Despite Marois Bragging, PQ Slate Bereft of Talent

PQ candidates... a slate of losers and fantasists

In reacting to the announcement that the CAQ had scored Jacques Duchesneau as a star candidate, Pauline Marois was quick to point out that one man does not a political party make and that her Parti Quebecois team was more able and experienced.

That piqued my interest as is often the case when politicians make statements that the mainstream press don't challenge.

Is the Parti Quebecois team really deeper than the CAQ when it comes to talent or experience and are they really readier to lead effectively?

So for me, it was off to the keyboard for a little research session, yielding a result that frankly, stunned me.

In reviewing the sitting members and those likely to be elected, it is painfully obvious, just how bereft of talent the PQ really is.
If the Liberals are doubly talented, they still wouldn't be able to muster effective leadership and readers, such is sadly the case.

It's no wonder that the civil service really runs the province, with the government of the day a bothersome pest at best.

Anyways, back to Marois' vainglorious depiction of the PQ 'dream team.'

Most are political hacks, who have risen through the PQ ranks, working as political attachés, thus fulfilling the self-replication of mindless and clueless separatist drones.
Then there's the journalists, the artists, the two-bit lawyers, the teachers, the unionists, ex-mayors and councillors of hick towns, a ragtag collection if ever I saw one.
With outright idiots like Jean-François Lisée and Bernard Drainville, acting as the big guns, the PQ is one scary caucus.
Referendum or not, Heaven help Quebec if these clowns get into office.

In fact, of the whole PQ caucus, the only sitting members I respect are Martine Ouellet and Véronique Hivon.

There isn't anyone there who could run a depanneur and I say that with the deepest respect to depanneurs who are more attuned to the realities of running a real business where the idea is to make money efficiently, instead of spending money foolishly.

Now things may be better over at the Liberal Party, where the quality of the sitting members may be higher, but the caucus still yields few who could run any sort of enterprise in the real world.

Sitting as elected members are an ex-school bus driver, journalists, teachers and lawyers, etc., etc. In other words, the same gang of non-achievers as in the PQ, with the exception of just a few, including Clément Gignac, Raymond Bachand,  Henri-François Gautrin (who is a physicist AND a professor of mathematics!)
Then there's the highly educated Fatima Houda-Pepin, who has more degrees than I have Twitter followers and perhaps the only member of the Liberal caucus who knows what a business is and how to run one, Lise Thériault.

There is no doubt that in terms of quality, the Liberal party towers over the PQ in talent, but considering the bang-up job they've done running the province, that in and of itself is a scary thing.

The biggest disappointment in the Liberal caucus is the Anglo and ethnic component of the party, led by the most popular politician in terms of popular vote, but the most boring member in the National Assembly, Lawrence Bergman.
The half dozen are notorious lap dogs and never a cross word is heard or said in defence of our community.
 
As for the CAQ being of lesser quality than the PQ, as Marois stated, we need go no farther than Francois Legault, Dr. Gaétan Barrette (a heavyweight in every sense of the word!) and Jacques Duchesneau (Mr. Clean) to conclude that the CAQ outpaces the PQ in talent and capability.
Then there is the very passionate Sylvie Roy, who I respect immensely, ever since she got up and told the National Assembly that she'd vote to give up her sparsely populated riding, if it meant fairer distribution seats.

As for the rest of the CAQ candidates, I don't know much about them, but they certainly can be no worse than what the PQ is putting up.

One thing I can say, is that the CAQ is fielding the prettiest candidates of any party!

As for the PQ, well not so much....

It isn't really any wonder why the National Assembly attracts such poor candidates, the reality is that the pay is atrocious and the working conditions nasty.

The $87,000 salary is actually quite paltry and the requirement to remain in Quebec City for much of the week when the House is sitting, away from home, makes the whole experience unpalatable, especially for opposition members who just twiddle their thumbs.

Considering that the remuneration for high ranking civil servants, serving in less taxing jobs, is more than double what the backbenchers are making, it isn't any wonder we have the quality of politicians that we have.

