Separatist Parade a Sad Humilitation

There are those in the militant French language camp who maintain with perfectly straight faces that the Fete St. Jean celebrations are open to all and are inclusive, as long as participants agree in advance that 'tous passe en français.'

Unfortunately, such is not the case, the government in all its wisdom handed the organization of the festivities to radical sovereigntists. In Montreal, Mario Beaulieu (president of the Societe Saint-Jean-Baptiste, of Montreal)  is president of the organizing committee, the Comité de la Fête nationale du Québec à Montréal and so, it should come as no surprise that the festivities have a separatist bent.

In this regard the government has only itself to blame.

The real problem is not that anglos and ethnics are not welcome per se, it is that federalists are not welcome and as a result of that reality, Anglos and Ethnics become excluded.

I took a bit of heat in the comments section last week for telling Anglo and Ethnic readers that we are not welcome and we are not wanted at these festivities. I stand by that assertion and offer a critique of the parade as rebuttal to those pretending that the parade and the celebration of the St. Jean Baptist Day, aka the 'Fete Nationale,'  is something other than a separatist manifestation.

Nothing reflects this separatist ideology better than the parade, which celebrates Quebec history to the point of distortion, eliminating the English from the narrative and whitewashing the fact that Anglophones were instrumental in building Quebec, particularly Montreal.

It's a bit of fantasy, akin to Photoshopping a divorced partner out of the family album.

The parade centers around twenty or so "giants,'  ten to fifteen foot high representations of famous Quebec historical figures. These garish floats look as if they were conceived in an amateur art class, ugly and fearsome. I never knew that Jacques Cartier suffered from acute acne and that he was bug-eyed!

If you think I'm being unfairly cruel, a sad anglo trying to 'rain on the parade' I defy anyone to justify this 'giant' on the right.
I've no clue as to what it represents, but it seems that some Quebec ancestors must have arrived from   ORK, which obviously must be a French-speaking planet!

Of all the 'giants' paraded, there was not even one representing an Anglo, Scot or Irishman, apparently we don't rate.

Considering that Montreal was largely built by these three English-speaking groups, it is an unpardonable re-writing of history.

Shame! It is an unconscionable travesty to pretend that Quebec's history is devoid of anglos contributors.

Read about the Scottish contribution to Quebec

Famous Anglos who might deserve a 'geant' 

So thank you very much, but we'll have no more platitudes about the inclusiveness of the parade from organizers.  

To paraphrase OJ Simpson's lawyer- "If you are not French, Sit on the bench!"

Last year, the patron saint of the Quebec, John the Baptist, was present, but curiously even he was absent this year (according to the TV version of the parade.)

The Rocket Richard float remains a curiosity, with the famous hockey player bedecked in a Canadians jersey, sans the famous "CH" crest. Did the hockey team refuse permission to use the logo or was the organizing committee offended by the fact that the symbol was representative of the word 'Canadiens'?
A curious public wants to know.....

The first clue that this was a separatist celebration was Chantale Trottier president of the  Mouvement national des Québécoises et Québécois waving merrily to the crowd from one of the convertibles filled with Quebecois 'notables'
Her organization is dedicated to four principles; 

1. Quebec sovereignty
2. Protection and promotion of French
3. Promotion of national pride
4. Coordination of the Fête nationale du Québec

The parade lasted barely an hour, a sad testament to revisionist history, ugly and amateur floats, enthusiastic but poorly choreographed students plucked from various amateur dance schools, who were paid $25  plus a meal, according to the SSJB website.
So much for patriotic zeal. Pitiful.

As is the tradition, notable politicians march together to signal the end of the parade. This year several personalities were notorious by their absence.
Last year I published a photo of Jack Layton and Uncle Tom Mulcair marching arm in arm with the likes of Amir Khadir and Mario Bealieu.
I've heard through the grapevine, that the publication of that photo, memorializing that association did not sit well with the powers that be in the NDP.
This year both leaders were nowhere to be seen. Mulcair made it a point to tell a Radio-Canada reporter that he was too busy in Ottawa to attend!

Last year(top) Layton, Mulcair and  Khadir front and center. This year, Khadir alone, banished to the sidelines.

Interestingly, Amir Khadir was relegated to the end of the line and was forced to march far, far, from Pauline Marois.
Gilles Duceppe was there, giving credence to a news report that he's interested in a political comeback.

As final proof of the separatist bent to the parade I offer these pictures. You be the judge.

Now compare this sad parade to that of the St. Patrick's Day parade, which interestingly uses the same optic as the St. Jean Baptiste parade, that is, the idea that everyone is Irish on St. Paddy's Day.

This camaraderie and honest inclusiveness makes the Irish parade the most successful parade in Canada, with sponsors and groups lining up to participate to the point that there is a waiting list. Marching bands, military groups, community groups, corporations, small business, bars and restaurants,  media and politicians of all stripes from Quebec, Ontario and the Northern American states are welcomed to participate, whether Irish or not.

