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| YGRECK's political cartoon, best of the year so far.... |
But let's go through a much wider list as well and take a look at who and what institutions took a hit and who and what institutions lucked out rather providentially.
Pauline Marois- Loser
YGRECK's brilliant cartoon says it all, a battered and bruised Pauline Marois joins the club of ex-separatist leaders, known sarcastically in Quebec as the 'Mother-in-Laws' for their rather obnoxious penchant for meddling and undercutting the current PQ leader, whomever she or he may be at the time.
What can I say that hasn't been said ad naseum about Pauline's self-inflicted downfall, but the pain of her deeply personal and humiliating political demise is being unfairly piled upon by the nasty PQ elite who have scapegoated her for the election debacle.
It's a longtime PQ tradition of exiling leaders in the most humiliating and demeaning fashion and Pauline hadn't even announced her resignation as party leader before the trio of jackals, Drainville, Lisée and Péladeau, were politicking on stage to replace her.
Make no mistake, Pauline just loved being Premier and it wasn't her idea to hold an election, she could have easily held on for at least another year, year and a half.
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| For Marois the ordeal is over, for Blanchet, perhaps it's just starting |
But somehow, I feel no sympathy.
Claude Blanchet- Loser
Pauline's hubby has a reputation for being 'litigious', as the lawyers like to politely describe someone who sues at the drop of a hat.
Blanchet has sued and threatened lawsuits over these last years in an attempt to keep discussion of his alleged checkered business affairs out of the press.
He has sued the Montreal Gazette over a story about his amazing feat of building his chateau on agricultural land through alleged deception and chicanery. More recently, he threatened a lawsuit against vigile.net, the independent sovereigntist website.
Ex-PQ cabinet minister Richard Le Hir, who after the death of the founder took over as chief editor, penned two articles recently, warning that Blanchet's baggage would come back to bite the PQ come election time.
Blanchet was having none of that and true to form, sicced his lawyers on the website, demanding that the stories be removed. Vigile.net, already in the midst of an expensive slapp suit, just could not afford to contest another costly legal battle thus acquiesced to the bully and removed the articles.
I'm no fan of vigile.net, but am sympathetic to their situation, it is clearly a case of a rich person using their wealth and the threat of expensive litigation as a weapon instead of a remedy.
At any rate, there's only so much water you can bail out of a sinking boat when the water is rushing in from multiple breeches. Blanchet has recently taken a serious body blow from testimony given at the Charbonneau Commission over the infamous 'deal or no deal' affair where it was alleged by a witness that in exchange for a loan, Blanchet promised to lobby his wife Pauline, the then opposition leader, on behalf of the FTQ, Quebec largest and most powerful union.
For Blanchet, there's no suing or otherwise intimidating the Charbonneau Commission or its witnesses into silence, that strategy is out the window and so his reputation is clearly up for public examination.
Montreal's La Presse newspaper landed perhaps the lowest blow of all, an attack piece some might argue was politically motivated. The newspaper is the property of the Demarais clan, avowed federalists and sworn enemy of the sovereignty movement.
In the final week of the election, the paper featured a story, a two page spread that described how Blanchet might have illegally accepted contributions for Pauline's successful leadership bid for the PQ.
The story was based on a sworn statement from a contributor who admitted to illegally employing a ruse to circumvent political contribution limits and giving the money to Blanchet in his hand in what he described as a quid pro quo for political access.
For Blanchet, there's no suing La Presse either, it seems that the newspaper is committed to defending the story, the very fact that they published it in the heat of the election, a clear message that the newspaper was ready, willing and able to defend itself.
How this all turns out for Blanchet remains to be seen. Because of Pauline's demise and resignation, it's possible that the media will pass on further attacks on Blanchet, but if I had to bet money, I'd say that the story is just too tempting and the oily Blanchet, just too juicy a target to pass up.
No doubt at all, Pauline Marois and Claude Blanchet are indeed 'The Biggest Losers'
Philippe Couillard- Winner
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| The Right Stuff...Throwing mud while appearing innocent. |
Politicians across Canada should take note about how to run a disciplined and focused campaign. Political handlers I've talked to are all gushing at the incredible and masterful campaign, proving that election campaigns can be won on strategy, with form over substance, a valid and successful strategy.
