

      you guys are funny. he was on power corp's payroll. no integrity. his boat were registered with flags of convenience. no integrity. also martin always claimed csl didn't receive federal contracts and it turned out it did. big time. hundreds of millions. that's your kind of integrity thatguy? well it's not mine thank you very much.

      Delete
    4. @thatguy & Ed

      You may want to remind the blog troll that lack of integrity is abounds and as Roger Rabbit most astutely reminded us the other day:

      "It's funny. Scam artist Michel Arsenault, head of the FTQ just announced TODAY that he is resigning after last week saying he wanted to seek another 3 year term as head of the union. He is also resigning from the Fonds de Solidarite.
      His name came out at the Charbonneau Commission. He had private meetings with Marois in 2008/2009 and gave money to Marois husband. The PQ and FTQ are as dirty as they come in Quebec. Shame on them! "

      http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Quebec+highest+profile+labour+leader+abruptly+reverses/9124387/story.html

      Mmmm...all quiet on the stupid front? Is this HER version of integrity then?

      Delete
    5. @anectote

      "Is this HER version of integrity then?"

      no it's not. hey that was easy. what a stupid question.

      Delete
    6. Uh oh here comes the tin foil hat brigade to derail a serious conversation.

      "he was on power corp's payroll"
      That's kind of what happens when you work for a company, perhaps if you ever get a job you'll discover that for yourself.

      "his boat were registered with flags of convenience."
      This is a common business practice, over 50% of ships are registered in other countries, if the charge is nott being a completely incompetent businessman I guess you proved it?

      "also martin always claimed csl didn't receive federal contracts and it turned out it did. big time. hundreds of millions."
      The federal government, not Martin, said CSL received $137,000, not nothing. They received 161 million in contracts total over over a decade (not hundreds of millions) most of which occurred before the Liberals even came to power. None of any of this was ever found to be dubious, it was just a clerical error and Martin never steered any investment towards his holdings.

      Student your kind of integrity is blind alliance to a misguided cause where harassment, misinformation and discriminating against minorities are all fair game and promoted, so long as it slightly moves the goal post towards your desired outcome. All I can say is I'm overjoyed that we don't share the same definition of integrity.

      All that aside my original point that Martin was not a terrible Prime Minister for calling calling for in inquest into the sponsorship scandal stands.

      Delete
    7. @thatguy

      "That's kind of what happens when you work for a company..."

      if his boss didn't pile up the biggest collection of puppet politicians ever i'd agree with you, but it's not the case.

      "This is a common business practice..."

      you mean it contradicts integrity, but others do it, so it's fine. sorry mate, that line is worth nothing.

      "None of any of this was ever found to be dubious..."

      ah. well, i do.

      "Martin was not a terrible Prime Minister for calling calling for in inquest into the sponsorship scandal..."

      i agree, people who think otherwise have a definition of integrity that's even more bizarre than yours.

      Delete
    8. @thatguy

      Ah well she's back to being a troll lol. She can't think for herself, she spits out what the machine tells her to. Sad really.

      Her parents must be sooooo proud, to have brought forth a common follower. We all know she's goin' nowhere fast. Lol

      Delete
    9. @AnecTOTE
      At a certain point it isn't even worth responding to her because you already know how it's going to go down.
      Step 1. You make a statement.
      Step 2. Student either calls it BS with no supporting evidence/ makes a clearly wrong counter claim/ asks an inane pointless question she knows the answer to or has already been answers numerous times in this blog alone already.
      Step 3. You provide concrete supporting evidence/ you disprove students claim with concrete evidence/ you provide a comprehensive answer to the question.
      Step 4. Student ignores the proof and shifts focus to a completely unrelated topic/ ignores the proof and focuses on one word that she misinterprets the meaning of/ asks another round purposefully inane questions while ignoring all of the information.
      Step 5. Repeat steps 3-4 a few times.
      Step 6. Student gets frustrated and finally writes down an actual opinion.
      Step 7. You destroy the opinion based on it's clear hypocrisy.
      Step 8. Student stops responding to that thread.
      Step 9. Student inundates the next post with more lazy replies found in step 2.

      It is truly sad to see someone put in so much quantity of work that results in so little quality and for such a misguided purpose. How about we skip to step 8 and save ourselves some time student? I'm sure a new post will appear for you to litter with unresearched statements, irrelevant comments or rhetorical questions in no time.