When I see the colonial Yankee fife and drum corps, march down St. Catherine street,carrying the American flag, playing a historic chord,  it sends chills down my spine. Not because I'm a Yankee, but because these are our valued neighbours, who have proudly honoured us with their presence!
What a fine parade!
Everyone is welcome! Hurray!

It this open and non-political attitude that makes the difference!

The message of the Fete St. Jean parade is not a celebration of Quebec culture. It is not a celebration of the French fact or the French language.

It is a celebration of Francophone separatists and as such enjoys the exact success it deserves.

Shame on the provincial government in abdicating its responsibility by allowing a separatist lobby group to hijack the holiday.

It is indecent.

Denis de Belleval -Quebec's Most Hated Man

You'd never know it looking at the photo of Denis de Belleval that he's now probably the most hated man in Quebec. The mild-mannered, soft-spoken ex-civil servant is the paragon of calm, reasoned and lucid reasoning and perhaps that is why he is so disliked.

Mr. De Belleval is an ex-Quebec city manager who has taken exception to the under the table deal that Mayor Regis Lebeaume struck with media scion Pierre-Karl Péladeau, in relation to the proposed new arena in Quebec City.
Mr. De Belleval has unleashed, by way of his threatened lawsuit which would challenge the legality of the deal, a series of improbable and cascading events which has shaken the political foundations of the Parti Quebecois. For an excellent explanation of the whole affair watch the video report by CTV Montreal HERE{Eng}

There's little doubt that Mayor Regis Lebeaume pulled a fast one in signing the deal with Quebecor without calling for tenders as required by municipal law, hoping that in the frenzied anticipation for a new NHL team, nobody would contest the faux pas.
But somebody did and when De Belleval made noises about challenging the deal in court Lebeaume scurried to his friends in the PQ to help him insulate the deal by way of a private members bill that would shield the city from any such litigation.
As we all know, that didn't turn out well for Lebeaume and the PQ and the failure of the Bill to pass in Parliament has allowed the lawsuit to go forward, much to the chagrin of arena supporters.
This has unleashed a torrent of hate and nastiness,  directed at Mr. De Belleval for his audacity to challenge the collective will of arena supporters. While one would expect the comments sections under related news articles to be filled with vitriolic denunciations, what is shocking is the virulent and nasty criticism levied upon Mr. DeBelleval in the mainstream press.
I've seen a lot of angry denunciations in my time, but this one, by Albert Ladouceur of the Journal de Quebec,  has to take the cake. The level of anger and hate is beyond the pale and is usually reserved for war criminals and serial killers;

The vicious hypocrisy of hate

"Removing the mask of Denis Belleval unveils the face of the vicious hypocrisy of a former politician and civil servant who is waging a personal and acrimonious war on the backs of the whole population.

Belleval hates mayor Régis Labeaume to the depths of his soul....
.. His press release yesterday betrays contempt for Quebecor and the NHL.....

...This man has never been motivated by a sincere desire to defend democracy.

... By his arrogant attitude, his pretentious speech, this character places himself in a position of vulnerability from individuals who do not always express their feelings of frustration and anger in a civilized manner.

As patronizing as an aristocrat from a royal court, De Belleval, CEO of the city during the era when the Nordiques of 1995 left town, he ignores the desire of the majority of Quebecers. He is trampling on the will of citizens who support the construction of an arena and a return of the NHL. He does not listen to them. He hears only himself.

By removing his mask, De Belleval positions himself squarely against the efforts of a major local company to bring the NHL to Quebec City. He has vomited on Bettman and the NHL and all professional sports.

He calls the NHL "an industry so badly managed that the majority of its members are virtually bankrupt. Only the use of public funding allows them to survive.... "

According to De Belleval, "the slavish and destructive pursuit of a professional franchise is undermining the social fabric of many cities in the world and regularly gives rise to public finance disasters."....

...Those who support him may discover in him a destructive and narcissistic tendency, rather than the need to carry the torch of democracy.   LINK{FR}

Wow! The writer actually warns that Mr. de Belleval has put his life in danger!

Here is another pretty vicious attack, this time by Jean-Jacques Samson, again in the Journal de Quebec;

Eastern Quebec supprots the arena project massively

"The allegations by Denis de Belleval on Regis Labeaume, Quebecor and the NHL displays  staggering and contemptuous rage..

His vicious attack is packed with innuendo, malicious references to possible criminal acts or irregularities, of favouritism in the negotiations between the City of Quebec and Quebecor, as we have witnessed in recently in other municipalities.....

M. Belleval makes unfair and derogatory judgments about mayor Régis Labeaume and Quebecor Media, which he associates with corporate welfare bums....

...M. Belleval is discredited by his emotional, offensive and unreasonable accusations.

The  right arm of the former mayor Jean-Paul L'Allier, is in a particularly poor position to criticize anyone, company or individual, having just been removed from the government. His entire career has been spent, with the exception of a brief interlude from 1983 to 1985 , working for the government He has benefited from personal acquaintances with Brian Mulroney, Lucien Bouchard, and friends in an old boys network from the University of Laval."