Couillard focused not on promises, but cleverly shone the spotlight on the PQ's weak spot, sovereignty and the possibility of another referendum, an anathema to the majority of all Quebec voters.
He hammered away on the theme, sticking to the script while remaining calm and statesmanlike.
The one thing that the media seized upon as a gaffe was no error at all.
In a debate with the other leaders, Couillard mentioned that bilingualism was important, even for factory workers and the PQ and separatist media went ballistic, believing that he made a major misstep, promoting the bogeyman of rampant bilingualism.
But over two-thirds of francophones are actually in favour of the Charest promise to install an English immersion course for all francophone students in grade six, where a semester would be taught almost entirely in English.
While the PQ and the separatist media howled, the issue lasted a news cycle or two and died because there was no traction.
While Pauline and the PQ made one unpopular and ridiculous promise or policy pronouncement after the other, Couillard displayed a self-disciplined reserve and sang-froid, not seen in a Canadian politician in a generation, saying and offering nothing, when saying and offering was the right thing to do. Steady as she goes!
Couillard wisely surrendered the spotlight to the embarrassingly inept Pauline, who twirled around the political dance floor like a left-footed klutz.
By accident or design, Couillard gave politicians across this country a lesson in electioneering, a reminder that going negative against an opponent is always the best strategy, especially when you can pull it off without seeming like a bastard or opportunist.
Textbook....Bravo.
Stephen Harper - Loser
While the press widely touted the PQ defeat as a victory for federalism, not all parties and leaders in Ottawa share equally in the good fortune.
For the Conservatives and Stephen Harper a PQ victory, whether minority or majority would have without a doubt assured a Conservative victory in the next federal general election as Canadians in the ROC sought out the biggest SOB to defend their interests against the enemy PQ separatist government in Quebec. And we all know that who that SOB of choice is.
Hands down Harper loses the most with the PQ defeat.
Justin Trudeau- Winner
Thomas Mulcair- Loser
The NDP and Thomas Mulcair have everything to lose in the Quebec sweepstakes because they have the most seats in the province.
The status quo was working quite nicely for them and thus, a Liberal victory can impact upon them much harder than the Conservatives, who have but a handful of MPs. The Liberal victory provincially cannot but help the federal Liberals as well, all to the detriment of Mulcair and the NDP.
Denis Coderre- Winner
Montreal's newly elected mayor got major props in the federalist camp by openly siding with the Liberals in the provincial election. Coderre threatened to sue on behalf of its citizens in opposition to the PQ's proposed Charter of Values, a body blow that the PQ had difficulty absorbing. Usually mayors stay neutral in an effort not to poison the well, just in case they choose the wrong side, but Coderre was unequivocal in his hostility towards the Parti Quebecois and with good reason.
Whatever platitudes the PQ mouthed in public, federalist Montreal has always been a sworn enemy of any PQ government and always paid the price for its Federalist/Anglo/Ethnic/Bilingual status.
A big sigh of relief for Coderre who can now rightfully expect to enjoy the spoils of victory.
Ousted PQ cabinet ministers - Losers
There's only one thing worse than being voted out of office as a cabinet minister, that's being voted out and having your party fall into opposition.
It means that there's no patronage job coming your way to ease the pain as is the norm in our 'jobs for the boys' political heritage.
You might remember that when the PQ won the election eighteen moths ago, the first order of business was to find jobs for the faithful, including the most famous, Nicolas Girard, a PQ stalwart defeat by Françoise David who was named president of the AMT, a government commuter rail agency with nary a drop of experience in the industry.
Some of the defeated PQ ministers will land on their feet, the defeated health minister Réjean Hébert, can go back to being a doctor, (I'm sure he'll have no problem getting a PREM) but after the defeat, he admitted being extremely distraught.
The ousted Minister of Justice Bernard St. Arnaud, can return to his law practice, but it's a huge comedown, the limousines and the power hard to give up after such a short stint.
For ex-Radio-Canada reporter, outgoing higher education minister Pierre Duchesne, there's probably no soft landing, not unless PKP gives him a job in his media empire.
Yves-François Blanchet defeated minister of durable something or other, hasn't got much to fall back on either, he comes from the arts community and has flitted from job to job before being elected. It's another hard fall.