      Delete
    10. @thatguy

      To me she's a squeaky toy, lol. She's pretty much discredited as a legitimate contributor on this blog, and she owes it all to herself. Littering a blog with nonsense is pretty unintelligent, who wastes their time like that? Even if you are trying to defend a misguided cause...frig do it with some smarts and class at least. But, maybe one of the lesson she needs learn is that often, in spite of themselves, The players get played. LOLOLOLOLOL

      Delete
    11. @thatguy & @anectote

      mates you are the ones who totally let go the focus here. we were discussing paul martin's integrity and here you are the three last comments being nothing more than classic ad hominem charges on me rather than addressing the arguments. when you do this you drag the blog down, you waste ed's reply spots and reinforce the thug image you're quickly building for yourselves. and i win.

      Delete
    12. Actually twerp, don't look now but we forced you to up your game AGAIN...so we win!,... Lol

      Keep practicing though, sooner or later you'll get the hang of it ...for good.

      Delete
    13. What arguments? If there any serious arguments to address they would have been. I said he did nothing wrong and presented evidence towards that end, and you rambled something about his boss being to blame or something, and that you think in your book he didn't have integrity regardless if he did nothing wrong in either the world of business or in the political arena. Your response was the epitome of putting your fingers in your ears and shouting "I don't care", regardless of the evidence presented to you, there was no tangible argument to you reply all it was was you saying "no, because I say no", not very compelling. If you think those are arguments even worth responding to you should just start using "I know you are but what am I" as they're on the same level.

      Read step 8 again student, you never win, but don't worry a new post has appeared, so you can move onto step 9 and can hope time buries your lazy replies. If you truly think that you're not the one dragging the discourse on this blog down, you have much bigger problems than nonsensical or pointless arguments.

      Delete
    14. And like clockwork my steps come to pass, student has moved onto step 9 and is littering the new post.

      Delete
  10. ED, I agree that Martin is a good man and he served the country well as finance minister. But he was only Prime Minister for about 25 months, in a minority government. Mr. Dithers couldn't get re-elected. Perhaps you are setting the bar a tad low saying that he was the best ever etc.? Better than MacDonald ? Laurier ? Borden ? even wily old Mackenzie King? But this is a debate better left to historians. Martin is long gone and his party remains in disarray. Surely he has to bear some responsibility for that even though his tenure was short. Check out an article just published in The Chronicle of Higher Education magazine about Michael Ignatieff, the late philosopher-king. You can access it via www.aldaily.com. The link is three down in the right hand column titled "Essays and Opinion". A subtext of that article is what the Liberal Party of Canada has become. Always looking for a saviour rather than good, modern policies. The latest saviour is a young fella named Trudeau. We'll soon know his fate.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FROM ED
      Sandy, as Finance Minister Martin was carrying the country. Chretien sat back and enjoyed the security Martin gave by first balancing the books. People like to know that their money is well spent. Most Canadians were not aware that he had paid down the debt because we were sailing along financially. Times were good. I confess I don't remember Borden or Mac Donald, I'm not that old. Mac Kenzie King didn't run canada it was a brilliant American named Charles Decatur Howe. His policies were what King thought were his own ideas. He took care of things while King was chatting in space with his dead mother. Ed

      Delete
    2. If the bad press keeps up for Harper well into the next 2 yrs and this senate scandal is kept alive and people are constantly reminded, I think the kid has more than a shot.

      Delete
    3. AnecTOTE, you may be right that young Trudeau has a shot. Time will tell. So far, there's not much substance for a worthwhile debate. As for Harper's bad press you should read beyond the borders of Quebec and you may find it is not as bad as you think. And this so called senate "scandal" ? More like a wet fart in a blind alley. The taxpayers have been repaid and the 4 senators have resigned (Harb) or been suspended for 2 years. This "scandal" is not even in the same room as the sponsorship fiasco or the corruption in Mtl. etc as is being revealed daily by the Charbonneau commission. Soon enough Mulcair and Trudeau will wake up to the fact that saying the other guys are bad people is not enough to win national general elections. You have to put forward new, attractive, policies. We are all waiting, with interest, for that to happen. Time will tell.