The author then goes on to a lengthy description of the government largess that Mr. de Belleval benefited from including numerous soft appointments to government jobs and several golden parachutes.

"...Should we then speak of civilian welfare bums to designate members of this small oligarchy which distributes among themselves the positions of power? ...

..I fail to understand what De Belleval seeks, perhaps an escalation of litigation? An old Breton proverb says, that he who pisses into the wind will rinse his teeth." LINK{FR}

Here's one more denunciation from the same article, this time by Jérôme Landry, of 'Nordiques Nation,' a lobby group set up to promote the return of an NHL team to Quebec.

"He knows nothing and it takes up too much public space. He alone knows what is good for society. It is a pretentious position. What is wrong with listening to what people want? I do not know by what right he can put a spoke in the wheels of an important project for Quebec. It's snobbery. He looks down on all that the middle class enjoys. He's a 'dinosaur' according to Regis Labeaume. "This generation of politicians and officials cost Quebecers a lot.

 It is those like him who are responsible for deficits and debt. It is those like him who have created financial problems in Quebec. The generation of the 80s. He's in no position to lecture anyone. I 'd like him to clarify the severance packages he received for his work in the public sector. The author of all that has happened, Denis Belleval put his personal political agenda before the public interest of the taxpayers of Quebec." LINK{FR}

And so the attacks on Mr. de Belleval, mostly ad hominem  display a rage rarely seen in the press. The arena issue and Mr. de Belleval's unwelcomed interference has so enraged the local Quebec City press that all manner of scorn has rained down upon him and the fact that he seems to relish the attention further exacerbates the controversy.

But Mr. De Belleval is not the only one to feel the public's rage in the arena affair. Amir Khadir, the hitherto untouchable member of the Quebec Solidaire, who despite his numerous controversial positions has never really had the shine taken off his apple, is now perceived by 37% of Quebeckers as the chief instigator of opposition to the Quebec City arena.
Through thick and thin Khadir has maintained his personal popularity, but it now seems that it is limited to his constituency in the Plateau Mont-Royal in Montreal. Mr. Khadir, who has attacked, big business, rich people, Israel, the United States, and Canada in the past, much to the indifference of Quebeckers, miscalculated when he attacked hockey.
Now that's something that Quebeckers will just not cotton to!

His position against the arena has badly hurt the chances of his party in the next election and its chance to elect members outside the island of Montreal. A poll in Le Devoir on Saturday pegged the QS support down to 9%, just enough to hurt the PQ through vote-splitting, but not really enough to elect any members aside from Khadir.
Thank-you, Mr. Khadir!


NOTE TO READERS
As summer is upon us, I'm going to take a semi-break by publishing just three times week, MONDAY, WEDNESDAY and FRIDAY, until September.

I do hope you'll continue to drop by!

The Queen Versus Amir Khadir

Time permitting Amir Khadir has promised to take part in the demonstration planned to protest the Royal visit next month by Prince William and Kate and of course, we'd expect no less.

For Khadir there's nothing like a good demonstration, to get his blood circulating. Ever since he was a little boy his father, a Communist organizer dragged him to one demonstration after another, fighting for the downtrodden proletariat, and like a Jehovah's Witness canvasser, after a while, it becomes second nature, an accustomed way of life. 

And so while Christians are slaughtered in Egypt, while Syrian children are cut down by their own soldiers and while Colonel Qaddafi masterminds a slaughter of his own people, it's the Royals and a poor shoe seller on St. Denis Street in Montreal who are the targets of this very brave, self-righteous and honourable politician. 

Mr. Khadir is renowned for his clever sloganeering and his repeated use of libelous untruths to further his message of peace, love and communism socialism, where in his idyllic Shangri-la, the world is free from big business, bosses, rich people, pollution, Jews, Americans and of course--  the Queen of England.

"PARASITES!" was the headline that made it's way across the ocean to the pages of the Daily Mail, where Mr. Khadir's reference to the Royals, didn't go over big. The paper quoted a Calgary reader of the National Post as saying "As for Quebec, the less said the better with those constant leeches on the rest of Canada.' LINK

I'm not a great fan of the Royals but respect those who get a great deal of enjoyment out of the Monarchy. That being said, it behooves me to defend the Royals when Mr. Khadirs slanders them gratuitously.

The Royals may be a lot of things but parasites they are not.

In fact they work very hard at their job and pursue their duties with dedication and good grace. What exactly is their job? To bring joy to those who are interested and trust me, there are plenty of Canadians who are interested. 

Visiting the ill, opening a new road or hospital, trouping the colours, touring disaster zones, giving out awards, hosting garden parties for thousands, shaking hands and waving are all part of the Royal duties that the Queen and her family do, day in and day out.
Does Mr. Khadir really believe William and Kate are coming to visit Yellowknife for a vacation that we are paying for?

