Separatist Radio-Canada Smears Jean Charest

"Yellow journalism, in short, is biased opinion masquerading as objective fact. Moreover, the practice of yellow journalism involved sensationalism, distorted stories, and misleading images...."

If longtime readers conclude that my least favourite group is politicians, they would be making a decision based on the many disparaging posts I write, directed at all politicians of all stripes, who I have characterized as largely self-serving, mostly incompetent and always selfishly looking after their own political interest.

But that conclusion would be faulty, because it is in fact dishonest and self-serving reporters that rankles my sensibilities far worse than politicians, who cannot always be blamed for their ineptitude because in most instances, they haven't got the smarts or skills to do their job effectively.

The Press however, and more specifically those reporters who cover the politicians, are generally smarter and better trained at their jobs than the politicians they cover (and they revel in that fact), but are generally more devious, cynical and just as dishonest.

Therein lies my utter disdain and disrespect.

Reporters are a smug, sanctimonious and self-important lot and because they have the power to build up or destroy, they develop a superior and haughty complex shared only with those occupying the benches of our courts.

And like judges they are generally impervious to attack, hiding behind cloak of confidentiality like a thirteen year-old pimply faced video game maven, using a 'Shield of Invulnerability,' picked up on level six.

It befalls editors to insure that reporters using anonymous sources do so ethically and honestly. Readers will note that the information that anonymous sources provide is almost always impossible to second source and the decision to print or air a story based on one anonymous source becomes a question of integrity, something sorely lacking in the competitive world of journalism.

A veteran editor once told me, that to a reporter, a scoop is like heroin to an addict, impossible to resist under even the most dubious circumstances.

One of the more sinister aspects to these anonymous-based stories, is when the reporter is given inside information to leak, in an underhanded manoeuvre to circulate a story (usually negative) that will give the source or his political party an advantage.
The reporter and editor must weigh whether being used by the leaker to further a political goal is less important than the public's right to know, and readers, you know where the decision will fall, clearly on the side of heroin.

The third and most ominous aspect to quoting an anonymous sources, is when a biased reporter uses the information to help or hinder a politician or political party.
While we demand that reporters act ethically and impartially, it is seldom the case.

Look at those reporters like Pierre Duchesne of Radio-Canada who magically transformed himself into a PQ separatist politician soon after he gave up the supposed impartial world of reporting.

And do not think this is exclusively a Radio-Canada/ Parti Quebecois phenomenon. 
Let us remember Senator Mike Duffy who jumped into his Conservative senate seat directly from his nationally televised, afternoon political interview show on CTV and Peter Kent another high profile English television news personality who went from a news anchor's chair straight into the cabinet.

These type of journalists are the ones I absolutely loathe, they feign impartiality, while subtlety influencing the stories they produce on air.

Which brings me to the hatchet job on Jean Charest unloaded last week by Radio-Canada journalist Alain Gravel.

It was a classic case of the third example I described above, of a reporter attempting to politically injure a politician, when it hurts the most, that is, during an election campaign.

Let me start with the story that Mr. Gravel and his flunky Marie-Maude Denis presented to the public.

Very briefly, it is a tale about an SQ investigation of a union leader they suspected of being corrupt.
The day after a televised report by that same Alain Gravel about alleged corruption of another union boss, the SQ decided to follow one of his colleagues, to see where he went and who he met with.
It was plain and simple a fishing expedition.
When it comes to crime detection it seems that the SQ is the last to know.

You can watch the Radio-Canada report HERE in French.

The undercover officers were following the suspect around town, when in the afternoon, he attended a political function in a hotel in Montreal where a gaggle of politicians both federal and provincial, were meeting with native leaders, including Jean Charest.
The target of the investigation was seen exchanging pleasantries with Mr Charest for between thirty seconds or two minutes (depending on who you believe) and minutes later the officer in charge of the operation terminated the surveillance abruptly.