      Delete
    4. Many people give far too much credit to leaders and parties in terms of balancing the budget. What really drives the budget of Canada is how our friends to the south are doing as so much of our trade is with them. Paul Martin has often been singled out as this amazing finance minister who single handedly cut the deficit and debt. But he was very fortunate to have been finance minister during the period that the US economy was booming because of the property bubble that was forming. The entire US economy was essentially a fraud as everyone thought they were rich because their house values went up so they all spent and borrowed like crazy. The USA is still paying for that folly now and we have unlimited QE (ie.money printing) from the Fed because of this.
      You also have to keep in mind that Paul Martin cut back big time on transfers to the provinces which just downloaded federal debt to the provincial debt..so again a sleight of the hand. I still think Paul Martin did a decent job but he deserves far less credit than he is given. Much of the time its outside economic forces that really dictate what happens to our debt. The crisis in 2008 caused a huge dent in our finances but I will say that Flaherty and the PC mishandled it pretty badly. They could have easily spend far less in terms of stimulus spending..and they should have know that an event like this was coming..to be completely taken by surprise was ignorance on their part but also the part of most western governments. These governments believes Keynesian economic theory is the answer to everything..just keep on piling up the debt..more QE..keep interest rates artificially low..until one day..KABOOM..its coming..wihin the next few years and will destroy many government balance sheets and usher in a massive depression.

      Delete
    5. FROM ED
      Sandy , the Liberals do have an excellent policy, it's called restraint. Paying off the debt would have made canadians wealthy./. Imagine not having to pay 50 bilion per year to other countries. Every time a PC runs the country the Liberals ahve to clean up the financial mess. Diefenbakker devestated his party. Mulroney destroyed the Conservatives. Three times the population has cried as a for a Prime Ministyer to resign was Diefenbaker, Mulroney and Chretien. Chretien defied the people for a year and the destroyed the party with scandal. The RCMP
      reported that the only Liberals involved were all 3 in Chretiens office and the rest were his friends.
      Complicated the US economy was not booming when Martin was in office, they were fighting two wars and Bush had spent all the money Clinton left him Cities like Detroit were falling apart. The crisis of 2008 did not have tto affect Canada at all. harper used it as an excuse to blow what Paul Martin had saved us. Our banks were solid. Ed

      Delete
  11. FROM ED
    Like the other industrialized nations, Québec experienced a considerable slowdown in economic growth in 2004
    . However, Québec outperformed its neighbours in the second half of the year by posting greater increases in output and job creation. Since last June, 63 000 jobs have been created in Québec, more than in the rest of Canada.
    Household confidence has increased by nearly 30% since last October. Retail sales are up, and the number of residential housing starts is very high. Exports have improved and investment intentions for 2005 are progressing more rapidly in Québec than in the rest of Canada.
    The economic outlook confirms the forecast of 1.7% growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2005. Growth should reach 2.9% in 2006.
    Overall, economic conditions remain favourable to continued growth in Québec. Economic activity should increase in 2005 as the full impact of the Action Plan to Support Employment and Economic Activity is felt and economic growth picks up pace in the United States and Canada.
    This three-part action plan has involved the following initiatives:
    rapid injection of $400 million in favour of consumers;
    measures to support SMBs and private-sector investment;
    $3-billion public-sector invest
    This was the situatiion here only a couple of years after Jean Charest took the leadership back from the PQ.
    I get tired og hearing the situation here has been bad for 30 or 40 years. The Librals were good government and exactly what we need right now. Ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ED, I can tell that history is not your strong suit. But no matter. Let's look forward together. I agree 100% that Quebec needs a government that understands the economy better than these PQ folks who are wasting everyone's time with this Charter of Secularism blah blah.

      I'm not sure why you are telling us about 2004 - 2005. In 2013 Quebec is still in a hole with too much debt and unemployment. If you are a proud Montrealer do yourself a favour and never visit Toronto. You would be shocked, and depressed, by the contrast to Montreal. Identity politics are dragging us down and backwards here. We need more than good economic managers in the National Assembly. In particular, we need more entrepreneurs and fewer people who expect the government to lead them to the promised land. Don't hold your breath - this is going to take decades.

      And by the way, C D Howe became a Canadian citizen (a British subject in those days) in 1913.