Lady Diana, during her shortened life worked tirelessly on various charities and almost single-handed brought the issue of land-mines to world attention. It is a legacy that Kate has committed to continue.

As for costs, forget it, the Royals are a bargain beyond belief. 

Half of Britain's tourism industry is based on the Royal Family. The Changing of the Guard, the Tower of London and even Buckingham Palace, which you can actually visit in the summer, are driving forces that keep visitors coming to London.

The Royal wedding of William and Kate, which did cost the state tens of millions of pounds in security (the Royal family paid for the actual wedding) was worth BILLIONS in new tourist dollars.

As for Canada, each of us contributes about a buck-fifty as our part of the Royal upkeep bill, not a heckuva lot of money and well worth it when one considers the pleasure some Canadians derive from the Royal Family.

Even if it is only 10% or 20% who do enjoy these Royal visits, the money is piddling. Consider all the other subsidies we provide for, the arts programs that few people partake, Telefilm Canada, CBC, Radio Canada, theatres and art gallery subsidies, billions and billions spent on culture that most of us don't want.
So Mr Khadir objects to the $1.50 each of us spends on the Royals, so much so that is is worth demonstrating over.
There are things most of us also object to, perhaps Canadians can organize a demonstration to voice our disapproval over the $200.00 each and every Canadian is forced to cough up to pay for  Quebec's equalization payment. Yup, 200 bucks, not a $1.50!

Mr. Khadir may hate the Royals for many reasons, but when he calls them parasites he is out of bounds, because it is simply not true.

At any rate, I don't believe the opinion polls that say that few Canadians support the Monarchy because it's probably a little embarrassing to admit such a sugary attachment, akin to admitting that you enjoy fan magazines and that you secretly follow the lives of Brangelina,  George Clooney and the ever-talented Kardashian clan.

If nobody was interested in the Royal family, why did a gazillion people watch the Royal wedding world-wide? 

In Canada over 5 million people, over 38% of us, watched some or all of the Royal wedding!

Even separatists and militants watched the wedding because for many it was wonderful entertainment, pure and simple.

For many of us the Royal Family is a delicious real-life fantasy. Like a romance movie full of princes and princesses, costumes and palaces. Adult fantasy, just like Avatar the movie!

So Mr. Khadir, huff and puff all you want. Demonstrate your outrage and scorn with the other merry idiots who believe that the Royal Family is something worth demonstrating over. The Royals as enemies of Quebec is so passé, that most sovereignist organizations have given up protesting long ago.

In English we call people like you a- 'spoil-sport,' someone who takes joy ruining other people's pleasure.

In you are a separatist, the British royal family is as relevant to you as is the Swedish or Dutch Royal family. All the demonstration achieves is to ruin the fun of others, which I imagine, is precisely the goal.

For Amir Khadir, the RRQ and the SSJB knuckleheads, pissing in someone else's soup is an achievement they can be rightfully ashamed of.

Further reading:

Amir Khadir Has a Lot to Hide

Amir Khadir Justifies Terrorism

On Tuesday, Amir Khadir was the only member of Quebec's Parliament to refuse to vote in favour of an anti-terrorism resolution that underlined the province's commitment to be a part of the world community that is facing down the scourge of terrorism.

This is the second time this year he has refused unanimous consent to an all party resolution. Readers will recall that he refused to allow debate on a motion that was to condemn the boycott of a Montreal shoe store, by a rag-tag group of ex-pat Palestinians, local communists and a bunch self-loathing Jews, because the store stocked Israeli shoes.
That unpopular boycott, which flopped terribly, was roundly rejected by the vast majority of Quebeckers.

Tuesday's motion, agreed upon by everyone in the National Assembly, save Mr. Khadir, was cobbled together after much discussion by the three major parties.

"Quebec has and will continue to be an ally of the whole international community in security issues and more particularly against the menace of terrorism"" Link

The motion also noted "The perseverance of the United States and its allies in the quest for greater security around the world."

This of course was too much for Mr. Khadir who told reporters that the language of the motion reminded him of George Bush. 

Mr. Khadir, pussyfooted around, making all sorts of excuses as to why he would not support the motion, but his motives remain transparent. 
Anything that can put Islam or Islamic countries in a bad light must be rejected, while anything that reflects poorly on the West, particularly America and Israel must be supported.
Mr. Khadir went on to actually justify terrorism by telling reporters that the declaration adopted by the Assembly should also have considered the causes of terrorism, including the Palestinian question.
He also noted we should consider the fact that Islamist terrorism is waning, and intimated that the Islamo-fanatics were somehow coming to their senses. 
Instead,  Mr. Khadir might consider that the decline in terrorism is more likely the result of the war on terrorism waged by the West, something he refused to support by voting against the resolution!


Calling the death of Osama bin Laden a political assassination, Mr. Khadir reminds us that his outlook on the world is largely based on the fantasy that Muslims are victims and Westerners are persecutors and colonialists. 