It leads me to conclude, that the only decent politicians are those who have 'made it' in life and are cruising towards retirement in a second career.
Those who spend long years climbing the political ladder, regardless of party affiliation, are the most dangerous sorts, living in a political fantasy world that is divorced from realty.

At any rate, I promised to explore avenues where few in the mainstream press would venture, so here goes my first shot across the bow.

And if you think that I'd let friends in high places get off the hook, consider this....

How is it that Jacques Duchesneau's pension is not an issue?
He's collecting close to $100,000 as an ex-police chief of Montreal and has been double-dipping in various government jobs for the last decade.
If he's elected, will he give up his cop's pension?

I don't think so.
You'd think it would be a public issue, after all, fighting corruption while double-dipping may be legal, but is it ethical?
It's a fair question that nobody thinks or dares to ask.

....and then.

Next June, Jean Charest will start collecting his $100,000 parliamentary pension, for his service in Ottawa, even if he is re-elected.

And if you think Pauline Marois will complain about it, there's not a chance!

Considering all the cronies in the Bloc collecting their pensions, perhaps she'll let the matter slide.
Oh yes, then there's the little matter of her husband, Claude Blanchet, who is collecting an $80,000 provincial pension for life after working just five years to earn it!

Ah, Quebec... You've gotta love it!

Is Duchesneau a Game Changer?

First things first.

I'm not going to endorse anybody or any candidate in this election, because firstly, it isn't going to affect your vote and secondly, it would only alienate those whose who disagreed with my choice.
It would also colour how readers viewed future posts as perhaps tainted or prone to giving a boost to my preferred party.

I remember when Charlton Heston became president of the NRA (National Rifle Association) the chief lobby group in America, promoting guns.
I sort of felt betrayed by his activism and never viewed his movies the same way.

Truth be told, there isn't anyone who excites me and there isn't any party seemingly worthy of my vote. In that respect, I'm sure many readers agree with me.

And yes, readers know that I have a friendship with Jean Charest that precludes me blasting him in public when I disagree with his policies, as I do more often than not. Enough said.

But yesterday the shoe dropped on the Quebec Liberal Party and the Parti Quebecois in the name of Jacques Duchesneau, who despite Marois' and Charest's brave faces, may represent an election game changer.

For months if not years, Quebecers have been looking for a Messiah to deliver them from the evil clutches of cronyism and corruption.

I haven't seen any survey, but I'd bet that if Quebecers were polled as to which election issue is most important, corruption would be the number one answer ahead of the economy, sovereignty, environment or taxes.

In one fell swoop the CAQ has energized the campaign and become a legitimate contender, not only to take more seats, but actually win the election.

Despite the brave faces of Marois and Charest, there is gloom and doom in the back rooms of the Liberal and PQ headquarters.

In his introductory press conference, standing beside a beaming Francois Legault, Duchesneau was absolutely breathtaking as a candidate, both humble and confident while fielding reporters attempts to trip him up with aplomb and verve.
I'm not talking him up, he will be a spectacular campaigner, from what I saw.
He's grown a humble and self-deprecating aspect to his demeanour that Quebecers love in their politicans, the same quality that won René Lévesque the hearts and minds of most francophone Quebecers.

Am I a fan?

Yes. I've known Jacques from the time he worked as regional commander up in the Cremazie station in Montreal and have worked for him and alongside him in a variety of charitable endeavours.
Is he the real McCoy? Yes he is.
He is undoubtedly the very best man for the job of public security minister, honest brave and fearless.
You can take my word on that, I have nothing to gain.

Remember when he was accused of being a crook by the real villains, those who had much to lose by Duchesneau's leadership of the corruption investigation?
The guilty along with the collusion of unscrupulous journalists planted all sorts of false allegations in the Journal de Montreal, which to its shame, printed a front page story accusing Jacques of election fraud and placing his picture among a gallery of alleged crooks.
It was, in my opinion, the darkest hour of the tabloid.