      Delete
    2. FROM ED
      Sandy, I am not trying to be a historian, merely say ing let's tell it like it was. People here are saying we.ve been living off Canada for 40 years. i am only pointing out that is not so. When the Liberals were running the province we were autonomus and the economy was moving. That was 2004 before we got transfer payments. What's wrong with trying to keep the record straight. It annoys me when people say the Liberals were the same as the PQ. If you read what I posted about 2004 there is no comparison to the PQ today.
      Of course we need investment but we know it's not coming as long as separation is in the air. What I wrote shows that the Liberals can attract in vestment.. Ed

      Delete
  12. Les immigrants sont un fardeau fiscal de 20 G$, selon l'Institut Fraser

    http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/colombie-britannique/2013/08/29/002-rapport-selection-immigrants-institut-fraser.shtml

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is this the same Fraser institute that said that equalization payments to have not provinces (ie Quebec) are way too high and payments should be cut back or a new formula should be created in order to pay less to them?

      August 29th, Digging a little deep aren't we there S.R? We get it you don't like immigrants, some times you claim it's because of religion and sometimes you claim it's for fiscal reasons, but we get it, if someone isn't from here you don't want them here, and if they are from here and don't separation you still don't want them here lol.

      Delete
    2. We may spend 20 billion a year on new immigrants, but consider that immigrants usually arrive in their adult years and so we are spared the expensive of early educational and medical expenses related to early life development.

      The real question is this.
      Would the cost to the government be more or less than 20 billion, if we had 250,000 more births per year instead of 250,000 immigrants. I think the babies would cost more.

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    3. The report itself isn't even against immigration in and of itself, just immigration for political reasons such as bringing over parents who will not be working and contributing to society, and should instead focus immigration on peoples' technical skills that are demanded by the job market. So for example stop only taking immigrants that speak French with low level of skill or education who have very little chance of being employed, instead of focus on highly trained people regardless of political reasons.

      But we all know S.R, if a title sounds anti-immigrant he'll be all over it before he reads the body.

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    4. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE FRANKFORTThursday, November 7, 2013 at 6:41:00 AM EST

      $20 000 000 000????
      Pas surprit! Par exemple, 90% des Musulmans en Europe sont sur une assistance sociale quelconque et la majorite des prisonniers sont aussi Musulmans.
      Ici en Allemagne je vois aussi des Musulmans sans emplois partout.

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    5. Separatists are only interested in immigrants that can put an "X" beside the word "Oui" on a ballot. They refer to these immigrants as fully assimilated. All others are merely a burden on the backs of the hard working, industrious Québécois peoples. Don't forget, the Prime Directive, article number one of the PQ platform, before putting food in your kid's mouth is to make Quebec a country.

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    6. @jf

      "the Prime Directive, article number one of the PQ platform, before putting food in your kid's mouth is to make Quebec a country."

      what's wrong with that? and which party has feeding kids as its prive directive? clue: none.

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    7. "We get it you don't like immigrants"

      Faux : j'aime les bon immigrants et les bons anglos mais je déteste les parasites.

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    8. @ S.R.

      Who do you consider are parasites?

      Delete
    9. Do 34-year-old sexology students at UQAM that live on student loans qualify as parasites?

      Delete
    10. Way to go Frankfurt troll. Keep posting statistic with no links.

      Delete
    11. If S.R detests parasites, then he hates himself as he is obviously receiving social assistance benefits. And as I mentioned above, the Quebecois are parasitizing the rest of Canada with their chronic dependence on transfer payments.

      Delete
    12. Vous ne saviez pas que les sepppies étaient de votre côté DuDu,sur la question des dépendances envers le canaya?

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    13. Editor,

      Immigrants do usually arrive in their adult years, but, of course, they often have children. That is why there are so many children of immigrants in Montreal schools. We therefore do not avoid the cost of education.

      Also, the largest share, by far, of medical expenses goes to one's last year of life, regardless at what age one dies. (I can't find the reference for this one. I remember reading this a few years ago.)

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    14. I'm not sure which troll response is more full of terrible, un gars' clearly ridiculous and racist made up statistic; student's assertion that the welfare of Quebec's citizens and in particular those in need, need to take a backseat to the cause of separation; or S.R admitting that he detests and thinks everyone in Quebec who does not support separation are parasites. Quite the group of humanitarians we have here lol.