Mr. Khadir remains a shining example of hypocrisy that is the hallmark of the anti-Israel, anti-America community that regularly bashes the West, but remains silent in the face of fascism and repression that is the basis of society of most of the Arab/Muslim nations.

You'll recall that Mr. Khadir was so furious over the death of twelve activists on a boat running the Gaza blockade and intercepted by the Israeli navy that he demanded that the National Assembly pass a resolution crafted by himself condemning Israel as a barbaric nation.
He accused Israel of war crimes in it's war with the terrorist government of Gaza after they had  bombarded Israel for months with all manner of rocket fire.

Mr, Khadir and his cohorts have always maintained that they are not targeting Israel because it is Jewish, but rather because it is evil.

Well how about those Middle Eastern countries that Mr. Khadir is so fond of. There's plenty of evil over there!
The government of Syria's crackdown on its own citizens has already resulted in more civilian deaths (over 800 to date) than occurred during Operation Cast Lead. With no let up in sight, the regime is getting more and more brutal and savage each day. Reports of torture, imprisonment, beatings and murder continue to be widely reported.


Where are the marches, demonstrations and campus rallies to protest Colonel Gaddafy's war against his citizens that has cost over six times the lives lost in the Gaza war, with no end in sight?
If Mr. Khadir thinks Israel indiscriminately bombarded Gaza, he should check out the city of Misrata!

Where is the outrage by Mr. Khadir?  
How about throwing a shoe at a picture of Assad or Gaddafy?

While certain Canadian organizations prepare to embark on an embargo busting boat trip to Gaza, meant to humiliate Israel, perhaps they can make a detour Syria and Libya to deliver  medical supplies, much needed as a result of the savage assault of the people by their own government.


No, I don't think that is on.... it doesn't fit Mr. Khadir's narrative.

Further reading:

Amir Khadir Has a Lot to Hide

Pauline Marois' Losing Conditions and Other Nonsense

So it's Friday and perhaps time to wrap up the week with a couple of mini-stories that don't have enough girth to merit a separate post. 

Pauline Marois Declares negotiating strategy

One of the most basic rules of negotiating is not to let your opponent know your strategy beforehand. It's something Pauline Marois apparently never learned, but perhaps should have, considering that her strategy to win support for sovereignty is so ridiculous.
Madame Marois has told a PQ meeting that since 'winning conditions' don't seem to be in the offing any time soon, she'll boost support for sovereignty by entering into bad faith negotiations with Ottawa, the purpose of which is to end up in protracted arguments that will somehow fuel support for sovereignty.

"....she intends to make demands for new powers within Canadian federalism in such fields as culture in the hope they will be refused, provoking crises in Quebec-Ottawa relations that will boost support for secession.
"We're finished with the winning conditions," she told a PQ regional convention," LINK

Pauline Marois: "Mr. Harper, I demand that we enter into negotiations to return more power to Quebec and I'm telling you right now that I won't agree to anything, no matter what!"

Stephen Harper: "Hmm...."

Anybody else see any problem with this plan?

Language cops get new Boss

The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) got a new boss Louise Marchand who is promising renewed vigor and more transparency in protecting the French language.
What's interesting about this?....nothing at all.

But I wanted to publish her picture because she looks like a corpse and has a smile worthy of the WAX museum...... eeeks..

Amir Khadir gets a taste of his own medicine

For someone who has tried to  have a myriad of anti-Israel motions passed in Quebec's Parliament, the  Assemblee nationale, Amir Khadir felt the sting of being the object of just such a motion himself.

A motion put forward by all three of the other political parties representing all the members of the House except for Mr. Khadir, condemned the boycott of the shoe store by the left wing organization PAJU.

To add insult to injury the motion reiterated the Parliament's support for the cooperation agreement with Israel signed by the government of Israel several years ago. LINK

"Although blocked by the sole member of Québec solidaire, "said Director General of Quebec/Israel Committee, Luciano G. Del Negro, "this motion is not only a stinging disavowal and consensus of the campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel promoted by Mr. Amir Khadir and his political party (Quebec solidaire), but a rejection of the Zionist ideological war that Mr. Khadir has brought to the National Assembly and into the street. ""

Mr. Khadir was forced to deny the unanimous consent required to debate the motion, the only member to do so. It was a humiliating comeuppance.

In a statement released on the Quebec solidaire website, Khadir complained that the motion was flawed;

"The motion by the member for Shefford in support of Le Marcheur shop was misleading in consideration that the boycott of the store by a group of citizens ended two weeks ago."

But alas, Amir couldn't even get that right!

PAJU, the group organizing the protest is back outside Le Marcheur once again, after taking a two week break.