I told you then, before any other blogger or journalist dared, that he'd be vindicated, because I know the man.

Read my post; The Assassination of Jacques Duchesneau -Mob Mentality Sweeps Quebec


Am I doing exactly what I said I wouldn't, that is endorse a candidate?
I'll make an exception for Jacques, the first and last time I'll do it, I promise.

By the way, this in no way, shape or form means that I endorse the CAQ, too many questions linger.

So it now seems that  Quebecers have a legitimate choice between the same old, same old, or Left, right and now, 'Mr. Clean.'

It just may be that Jacques will overpower Francois Legault in the media spotlight, and for the CAQ, that may be a good thing.

For Madame Marois and Mr. Charest it may be time to be afraid, it may be time to be very afraid.

Watch the polls, the CAQ may get up to a ten point jump within a week or two.
If they don't, Quebecers were never serious about their complaints about corruption.

On another note...

I had a chance to review the Quebec Solidare election platform and if you are interested in a good laugh, download and read it, unfortunately in French only. Download the Platform

My favourite provision is an automatic guaranteed income of $12,000 starting at the age of eighteen. Now teenagers won't even have to go through the motions of getting bursaries to go to cegep.
They can live at home and collect $250 a week, smoking pot and watching music videos.
FREE MONEY!!! Yippeee....


SPOTLIGHT CANDIDATE OF THE DAY

By the way, I'm just starting to review the candidates from all the parties to report on stuff that the mainstream media has no time for.

There,  right off the bat is my favourite nutbar BILL CLENNET who as you can see in his campaign poster got all dressed up for his photo shoot.

Mr. Clennet is an lifetime activist, who is best remembered for being the beneficiary of the famous Shawinigan Handshake, administered by one Jean Chretien when he got too close to the Prime Minister.

Watch a video of the incident here. YouTube

Clennet is an old-time activist, militating for the 'downtrodden'  who has about as much chance winning his Hull riding as does Howard Galganov.

Good Luck to another Poteau!

A personal Olympic note:

I haven't been a keen viewer of the Olympics, somehow it hasn't lit my fire.

But I wish to congratulate Canada's ex-pat Jamaican community based largely in Toronto and  Montreal on the superb Gold and Silver performance of Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake, in what is perhaps, the Olympics most important medal.

Jamaica is not a 'big' country, not a 'wealthy' but rich in culture heritage and pride.
Many Jamaicans came to Canada for economic opportunity, but retain an attachment to the old country that is 'sans pareil!'
For a country of just 3 million to win both gold and silver in the most prestigious race is an accomplishment without comparison.
Be very proud, we Canadians share you happiness!

So... Who are You Voting Against?

It strikes me that more than in any election before, voters are faced with choosing the best of a bad lot.
When it comes down to it, most of us will vote against somebody rather than vote for somebody, a rather cynical act in what should be celebrated as the most important element in our democratic process.

Of those of us who will be voting PQ, Libeal or CAQ, exactly how many of us have faith in the leader we are voting for?

Do federalists really want Jean Charest back as leader if they had their druthers?
Do sovereigntists really want it to be Pauline Marois leading them towards the promised land?
And who the heck knows what exactly François Legault really is?

So for many Anglos it's hold your nose and vote Liberal or take a shot with the CAQ.
That being said, simple demographics indicate most Anglo ridings will remain Liberal, with the rest of the province a two or three way fight.

The CAQ remains of course the wild card, its twenty percent support more important than one would expect, with a disproportionate base in Quebec City and up the Gaspe peninsula.
With Quebec Solidaire ripping support from the PQ, it's anyone's game to win or lose.

I wondered how long it would take one of the politicians to tell a whopper and of course it took less than an hour after the call of the election. Here it is;

Perhaps she will next seek an endorsement from the Editor of this blog or perhaps even bring in  Howard Galganov as an adviser, in a good will attempt to prove her inclusiveness!

WOMAN!!!! HAVE YOU NO SHAME!