      Delete
    15. Un canadien qui donne des leçon d'humanitarisme ?!?

      Issshhhh

      Delete
    16. Anglo-Canadians have a much better record of humanitarianism than the Quebecois do...the Editor has provided statistics on several occasions indicating that Quebec has the lowest level of charitable donations and volunteerism in the country.

      There is also Canada's long term record of United Nations peacekeeping around the world.

      Delete
    17. FROM ED
      Thatguy, The trolls don't bother me because I don't read past their ID. What does gall me is the people who answer and then complain to the EDITOR about them. If we don't answer he could delete them but when playing with them becomes thirty% of a blog he is outnumbered. I understand the trolls, they are our enemy and they're here to do a job which thanks to those who answer, they do very well. Ed

      Delete
  13. POLITICIANS ARE PARASITES

    The definition of a parasite is "an organism that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it.

    The definition of a parasite sounds like a perfect description of what government has become. The political class, its cronies and its dependents are parasites. The host is the productive sector of the economy. One lives at the expense of the other. One is "taking," the other "making."

    Nothing is more valued to the political mind than attaining and retaining office. That is why the debt ceiling deal was such a fraud. Neither party pushed for meaningful spending cuts. Both postured for voters. Both wanted a new credit card and got the largest one ever issued.

    Political parasites rationally chose to continue the plunder and exploitation knowing that it ensured long-term death of the host. In classic Keynesian short-termism ("in the long-run we are all dead"), politicians chose to remain in the trough to continue feeding on the host.

    They are ALL scum folks.

    The politicians, the people who work for government…they take, take and take…other peoples money…just go look at all the debt mounting in Canada and the US, the printing of money…all destroying future generations…


    "We don’t want the party to end, the “free” trips, expense accounts…perks, gold plated pensions, free this, free that…Yes indeed, see we in government, are all entitled to our entitlements folks and we can’t stop that, at least not until we retire. Our unions say so, it’s ours and we want it now...$$” Nice eh? See what working for government has become? Go look at all the debt mounting. Governments all across Canada, the US… have been on a hiring binge, a spending spree for decades now. Government = police, fire, hospitals, teachers, lawyers…= high salaries, bonuses, pensions, perks… all out of control for decades now = More and more debt…making the connection yet?

    “Conservatives” have allowed all of these expensive, divisive liberal polices, and departments to remain. How come?


    Solution? Well only one folks - We need a new party, a new leader willing to deal with the facts, the truth for a change. We need a real fiscally conservative, common sense leader/party…. Things need to be cut, reduced and eliminated in all government. Government is too big, intrusive, and they are accumulating too much debt, year after year after year. That’s right let’s get cutting non essential services, expensive waste, bilingualism, multiculturalism, phony rights departments…the charter, CBC, all this green nonsense, bring in a government salary cap, a hiring freeze, reduce pensions… all sorts of big government BS. The future is at stake here and no one is willing to deal with this, how sad, how pathetic, all of you clowns in government and mainstream media.



    The real issue that no-one is talking about is the private sector versus government sector. Government hiring, spending and debt is out of control and has been for decades. This is the great divide in Canada and its getting worse yearly.


    "If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it; he is obligated to do so."-Thomas Jefferson

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  14. FROM ED
    Please dont' mention to me how well Toronto is doing They damn well should be. They got 70% of Quebec's wealth in the 70's and 80's and never had to deal with separatism. Don't tell me the crown corporations could not operate here in Quebec. Their employees were bilingual and unilingual French anyway. When Mulroney transferred the railways and other offices to Toronto he started a chain of companies that had to deal with government offices. He took our wealth and gave to another province and now that thankless province is crying for our money. We deserve the transfer payments to make up for what was stolen from us. When we had those companies quebec was paying the same as Alberta is now but we didn't cry about it.Ed

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    1. Mr. Brown,

      When Mulroney transferred the railways and other offices to Toronto he started a chain of companies that had to deal with government offices.

      Which railways? Canadian Pacific moved to Calgary, not Toronto. Canadian National and VIA rail are still headquartered in Montreal.