That readers is the whole story.
Everything else that comes after is rank speculation by Mr. Gravel or the leakers, who were some of those police officers involved with the surveillance and who were peeved that the operation was called off.

In fact one of the officers speculated that the officer in charge called off the operation because he panicked seeing the subject meet Mr. Charest.

"The officer in charge of the operation simply panicked when he saw the suspect meet Mr. Charest and decided to call of the surveillance."

Now look at the Radio-Canada headline about the incident.

"Surveillance of an ex-directer of the FTQ Construction called off after a meeting with Mr. Charest"

That readers, is one of the most misleading headlines I've ever read in my life!

If you didn't go on to read the story, you would likely assume that Mr. Charest had ordered the surveillance to be called off in a meeting.
Accident or design?

"The gist of the radio-Canada report on the incident intimated that there was some sort of political interference that brought the investigation to a close, an allegation that a furious Charest denied.

"Premier Jean Charest found himself in denial mode Thursday after a Radio-Canada report suggested that he arranged for the plug to be pulled on a police investigation of a Liberal supporter named Eddy Brandone in 2009." Link

And so readers, that is how to run a textbook smear operation!

Touché and congratulations Mr. Gravel, mission accomplished!

Perhaps UQAM should offer Mr. Gravel a guest lectureship in yellow journalism in their communications program entitled  "How to destroy federalists through activist journalism."

Readers might ask themselves why these police officers waited until now, over three years after the incident occurred, to leak a story that happened in May, 2009.
Can anybody come to any conclusion other than it was to hurt Mr. Charest politically during an election campaign?

Did Mr. Gravel and his team not understand or care that they were being played or were they overjoyed to massage and distort a story to hurt the Premier during this critical period?

And by the way, the reason for halting the surveillance is easily explainable.
The officer in charge probably did panic, his unit was on a fishing expedition which paddled into some dangerous waters.
You don't spy on the Premier of Quebec without a damn good reason and one can easily see how prejudicial it would be if it got out that the SQ was watching the Premier surreptitiously.

Now Mr, Gravel should know what every one else in high places knows, that is, that the SQ isn't controlled by anyone, they are a force unto themselves.

The SQ may not be particularly competent, but it is incredibly powerful.
It is to my knowledge, the only state or provincial police force in North America that actually has veto power over which politician will be chosen by the Premier to be the Public Security Minister, the direct political minder of the SQ.

The SQ is fiercely independent and the idea that a Premier can call up the SQ boss and tell him to nix an investigation is complete and utter fantasy.

The SQ does on occasion act to protect the government or politicians, it is part of its mandate.

A couple of years ago, when the SQ became aware, through wiretaps, that the stripper daughter of the then Justice Minister Marc Bellemare was associating with alleged dope dealers, they informed the Minister in order that he head off trouble.

Was that a conflict or were they acting diligently?

Lost in all this is the fact that if we accept Mr. Gravel's intimation that Mr. Charest somehow influenced the SQ to curb a criminal investigation, then the SQ is a corrupt organization all the way down to officers controlling surveillance operations.

It's worse than trash journalism, it's activist journalism, meant to manipulate public perception in favour of separatists.

Promises, Promises... Separatist Politicians Ignore Reality

Henry Louis Mencken

"When a candidate for public office faces the voters he does not face men of sense; he faces a mob of men whose chief distinguishing mark is the fact that they are quite incapable of weighing ideas, or even of comprehending any save the most elemental — men whose whole thinking is done in terms of emotion, and whose dominant emotion is dread of what they cannot understand. So confronted, the candidate must either bark with the pack or be lost... All the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre — the man who can most adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum

Today readers, we will be discussing (I say we, not in the royal sense, but rather because you will have your part to say  in the comments forum) the unbelievable promises being bandied about in this current election campaign, mostly by the separatist leaders of the Parti Quebecois and Quebec solidaire.