Separatist online petition's ignominious end

The over-hyped online petition demanding Premier Charest's resignation came to an ignominious end when the government refused to table the printout. Pierre Moreau, the brand new  Minister of intergovernmental Affairs refused to accept the petition because according to him, 'it contained a fatal flaw' in that it demanded that the parliamentarians do what they could not legally do, that is, fire  Premier Charest. The opposition parties were furious to see the petition dumped so frivolously and lashed out angrily. LINK

Asked to comment on the petition Premier Charest shrugged it off, remarking; "Didn't Rick Mercer get 600,000 names for Stockwell Day to change his name to Doris?"  LINK

The PQ and the Bloc solidaire were all agog over the 250,000 signatures, but considering that over a million people voted for the PQ in the last election, getting a quarter of them to sign a partisan petition online was not much of an achievement.
The petition was, so to speak, not worth the paper it wasn't written on!

Steve Brosseau, the organizer of the petition promised to also organize a demonstration in front of Parliament. After testing the waters to gauge how many people would actually show up, he backed off when he realized very few would actually attend. LINK

Earl Jones likely to sit in jail....

Passage of the government's crime law Bill-C59, which I've affectionately dubbed as "Earl's Law" has raised a level of controversy between legalists as to whether the elimination of the 1/6 provision for parole can be applied retroactively to Earl Jones.
According to a bar expert, Stephen Sineberg, the law's retroactive nature may be anti-constitutional in that it modifies an already existing sentence. Prisoners who accepted a plea 'deal' in exchange for an expectation of early parlole are now seeing the government modifying that possibility after the fact. LINK{FR}

But a criminal lawyer aware of the Earl Jones case has told me that he is pretty sure that the law will hold up and poor Earl will be incarcerated in the big house for at least 44 months.
His interpretation of the effect of 'Earl's law' is somewhat different from Mr. Sineberg's. Here's what I've been told.

A prisoner's sentence cannot be modified once handed down. That means, should the law change and the amount of jail time for a certain crime be modified, it cannot affect the previously convicted.

That being said, how a prisoner serves his sentence is flexible and to some extent up to the parole board. A prisoner who has been given a 10 year sentence may serve 5 years in prison and 5 on parole. Another may serve 3 in prison and 7 on parole. In both cases the criminals will be deemed to have served their entire sentence.
If Earl Jones serves 1/6 of his sentence in jail and the rest on parole or if he serves 2/3 of his sentence behind bars and the rest on parole, he will he have been deemed to have fulfilled his sentence, as well.

Many criminals that go into jail don't know exactly when their parole will start, or if they will be getting parole at all, and Earl Jones is no exception.
The key is, that he'll serve his full original sentence, but how many years on parole or in jail, is up to authorities.
And so the new provisions of the law do not modify his actual sentence. They modify parole conditions which are at any rate flexible to begin with.

This week, The Truth in Sentencing Act, which came into effect last year survived its first judicial challenge. An Ontario judge ruled that abolishing the 2-for-1 sentencing credit that offenders received for time served before their sentence was constitutional. LINK

Montreal City councillors vote in favour of boycott

In reaction to a motion put forward by the Montreal mayor opposing the boycott of the Montreal shoe store LE MARCHEUR, for selling Israeli shoes, Louise Harel and her gang voted in favour of those persecuting the small Montreal merchant. She repeated the hackneyed leftist position that Israel is comparable to apartheid South Africa. Her opposition to the motion was supported by her entire Vision Montreal team as well as about half the councillors on Projet Montreal team..
The motion passed 38-16, but not before some heated debates in council.
In supporting a stupid and meaningless assault on a small merchant, Madame Harel has validated Montrealers view that she remains a dangerous leftist ideologue bitch politician.  LINK

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Let me end the week on a bit of a humorous note.
Failqc.com is a relatively new website that you should click on at least once a week to get a nice laugh.

Inspired by the FAIL genre that features the less than successful achievements, it focuses on the dubious  aspects of Quebec life. I've pulled out a few examples that are somehow related to language and the French/English thing. Enjoy.

By the way, for those who don't speak French I've provided an explanation when necessary.

Seen in Ottawa. Sorry, if you don't actually speak French, I can't help you with this one. Ha ha!!!!

Translation FAILS are more common than you'd think, especially when the manufacturer uses GOOGLE to translate or some other online translation software. Hey, don't laugh the RCMP is no better... LINK

This last video is just plain devastatingly funny. For late-nighters, Call-TV is a mind-numbing time-wasting television show that is best watched under the influence. The presenters try anything to get people to participate in the moronic games meant to suck you in to making a toll 1-900 call.

Here, the hostess pretends that she is pissed-off that nobody is calling in and exhorts the audience to call-in to express displeasure with the producer, who she purportedly wants to have fired for coming up with such lame games.

It's a great example of why Quebec French is as expressive as any language in the world.

This piece is appropriately called;

"On peut-tu crisser le fucking producteur dewors?!"

Have a very good weekend!

Shoe Boycott Brings Unintended Benefits.

Watching an interview with Yves Archambault, the owner of the LE MARCHEUR shoe boutique (the store subject to an anti-Israeli boycott,) had me playing the devil's advocate in my head, as the owner told Mario Dumont how terribly debilitating the boycott was.

Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not in favour of the boycott, but my 'Doubting Thomas' nature had me watching the interview with a pronounced measure of skepticism.