Now for something I didn't expect.
This from the controversial Dr. Gaétan Barrette, the head of the Quebec Specialists Association. He's decided to run as a member of the CAQ, with an eye to becoming the Health Minister.

Is somebody telling the truth, or is it just another ploy?

And so Anglos for one month every four years seem to be treated as equals.
Mr. Charest is promising a new road in Anglo western Montreal. How generous.
Not even flowers?  Boy are we a cheap date!

Looks and feels remarkably like a booty call.

I expect  Mr Barrette will be just about the only candidate addressing French/Anglo from a sympathetic view of us.
We're certainly not gong to get anything of the sort from the anglo sheep in the Liberal party.

And so it seems Anglos for one month every four years at least, are treated with a modicum of respect.

Readers I'm not going to bore you with predictions, it's anyone's game to win or lose.
The likeliest scenario is that we'll end up with a PQ or Liberal minority, but there's no guarantee the Liberals or the PQ can't pull off a miracle.

Remember one thing, Charest has a big advantage because he is so much the better campaigner than his opponents.
When it comes to blowing smoke...well he is unparalleled! 

I promise not to bore you readers with idle chitchat during this campaign, truthfully I'm already bored and impatient for it to be over.

What will be will be.

Later on, I'm going to publish a list of those candidates whom I wish to see elected, from all political parties, people who actually try to remain as ethical as possible.

One last note.
There are some backroom rumours about Pierre Paradis, the sitting Liberal from  Brome-Missisquoi and whether he'll return under the Liberal banner.

Charest and Paradis hate each other with a passion and he's been kept out of the cabinet for this reason. He'll also remain a back bencher as long as Charest rules.
He might take his seat over to the CAQ or bide his time, waiting to take over the party in the event of a Liberal election debacle.....to be continued.

Don't look at the polls, they mean nothing. The Quebec electorate is volatile and can shift positions over a few days.

If I was an organizer again, I 'd start renting buses and planning to drive every committed voter to the polling station followed by a beer or a pizza party.

Yup, getting out the committed vote is what is going to make the difference in many a riding.
There's an old rule in organizing...
"It's ten times easier to drive a committed voter to the booth, than to convince an uncommitted voter to choose your candidate"

Preach to the converted and drive them to vote. That's all it takes. Anything else is a waste of a candidate's time.

A BRIEF NOTE ABOUT COMMENTS

SO OUR GREAT EXPERIMENT WITH JUST ALLOWING FOLLOWERS TO COMMENT FAILED, AS MANY WERE STILL BLOCKED.

TOO BAD.

I'VE OPENED UP THE COMMENTS BACK THE WAY THEY WERE BEFORE,  EXCEPT:

NOBODY CAN POST USING THE "ANONYMOUS" SCREEN NAME. 

(For the first few days I'll send reminders.)

YOU MAY USE JUST ONE SCREEN NAME, SO PLEASE DON'T FOOL AROUND BY PROVIDING VARIATIONS. (For the first few days I'll send reminders)

(This is of particular importance to OQLF/S.R./Anon who must choose one screen name alone. And yes I know your style.. ONE NAME! that's it)

YOUR SCREEN NAME CANNOT BE THAT OF ANOTHER PERSON'S NAME, DEAD OR ALIVE, OR SOMETHING CLOSE, IT CANNOT BE AT ALL CONFUSING, OR ATTEMPT TO CONVEY A FALSE FLAG.

BE CREATIVE.

ONE LINERS AND CRACKS BETTER BE FUNNY OR INTERESTING, OR THEY WON'T BE PUBLISHED.

CALLING SOMEONE STUPID, RACIST OR OTHERWISE INSULTING WITHOUT MORE TO THE STORY, WON'T BE PUBLISHED.

PLEASE, NO TEDIOUS QUOTES FROM SEPARTIST PERSONALITIES, TAKE IT TO VIGILE.NET.