Now the Liberals and the CAQ are making some promises of their own, but modest compared to the billions and billions being thrown out there by the PQ and QS and at least are making some provisions to pay for their them.
Francois Legault has put forward a couple of cost saving ideas, including getting rid of school boards, that layer of administration between the education department and the schools themselves, plus getting rid of the deadwood in Hydro Quebec and in the civil service.
Heaven knows there's enough of that!

As for Jean Charest, he's on record for increasing student tuition as well as the imposition of an additional health tax on families.
But all these measures, according to the Liberals and the CAQ will only serve to finance new spending.

All parties have forgotten to make mention of Quebec's ballooning debt, as if it wasn't there and that paying it down not a priority.
As an election issue, it appears to be taboo, as if speaking of debt reduction is the political kiss of death in Quebec.
It seems that voters aren't interested in being reminded that collectively our credit cards are overloaded and like an ostrich with its head buried in the sand, we live with the fantasy that if we don't talk about it, it may not be a problem. Sure....

It's the same policy adopted by Europe over the last two decades, refusing to deal with the elephant in the room, the national debt that had been piled up over decades of decadent over-spending.
Whether Quebec is in as bad a situation is debatable, but it is true that in terms of Canada, Quebec is in the worst financial position of all the provinces owing a collective debt of $250+ billion or about $39,000 per Quebecker or more than $60,000 per taxpayer.

The idea that this debt is but a trifle is the political philosophy of PQ star candidate, Jean-François Lisée, who actually believes and writes that Quebec really doesn't have a debt  problem at all.
Mr. Lisée reminds me of that seven-day a week, all-day tippler, the drunk who swears up and down that his drinking is no big deal and that he has it under control.

The rank stupidity and callous disregard for the truth by these separatists reminds of the famous quote by Henry Louis Menken, who I will quote and paraphrase extensively throughout this post;

"There's no underestimating the intelligence of the Quebec voter" 

As voters go, Quebecers are probably no smarter or dumber than your average North American, but that really isn't saying a lot, which brings me to my third quote from that witty journalist.

Demagogue: one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots"

Politicians who abuse the rank stupidity of the masses with unbelievable promises that attempt to bamboozle them into voting a certain way, are usually called to order by a vigilant Press, which is supposed to be the guardians of truth.

But somehow this element is lacking in Quebec.
When Madame Marois makes the most idiotic of proposals, there's nary a contrary peep anywhere, mostly because our journalists are decidedly separatist as well.
Even the English press misses the boat, as it collectively concentrates on the narrowest of issues, which is language and the collective angst of Anglos over having nobody to represent them.
 
And so we get the utterly ridiculous proposals put forward by the PQ and QS, proposals that are so patently stupid, it would prompt a thinking person to throw up one's hands in disgust.

As for Mr. Khadir and Francoise David, I can forgive them their excesses. They can promise the Moon, it is of not matter, even their own constituency recognizes that they are not serious.

The QS will likely elect no more than half the members it takes to host a bridge game and as such, they can say and promise anything they want.

Mr. Khadir's best line of the campaign is the one where he advises us to "sortir du fatalisme de l'austérité," that is, that we should give up the on idea of being obsessed with austerity.

Does Mr Khadir really believe that these last decades, the government of Quebec has been operating on a strict budget and sticking to an austerity program?
It's statements like this that should have the Press howling in derision.

He then goes on to propose an $8 billion social spending increase, without decreasing spending anywhere else. This 12% increase in the provincial budget would be paid for by a $5,000 tax increase on those making over $250,000, by buying generic drugs and cracking down on tax evasion.
Hmm....Perhaps someone can buy Mr. Khadir a calculator Link{Fr}

But as I said, I shall nor critique his proposals, as I said it is a fantasy and a dream.

As for Madame Marois I shall not be so generous, she is making promises that she cannot keep, and if she does, the provincial debt will spiral up even more.

First she has declared that she will eliminate the new health tax and roll back the tuition increases put in place by the Liberals.
Among her other promises:

• increase the amount of $7 a day daycare places
• Increase salaries to family doctors.
• Use the Caisse de dépôt's (our pension money) to fight off hostile takeovers of Quebec companies.
• High speed internet for all.
• Additional kindergarten starting at age four. 
• A $500 tax rebate to families that enroll their children in sports.