I've added subtitles (they are not comprehensive, so no complaining) so that you yourself can watch and make your own determination

My journalistic radar was triggered by Mr Archambault's tale of woe. Certainly it isn't as bad as all that?
Now as an old retailer myself, I understand that this type of publicity is priceless. The store has seen its sales skyrocket, notwithstanding what the owner tells us.

There are stories telling of people making large purchases including one of a woman buying $3,000 worth of shoes in one shot! Link

Each week people who never heard of the LE MARCHEUR before, cross the city to descend on the store to do their part to show solidarity and to participate in a 'buycott"
It's become a bit of a tourist attraction, always a good thing for business!

I remain sympathetic, but pleeese, Mr. Archambault, you're laying it on a bit thick!

As for PAJU, the group organizing the boycott, even in spectacular failure, they have accomplished what they never have been able to do before before- get exposure.

This rag-tag group of communists, socialists, Israel-bashers are finally getting their fifteen minutes of fame, so I don't imagine they're going to give it up!

Although they temporarily called off the boycott because of the threat of a fascist group attending the demonstration, they'll be back, count on it.
These people have spent a lifetime being ignored, yet they persevere. Do you honestly think they'd give up the limelight over a little detail like success or failure?

And so they'll return, much to the secret appreciation of Mr. Archambault and the press which is having a field day covering the story.
Everybody's a winner.

Everybody, except for one lonely politician.....

Amir Khadir Being Destroyed By Shoe Boycott

While PAJU continues its weekly Saturday  boycott of the LE MARCHEUR shoe store in Montreal, it's becoming clear that the only real damage being inflicted, is the ongoing publicity nightmare that is consuming the reputation of Amir Khadir and the Quebec Solidaire party.

Each Saturday a rag-tag group of Israel-bashers, consisting mostly of a combination of communists and self-loathing Jews, continue to protest in front of the Le Marcheur shoe on St. Denis street in Montreal, despite the fact that the continued 'action' has blown up rather poetically in their faces.
The demonstration has become a circus and is now attracting yahoos, including fascist Jean-Roch Villemaire the separatist/anti-immigration activist who was convicted last year for attacks against anglos. Link
It seems that when it comes to Israel-bashing both communists and fascists find common ground in Quebec! Read: L'extrême droite avec l'extrême gauche?(fr)
(A shout out to PIERRE F. for the heads-up)

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 LATE BREAKING NEWS!!!!

 Late yesterday PAJU has called a temporary halt to their boycott due to, according to them, facists joining their numbers. This blog piece already made reference to  Jean-Roch Villemaire and his MNRQ group  joining the boycott.... LINK

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Last week, politicians of all political stripes  dropped by the Boutique to offer support including Conservatives Steven Blaney and Rudy Husny, Liberals Marc Garneau and Marlene Jennings, Provincial Liberal Lawrence Bergman, ADQ members,Gérard Deltell and François Bonnardel as well as the PQ's Martin Lemay. 

It's patently clear in which direction the political winds are blowing. It seems that politicians of all parties (except Quebec solidaire) want to get in on the anti-boycott bandwagon.

For enemies of Mr. Khadir, it's the boycott that keeps giving!

Let me quickly refresh your memory as to the events leading up to this post.
Mr. Khadir, a radical separatist/socialist/communist member of Quebec's Parliament and the lone representative of the like-minded Quebec Solidaire party participated in a boycott demonstration in front of a Montreal independent shoe store that sold a small amount of Israeli made shoes.

Mr. Khadir handed out flyers encouraging clients not to shop in the store until it stopped selling the aforementioned shoes.

His participation in that boycott against the merchant blew up in his face as the media objected to a sitting member of Parliament participating in a boycott of a small Quebecois merchant, who had broken no laws. At first, Mr. Khadir made the mistake of defending his actions which proved to be a huge mistake which he likely regrets.

In reaction to all this, a concerted effort led by conservative journalist Eric Duhaime is afoot to expose, humiliate and denigrate the hitherto popular Khadir, something that has blindsided the usually media-savvy Khadir.

For Mr. Khadir, a quick apology and an admission that his presence at the protest was a mistake would have neatly defused the negative impact of his actions.

After all, everyone makes mistakes and Mr. Khadir's popularity was such that he could easily have withstood a small error in judgment.

Like Martha Stewart and Conrad Black, celebrities who thought they could brazen it out, they are often punished with a barrel of hurt when they fail to acknowledge a misdeed.

And so Mr. Khadir continues to be pilloried.

He first defended his position by reminding all who would listen that Jimmy Carter and Desmond Tutu both have called Israel an Apartheid State, but when the attacks became personally directed at himself, he characterized himself a victim of the "Israeli Lobby"
And so Mr. Khadir is  now telling us the Mr. Duhaime, Mr. Dutrizac, Mr. Martineau, his chief detractors in the francophone press (all respected journalists) are  part of that international Jewish conspiracy!