READERS ARE ALLOWED TO POST IN FRENCH AS A COURTESY, BUT REMEMBER, THIS BLOG IS ABOUT THE ENGLISH EXPERIENCE IN QUEBEC. 
IF YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEBATE, EVEN IF IT GOES AGAINST GENERAL OPINIONS, YOU ARE WELCOME.

IF YOU ARE COMING TO DISRUPT OUR BLOG BY TROLLING, CONSIDER OTHER AVENUES TO VENT YOUR FRUSTRATIONS.

SERIAL ABUSERS WILL HAVE THEIR COMMENTS REMOVED WITHOUT EVIDENCE THAT THEY WERE EVER SENT.

PLEASE REREAD THE POSTS BEFORE SENDING THEM IN. 

REMEMBER.... THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE READ YOUR COMMENTS EACH DAY!


Remember readers, the theme of this piece is whether you are voting for a party or a leader, or are you voting against a party or a leader?

I'd like to hear your opinions on that question or a general critique of the three leaders, their strengths, weaknesses and suitability for premiership.

And by the way, tell the truth, if you are planning not to vote!

Olympic Team a Tribute to Bilingualism and Respect

I cannot explain how much I loathe the thoroughly detestable bee-atch, that is Pauline Marois.

Over the years I've learned to despise her and her opportunistic husband, a two-bit promoter who made millions on the back of Quebec taxpayers whilst Pauline was sitting as a cabinet minister in a PQ government.
Alas I'm sure there's no connection to her position and him scoring a dream job running a government agency....ahem...

After running up almost 750 million dollars in deficits at the Société générale de financement (SGF) the government investment agency he was running, he was finally dumped asked to resign, but not before negotiating a sweetheart deal.

Incidentally, during his disastrous tenure at the SGF, it was typical for the Board of Directors to vote themselves up to a 50% bonus on their base salaries, all the while the corporation was posting losses amounting to hundreds of millions!

When he was finally pushed out the door, the loathsome Claude Blanchet cashed in a golden parachute that would make a Concordia rector blush in shame. It included close to $300,000 in severance and wait for it..... an $80,000 pension for life!
This after just a few short years of disastrous leadership.

"Blanchet settlement is way out of line ---  JOSEE LEGAULT
The Montréal Gazette Friday, May 30, 2003

..." The fact is that after days of discussions with the new government regarding the conditions of his departure that he had negotiated with the previous Parti Québécois government, the 56-year-old Blanchet left a very, very happy man. The night before Landry spoke out, Blanchet gave an interview to TQS. He was wearing a huge smile and said that he had no worries whatsoever about his future. And here's why.

Blanchet will be receiving one full year of salary: $257,500, plus an $18,000 bonus and an annual lifelong pension of $80,000 - that's $33,000 more a year than the previous government had agreed to. In exchange for this increase, he forewent $234,000 that combined his three-month notice and another generous bonus that went with the cancellation of his contract." 

Read the sordid details here (in French) or a previous post of mine, but prepared to be ill.
 
So when the sanctimonious Marois complains about government overpaying public servants or that Jean Charest was dishonest in accepting a supplemental salary from the Quebec Liberal Party, it's a bit hard to swallow the hypocrisy. She reminds me of that disgraced City of Montreal politician Benoit Labonté, who ran on a policy of sweeping corruption out of City Hall, only to be outed as a liar who accepted over $100,000 in under the table contributions from the infamous Tony Accurso. Link{Fr}

Marois is a your typical rich bitch, a cynical manipulator, who has not an ounce of respect for the hoi-polloi.
I remember her offering a televised guided tour of the rather modest country shack she bought in Charlevoix (from where she is elected) to support the fiction that she and her hubby are just common folk.

What a lie!
At the time, her real home was a Jed Clampett type mansion in Laval, acquired on government land through dubious shenanigans.
Check out the pictures of where she really lived.
What a two-faced manipulator!

So pardon me for my cynicism, when it comes to giving lessons to Jean Charest about honesty or anyone else for that matter, Marois has the moral authority of a televangelist à la Jim Baker.