Aside from all this, Marois proposes a massive spending program in the  'regions' as she promised in her trip to the Gaspé.
All this in the first ten days of the election and I shudder to think what is coming.

To pay for this Marois proposes taxing the 'rich' families who make over $80,000 a year and an increase in royalties on minerals. (Oh if it were that easy!)

More spending, more taxes, this in the highest taxed province or state in North America and only in Quebec can a family with an income of $80,000 be considered 'rich.'

This is the type of responsible government that the separatists propose, one that ignores the fiscal reality and one which will paradoxically insure that their own independence project will remain unaffordable and unrealizable.

We are just in the beginning phase of the campaign and political parties save announcements of new spending projects, to be parcelled out as the campaign progresses, to keep interest alive.
So I imagine we can expect more, much more idiotic spending promises.

I close with some more sage political advice from the above-mentioned H. L. Menken;

To the Parti Quebecois;
"Economic independence is the foundation of the only sort of freedom worth a damn."

To Pauline Marois;

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. 

To the Quebec solidaire;
"An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup."

To Amir Khadir;
"The kind of man who wants the government to adopt and enforce his ideas is always the kind of man whose ideas are idiotic."

To the Liberal Party;
"People constantly speak of "the government" doing this or that, as they might speak of God doing it. But the government is really nothing but a group of men, and usually they are very inferior men. They may have some better man working for them, but they themselves are seldom worthy of any respect." 

To Jean Charest;

"The government consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office."

To the OQLF;
"No one ever heard of the truth being enforced by law. Whenever the secular arm is called in to sustain an idea, whether new or old, it is always a bad idea, and not infrequently it is downright idiotic."  

To French language militants;

"The most common of all follies is to believe passionately in the palpably not true."

To Jean-François Lisée;
"There is always a well-known solution to every human problem--neat, plausible, and wrong.

To voters everywhere;

"A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar"

To  all political parties;
"Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule--and both commonly succeed, and are right."

To readers of this blog;

"Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under."

Marois Abandons Corruption Platform and Plays the Race Card

It isn't often that the very first week of an election campaign proves monumental, but it seems that Pauline Marois and the Parti Quebecois have been badly battered by the entry of Jacques Duchesneau into the campaign on behalf of the CAQ.

At the time of this writing, I haven't seen the results of any new opinion polls, but if I am right,  you will soon see that the CAQ has benefited from a huge bump.

Of all the scenarios the PQ prepared for, the Duchesneau card was not one they anticipated, having shaped the campaign around an anti-corruption platform.

So terrified of Duchesneau is the party, that his very presence has convinced them to abandon their game plan, barely days into the campaign.

 It is utterly unbelievable!

Perhaps Pauline should take note of the oft repeated hockey metaphor, which tells us that after a team's confidence is shattered because of some early opposition goals, it  befalls upon an inspiring and resolute coach to restore confidence and calm upon the team, calling the players to order and reminding them not to panic or abandon the game plan.

Apparently Marois is  not made of such stern stuff, she seems to be doing the exact opposite, leading the Parti Quebecois in a collective panic attack that has led her team to abandon a very sound election strategy, because of some early setbacks.

Instead of taking a few days off to develop a new anti-Duchesneau strategy (trust me, the Liberals are doing so) the PQ gave up and whimpered off to the corner like a beaten dog, believing that they were whipped on the issue of corruption and needed a change in strategy.

The only conclusion that I can draw is that Marois and her PQ planners have decided that given the split vote, they can win the election, carrying only their separatist base, which hovers around 30-35%.
It's a risky strategy, but a plan just the same.

And so Marois dusted off and resurrected this failed strategy of the past, the one which frightens voters into believing that their francophone society is at risk from English and Ethnic barbarians, a horde that has breached the outer defences of the moat and who are in the process of banging down the castle entrance, all while the castle guards, led by Jean Charest, are asleep atop the parapets.