Mr. Khadir is fighting back because the attacks have become utterly vicious. In a radio interview with  Benoît Dutrizac, the journalist railed against Mr. Khadir without any pretense of respect, treating him like trash and demanding that Khadir call off the PAJU dogs.
Khadir defended himself saying he has no control over the group, but Dutrizac reminded him that his father was front and center demonstrating, to which Khadir answered that he was "not his father's keeper" What fun!
At the end of the interview, Dutrizac actually tells Khadir that he hopes the demonstrators get attacked. Listen to the interview(fr)

The issue has neatly veered away from the Israeli question, to the ethics of a sitting member of Parliament boycotting a small law-abiding merchant and realizing where the debate was going, Mr. Khadir, now in full damage control (too little, too late) lied changed his story and said he never discouraged clients from shopping in the store and was rather just encouraging them not to buy Israeli shoes.

He publicly asked for a meeting with the merchant to smooth things over, but the merchant told reporters that Mr. Khadir, notwithstanding what he was now saying, did indeed tell customers not to shop in his store and that he didn't see any point in meeting with Mr. Khadir. 

On the Quebec solidaire web site Khadir attempted to rewrite history.

"Contrary to what has beeen told, I don't believe in a boycott of this store, but a boycott of the Israeli products" Link

A few days ago ultra-conservative journalist Eric Duhaime exposed Mr. Khadir's revisionist view of his actions.

Appearing on Mario Dumont's television shoe, Mr. Duhaime destroyed Mr. Khadir's assertion that he never told clients not to shop in the store, by offering up a picture of Mr. Khadir handing out flyers that explicitly called for a boycott of the store, not the shoes. Touché!

He then reminded viewers that Jimmy Carter had actually apologized and asked forgiveness of the Jewish community for his 'apartheid' remarks.

As I would have noted at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but which is appropriate at any time of the year, I offer an Al Het for any words or deeds of mine that may have done so."- Jimmy Carter

"Al Het" refers to the Yom Kippur prayer asking God forgiveness for sins committed against Him. In modern Hebrew it refers to any plea for forgiveness. LINK

As for Desmond Tutu, Mr Duhaime also told viewers that the anti-apartheid cleric appears to see apartheid everywhere, even in Canada, referring to our treatment of natives.
Mr. Tutu also appears to be a fan of all 'underdogs,' including the 9/11 terrorists.

"He explained (Tutu) that the hijackers had been “willing to pilot a plane and  go to their deaths” because they were making a desperate plea for relief from the “poverty, hunger, and disease” that plagued the people of  their homelands"Link

Richard Martineau of the Le Journal de Montreal has also called out Khadir for making false arguments, specifically by misinterpreting statements by Professor Stephen Scheinberg an ex-director of the B'nai Brith who has been critical of Israel. The professor was aghast that he was being used by Mr. Khadir as an argument to support the boycott. Link

Mr. Martineau quoted the professor as saying that as a Zionist, he reserves the right to criticize the Israeli government, but does not support a movement that seeks to dismantle Israel, not reform it. 

Francois David, leader of Quebec solidaire party sensed the danger to her party and has tried to end the controversy by declaring that Mr. Khadir had made a mistake and that the issue was now closed. Perhaps Quebec Solidaire's position supporting the boycott made her a bit uncomfortable.

But others are not letting things go.
Mr. Khadir has still not acknowledged his mistake or apologized.

As long as the demonstrations continue, Khadir will be blamed and will continue to live a public relations nightmare. The condemnation is such, that not even his usual defenders in the Clique du Plateau or Radio-Canada dare speak out in his defence.

The longer it goes on and criticism of Khadir rages in the media, the harder it will be to shake off the political fallout. Opinions are being re-shaped.

I previously told you that Khadir was invincible in the Plateau Mont-Royal riding.

That may be changing.



Further reading.....:

Amir Khadir Has Jumped the Shark!
Amir Khadir Has a Lot to Hide
Communists Frolic at Khadir Chalet
Amir Khadir's Silence is Deafening
Quebec's Most Popular Politician- Ugh!.....

PAJU Continues Boycott of Shoe Store!

As I mentioned in a recent post the last thing Amir Khadir needs is the boycott of LE MARCHEUR to continue.
I also predicted that the masochists at PAJU would continue the boycott despite the fact that it has blown up in their face and actually increased sales in the store.

The PAJU boycott continues tomorrow at 1:00PM

Boycott Israeli apartheid!!

We are drawing a line in the sand : NO MORE ASSOCIATION WITH ISRAELI APARTHEID!!!
Invite the owner of the boutique Le Marcheur to take the moral decision to remove the shoes made in Apartheid Israel !
Saturday, January 8th 2011
Between 1PM and 3PM, corner Duluth and St-Denis

If you wish to confront them or buy shoes tomorrow is a good opportunity.

If you are a St. Denis merchant and would like PAJU to boycott your store as well, you can make this request tomorrow.
Remember stores lucky enough to be targeted will see sales swell to unprecedented levels!