At any rate, all this comes around to the fact that I never thought I could think less of this nasty hypocritical political opportunist until last week when she went out of her way to wish Quebec Olympic athletes good luck, while pointedly ignoring Canadians and even francophones from outside Quebec.

An ugly display of narrow-minded exclusionism and small-mindedness, which I expect, represents the basis of her personal political philosophy.

Perhaps it is easier to understand her enmity towards the Canadian Olympic team, when one puts into context the machinations of the separatist mind.

A right thinking analyst might imagine that separatists like Marois would maintain an elevated level of hate towards what they perceive as Anglophone rednecks, Quebec bashers and the Conservatives and Harper supporters that treat Quebec and the French language with what they characterize as disdain and disrespect.
But you'd be wrong.

Truth be told, these foils serve her purpose rather neatly, they are enemies that she and other separatists can rail against, giving rise to public dis-satisfaction with Canada and fomenting support for the sovereigntist cause.

It's been the hallmark of the sovereigntist movement to build whatever momentum they have, based on the 'unfair' and 'disrespectful' treatment of Quebec and francophones at the hands of the evil federalists in the ROC.
Pissing, moaning and wallowing in eternal collective self-pity of the put-upon victim is the most essential element in the sovereigntist tool kit. They've refined the drama for over forty years and anything that offers proof to the contrary, represents a dangerous threat to the narrative.

And so, it is perhaps easy to understand that Canada's Olympic team is everything that Pauline Marois and her political clan fear about Canada.

Canada's Olympic team is without a doubt, a paragon of righteousness, a team dedicated to the proposition of bilingualism and inclusion.

If bilingualism and biculturalism has largely failed across Canada, it hasn't failed on the Canadian Olympic team, which not only talks the talk, but walks the walk.

The Canadian Olympic Association has done an admirable job in making sure that all Canadian elements, especially Quebecers and francophones feel at home, respected and valued. The leadership of the organization is carefully crafted to include francophones and respect for the French language is a cornerstone of its credo.
Although athletes are chosen to the team based on merit alone, administrative and leadership roles are carefully balanced to reflect the Canadian realty.

It is this very scenario that scares the crap out of separatists like Marois.

For them, watching Quebec francophones proudly compete under the auspices of the red maple leaf, is as the old Ayatollah Khomeini said, "like drinking a cup of poison"

In fact, francophone Olympic athletes are the antithesis of separatists, they embrace excellence, personal responsibility, hard work, have a world view and understand the importance of learning and expressing themselves in English.
For Olympic athletes, who may be just about the most motivated people in the world, learning another language isn't a challenge, just another small hurdle to overcome.

Even Anglophone athletes, many who train in Montreal, make it their business to learn French, people like Clara Hughes and Jenifer Heil, even made Quebc their homes, unafraid of embracing a new culture and language.

Canada's first medalists, the beautifully bilingual Jenifer Abel and Émilie Heymans are typical of those francophones on the Olympic team who understood the importance of learning English.
Gushing in both English and French interviews, they instantly became heroes to all Canadians.

DING DING DING! Do I hear the endorsement caravan beating a path to their door? 

For winners like these, learning English or French isn't a bother, impediment or barrier, it is a necessity and more to the point a mark of pride.

No, I don't imagine there are many separatists on Canada's Olympic team, the athletes are too busy being successful, travelling the world representing our country, to worry about the pettiness of metro ticket takers refusing to service clients in English.

When our athletes marched into the Olympic stadium in those instantly recognizable Canadian uniforms, it didn't matter to us if they were francophone, anglophone, black, white, native or ethnic, nor was their respective religion of any consequence.
It was the scarlet uniform, emblazoned with the word CANADA across the chest that bound the athletes together, and bound them to us, no matter where we live and where they come from in this country.

But for some, like Pauline Marois, the Olympics is a sad reminder of reality.
For her and her frustrated militants, watching Quebecers march proudly as equal and valued teammates in the Canadian family mosaic, is a difficult pill to swallow.