For all of the defeated ministers, the Humpty-Dumpty fall means that that it's downhill from here.
Defeated Liberal candidates - Winners
Two days after the election , Philippe Couillard gathered his elected caucus in Quebec city, INCLUDING those Liberal candidates defeated in the election, a clear sign that he recognizes their contributions.
Say it with me readers...... 'Coming up... JOB FOR THE BOYS!'
Jewish General and Montreal General Hospitals - Winners
These two hospitals were on the PQ hit list, a determined effort to cut down their influence and power.
The defeated Health minister was bent on taking apart the fine oncology departments by shifting money from these cancer centres to hospitals in the 450 region.
So real was the threat, that junior oncologists and radiation oncologists in those two hospitals were sending out C/Vs, in the eventually that their jobs were made redundant.
Both hospitals would have also been devastated by strict enforcement of the Charter of Values, the workforce in both institutions decidedly representative of the Montreal reality.
That fact was actually considered a 'plus' by PQ hardliners.
McGill University & English cegeps - Winners
If there's any one public institution that sovereigntist hardliners detest, it is McGill University. The very idea that Quebec's finest university is English, galling to the nth degree. Defeated higher education minister Pierre Duchesne was working on a plan that would give additional money to universities that took in affirmative action students...in other words, more dummies, decidedly not McGill's style.
As for the English cegeps, the PQ plan to apply Bill 101 to the selection of students would bar enrolment to Franco and Allos, a disastrous situation not for the Anglos, but for the others. The English cegeps are the only schools in the entire network that has daunting entrance requirements, all predicated on demand.
Gaspé region- Loser
Backing the wrong horse by voting in a PQ MNA may prove costly for the region.
While Couillard is not known as a vengeful fellow, he won't bend over backwards to shovel buckets of money to a bunch of ingrates and he'll have the backing of most Quebecers in dealing a dish of humble pie to those in the peninsula who have sucked off taxpayers generosity for generations.
Îles-de-la-Madeleine- Winner
Watch out for the reality of politics whereby backing the winning horse by voting in a Liberal MNA pays off big time for this island of three-month a year fishermen.
They may not be more hard working then the indolents in the Gaspé, but they are certainly more politically attuned, dumping the incumbent PQ MNA for the winning team.
Les 'Janettes' Losers
This ad hoc group of women from the artistic community was put together by PKP's ex, Julie Snyder, who was inspired by Janette Bertrand's impassioned defence of the Charter of Values.
The Janettes became a force in the Charter drive till the fateful day when the leader opened her mouth and complained about fictional rich Muslim students from McGill university, taking over her building's swimming pool, like a barbarian horde.
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POOF! That was it.The women who supported the original letter published in the media, all added 'Janette' as their adopted middle name in honour of their leader, something that I'm sure they are cringing about right now
So let me remind them all of their folly, and put it out there for posterity...
LES JANETTES
- Janette Bertrand, author, actress, TV personality
- Abla "Janette" Farhoud, feminist writer
- Brigitte "Janette" Poupart, stage directer
- Chantal "Janette" Renaud, scriptwriter
- Denise "Janette" Filiatrault, actress, Stage directer
- Denise "Janette" Robert, directer
- Djemila "Janette"Benhabib, writer
- Édith "Janette" Cochrane, actress
- Evelyne "Janette" Rompré, actress
- Isabelle"Janette" Le Pain, teacher, author
- Joëlle "Janette"' Morin, actress/activist
- Julie "Janette" Snyder, (Leader of the pack) TV host and producer
- Louise "Janette"' Mailloux, professor of philosophy
- Marie-Anne "Janette" Alepin, actress and producer
- Michelle "Janette" Blanc, author and speaker
- Naïma "Janette"Lamghoupi
- Rakia "Janette" Fourati, Secular rights activist
- Rivkah "Janette" Katz, studant
- Stéphanie "Janette" Crête-Blais, actress
- Valérie "Janette" Vennes, social worker
Elections Quebec- Loser
Now readers, I've deliberately left out many other WINNERS and LOSERS, hoping that you'll contribute in the comments section.
So get to work and nominate some of your favourites!....
See you in the comments section..