      Delete
    2. FROM ED
      Good point Troy. Canadian Pacific is not a Crown corporation and went to Calgary where it becomes a big fish in a small pond.. Alsothere's money in moving things thru the rockies. Trucking is expensive in the mountains.
      Canadian national has a small office still here in Montreal but the employable sections are in Ontario. The Pointe Ste. Cahrles sgops employed 5000 on a 24 hour basis. The Car foundry in east Montreal was a gigantic enterprise making cars and engines. The freight yards in Lachine and St.Laurent lost us thousands of jobs just from forwarding. The Freight yards, Piggy Back / Containers and Freight were a gold mine to Montrealers. Ed

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    3. Air Canada is moving a whole whack of jobs out of Montreal to Brampton Ontario into a brand new facility and not a peep in the media about it.

      Delete
    4. Write an e-mail to the Gazette - they may be very interested. I've seen nothing anywhere about this.

      Delete
  15. I wanted to share a comment I just read by Gazette reader Joe Grind:

    "I hear there is a few charters still in the pipeline that might see the light of day

    1. Charter to Rebuild the Infrastructure of Quebec but We have No Money and No Means to do it

    2. Charter to Increase Investment in Quebec when France Agrees to Help Us out since we turned our backs on anglos, jews, muslims, sikhs, and every other race, culture, religion not quebecois pur laine"

    Full article: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/government+tables+charter+values/9137703/story.html

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  16. Don't know how far this is going to go:

    http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/national/Resurgent+Democrats+ready+restart+Quebec+wing/9138312/story.html

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  17. Autre vidéo de Rob Ford: «Je vais lui arracher les yeux!»

    http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/national/201311/07/01-4708295-autre-video-de-rob-ford-je-vais-lui-arracher-les-yeux.php

    L'image de toronto se dégrade un peu plus tous les jours...smh

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    1. Some awesome Rob Ford pictures. The man is a comedic genius but doesn;t know it.

      http://gawker.com/39-breathtaking-photos-of-north-americas-most-photogen-1458983349

      Marion Barry Mayor of Washington DC spent 6 months in jail for smoking crack while he was Mayr. It's not like we have to hear daily bleating and whining from Washington people about how it "spoils the country" "embarrasses all the citizens etc".

      It's an indication of one person, nothing more.

      Toronto needs to stop navel gazing and acting all self important like it can never recover from this. He's just one guy. Get him out and it's over.

      It's not like Quebec where every time you turn over a politician it keeps going.

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    2. I think it's time to get an exorcist, it fairly clear that Rob Ford has been taken over by the ghost of Chris Farley.

      Delete
  18. Right on Editorial in the Gazette:

    http://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/editorials/Editorial+Charter+ugly+divisive+campaign+vehicle/91386

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We’re sorry, the page you requested is not available.

      If you typed in a URL, please check the address and spelling.

      Other things to try : put your glasses on

      Delete
    2. http://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/editorials/index.html

      You were in the Gazette - you could have found it yourself but because I posted it, I will post it again misfit.

      Delete
    3. Pleaaaase stop posting bad links ty.

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    4. I'll post what I like when I like - you do not own the blog. It does not happen that often and stop being so lazy. Find stuff yourself if you want to read it. You don't care what we have to say anyway.

      Delete
  19. Anonymous- Warns UK citizens of Islamic invasion

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKopcpNlK48&feature=youtu.be

    Voilà...

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    1. Clearly not actually from Anonymous, they changed the voice and didn't put it on their actual youtube channel just to throw off "the man" lol. You'll certainly will believe anything so long as it fits your narrative. S.R I've found historical evidence that Hitler was very upset over Tupac's death, it must be real! It was on the internet! Too great.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnYS0PMWiik

      Delete
  20. Just in from FB:

    CHARTER OF SECULARISM
    Denis Coderre ready to go to court
    EWAN SAUVANT / QMI AGENCY
    Posted on: Thursday, November 7, 2013, 5:20 p.m. | Updated: Thursday, November 7, 2013, 5:56 p.m.
    Denis Coderre PHOTO EWAN SAUVANT / QMI AGENCY
    Denis Coderre intends to challenge the charter of secularism filed Thursday in the National Assembly.

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  21. She might be a hypocrite if she did support some specific language laws, but calling her a bigot is going a bit far. She actually voted against separation and only held Bloc membership to support her friend that was a candidate.

    ReplyDelete