When Quebecers win medals they proudly stand before the world under the Canadian flag and when on occasion, the Canadian anthem plays, the whole vigile.net community bite their lips and cower in rage.

Oh what sweet fun!

French versus English Volume 59

Separatist Fever (LA FIÈVRE SOUVERAINISTE...)

by Daniel Castonguay
Translated by The Cat

Attention readers, this article was first published in French.

If you read French, the original webpage is here; AgoraQuebec 

This disease has been spreading around Quebec for 50 years. Although it is less active now, it still affects a considerable number of Quebecers.

Transmission mechanism
Nowadays, its transmission mechanisms are better understood. One of the mechanisms that is still quite prevalent is the contact made between teenagers and their highly-unionized teachers. It is believed that contamination occurs by spoken means, however written means have also been identified (Manual for sovereignty in school). Close contact with people who have been strongly affected may also result in transmission.

Symptoms
The first symptom is usually historical hallucination. The patient comes to feel victimized by constantly revisiting 250-year-old facts while neglecting more contemporary historical reality. Distortion gradually creeps in between historical reality and the beliefs of the patient. Here are some case histories: ''The Night of Long Knives'', ''Pierre Curzi vs. McCartney'' , ''Bourgeois/Falardeau vs. the Plains of Abraham''.
The second symptom that is most readily apparent is ethnic hostility, which results in a disproportionate distrust that is principally directed towards anglophones. It is believed that this second symptom results from the first one. The patient generally believes that English Canadians are hostile to us and that he is their victim. From time to time, the patient comes to think that anglophones need only to leave Quebec, as if their having been here for several generations did not grant them equal citizenship.
The third symptom is the obsession with language. The patient is possessed by an inordinate fear of seeing his language disappear even if objective indications indicate no danger whatsoever. It must be understood that the first symptom prevents the patient from having access to this reality. The combination of these first three symptoms may occasionally result in episodes of francobsession .
The last symptom is the quest for sovereignty, which he sees as the only solution to his symptoms. His other symptoms prevent him from seeing the adverse effects of this quest and its negative consequences.
This clinical portrait results in a patient who is unable to see the global rapprochement of countries and the gradual abolition of borders. He cannot conceive of close collaboration with English-Canadians, who, apart from language, share their concerns. His attachment to French occasionally deprives him of the openness needed to understand the world (see the following case history: Marois/English).

Prognosis
Most patients affected by the disease will eventually heal without requiring any treatment. Some patients may retain one or two symptoms but, unless encouraged by some external stress, may be regarded as cured. Some will unfortunately be affected their entire lifetimes. Certain well-known people unfortunately suffer from the chronic form of this condition. One can think of Bernard Landry, Gilles Vigneault, Gérald Larose, amongst others...

Treatment
Certain clinical approaches are worthwhile. For the first symptom, readings that confront the hallucinations may be useful. For the second symptom, travel in English Canada may bring about a reduction in hostility, as long as the patient's symptoms are not too intense. A patient who is overly affected by the disease should not use this approach since his own hostility could inconvenience English Canadians and help to inflame his own symptoms. As for the third symptom, a good knowledge of the English language lowers the level of anxiety in the patient and makes him realize that he will not disappear but rather will evolve. As for the fourth symptom, it quickly disappears once the other three diminish.

Epidemiology
Separatist Fever made a slow incursion into Quebec beginning in the early sixties and finally attained 40% of citizens by 1980. A large outbreak hit Quebec in 1995, where 49% of citizens were affected. Since then, the disease has consistently regressed. Experts agree that only 30% of those affected continue to suffer from the chronic form of the disease now.
Posted by Agora_Quebec at 18:14 - Daniel Castonguay -

A flag flap in a small Quebec village

Tim, a valued participant of this blog, sent me this email;

"Luc Lamond, the mayor of of Lac-des-Seize-Iles, Qc the small Laurentian community between Morin Heights and Weir, has taken it upon himself to fly the Quebec flag above the Canadian flag despite many complaints from the lake`s cottage dwelling residents. Even though a
solution has been suggested to him, he refuses to even listen to the voters. Members of the council have tried to sway him, but because they are in the minority, nothing gets done. The community has a
single flag pole which flew the Canadian flag above the provincial for many years until recently. The solution of purchasing another flag pole, so that each flag would have one of its own, has been continuously voted down. It seems as if the mayor has no respect for its residents, and continues to show his separatist agenda.

In a further email Tim wrote that after checking, apparently there is no protocol at all for the flying of flags on the same pole. Hmmm.

I certainly don't like what I see, it is disrespectful to both flags, really how cheap can a town be?
I don't think I'd be happy if the Canadian flag was placed above the Quebec flag, on the same pole.

Students lose court fight

"Court rejects bid to throw out parts of anti-protest law, Bill 78

MONTREAL – An attempt to quash certain articles of the provincial Liberal government’s anti-protest legislation was quickly rejected Monday by the Quebec Court of Appeal – even before the case can be heard in Quebec Superior Court – meaning Bill 78 will be in effect as university and CEGEP students head back to school next month. "

Read the rest of the story

Amir Khadir's sister is a plagiarist

"The sister of Amir Khadir has put L'actualité and  L'actualité médicale magazines in trouble by signing a column that was largely copied from a blog which had already appeared on the website of the Metro newspaper.

Contributor to the magazine L'actualité médicale, Dr. Saideh Khadir  published a text, a few weeks ago, which drew a parallel between the claims of those medical specialists and students. However, half of the 10 paragraphs of her column were actually plagiarized from a text written by Akos Verboczy, blogger for Metro since January 2011.

 Hilariously, when the kind doctor phoned the blogger to apologize, she told him that she didn't understand the journalistic rules about copying and would have 're-formulated' his work had she known it was wrong! Ha!Ha!
Read the rest of the story in french

Language Tests coming?

Many of you are way too young to remember the farcical situation back in 1976, when toddlers were given language tests to see if they were really English speaking and thus qualified for English schooling, back in the days of Bill-22. Read an old article about it
I wrote about this story last week, but here is expanded coverage;

"Quebecers will face a French comprehension test before being served in English at the provincial health insurance board, which recently switched its communication policy from bilingual to “en français” at its customer service centre.

The move by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) to revise its communications to comply with Bill 101, the province’s French-first language policy, worries minority-rights advocates." Read the rest of the story

Student activist leader running for the PQ

"Leo Bureau-Blouin’s debut news conference as a Parti Quebecois candidate on Wednesday was dominated by what he wasn’t wearing: the red square that has come to define student defiance in the province.

The former student leader — who was omnipresent on TV during the tuition protests earlier this year — had to fend off questions about the absence of the red square, which symbolizes opposition to the government’s commitment to hiking the cost of education. " Read the rest of the story

For your information, he is running in a Liberal held riding and his candidacy is meant to send a message to students, to get out and vote.
Over two-thirds of Quebecers oppose the 'red square' and so there's not much hope of him winning.
There's a disparaging political word in French that describes his candidacy--"POTEAU" or pole, somebody who is nothing more than a campaign poster on a hydro pole, meant to show the flag in a hopeless riding.

Are you going to watch the Olympics?

57 out of the 250 or 23% athletes representing Canada in London at the Olympics were born, reside or train in Montreal. That's quite an accomplishment! Link{Fr}

That being said, I don't seem to have much enthusiasm for the Olympic games in London.

Perhaps it's the summer heat or the fact that the Vancouver games are never going to be topped for Canadian pride, accomplishment and chauvinism.

Perhaps it's also the fact that this Aussie lass didn't make the cut to represent her country.
Too bad.....

Ah, c'mom, you watched the whole thing!!!

I'm off on a very small vacation and may or may not post Monday, but will definitely be back by Wednesday.

Have a great weekend!

Bonne fin de semaine a vous tous!!!