I've heard it all before and am not impressed.

It is a story that plays well to faithfully committed separatists, but has little or no chance in gaining traction with the majority of voters, who care more about bread and butter issues which trump language, something that each internal party pollster has told every political party in Quebec.
The independence issue and defence of the French language and culture as an issue cannot alone win an election in normal times.
But as the votes split, narrow constituencies become more important and it may become possible, but not likely, to achieve a victory on the narrow separatist/language issue alone.

Unfortunately, attempts to ramp up the message and energize the base is taking on a dangerous tone, veering away from the narrow issue of language and heading straight into the direction of intolerance, where talk of a 'Quebec Identity' in  mortal danger, is becoming Pauline's most important talking point.

And so, Marois and the PQ have pushed the identity issue farther down the pipe towards intolerance, telling voters that Jean Charest is letting those damn ethnics and Anglos destroy traditional francophone culture and this readers gives rise to my depiction of Madame Marois at the top of the page as a committed ethnic cleanser, sharing a philosophy with the scoundrels of the world that have used persecution of minorities as of political tool to gain power.

"The Liberals are a threat to Quebec's identity, believes Pauline Marois. "Absolutely, absolutely," she replied when asked. "It is unacceptable, what is happening. There are setbacks everywhere, everywhere, "she said.

She argues that French had "declined" in Quebec, particularly Montreal, since the Liberals came to power in 2003.

She  reiterated the PQ proposals: a charter of secularism, a Quebec constitution, a project of citizenship and a new Charter of the French Language (Bill 101). " Link{Fr}

A new Quebec constitution, a project of citizenship, and a revamped Bill 101, which collectively, I have dubbed derisively as the "Poutine Laws," measures designed to ram the French language and culture down the throat of all citizens, not only the newly arrived immigrants but the English minority, a founding nation of this province and country, with a Canadian culture of their own.

Before I go on, let me explain my inspiration for the term "Poutine Laws."
It comes from the old Bouchard-Taylor commission,  a public enquiry that ostensibly looked into those infamous 'reasonable accommodations' but which degenerated into nothing more than ethnic bashing, when the floor was thrown open to the average Joes, who wished to present their mostly racist opinions rather publicly.

The comment that stayed with me was made by an attractive and statuesque African woman, resplendent in native dress, who in perfect, but accented French, asked rhetorically whether she had to eat poutine and maple syrup, in order to be accepted as a Quebecoise. YouTube
Well-said!
That one statement summed up the true state of Quebec language and cultural affairs rather succinctly and like the boy who shouted that the emperor had no clothes, the simple truth is sometimes embarrassing to a public which embraces a mass delusion.

What will these Poutine Laws enact?

First, a revamped Bill 101 will restrict access to English cegeps.
Those who were not eligible under the terms of Bill 101 for primary and high school would be forced into a French cegep.

While this measure's effectiveness in promoting French may be dubious, what is certain is that it will serve to further isolate and ultimately sanitize the English community.

I previously wrote about one French militant claiming openly in a television interview that keeping ethnics out of English cegep is important because this is where they may find their life partner.

According to this 'expert'  an Anglo who partners with an ethnic will result in an anglophone couple, whilst the equally opposite effect takes place in a French cegep where a Francophone who partners with an ethnic is likely to raise their family in French.

Imagine a Dawson or Vanier college without ethnics, an utter aberration in a city as diverse as Montreal.
English students will continue to be deprived of socialization and contact with Montreal's large ethnic community by a provision of the law designed expressly to disconnect Ethnics from the English.

French language and culture militants will tell you with a straight face that the measure has everything to do with the preservation of French and nothing to do with the persecution of English.

Lost in all this, is the concept of 'Free Will,' something that has become an anathema in Quebec.

And let's be honest, how different is this policy than that of  prejudiced parents who forbid their child from dating someone who is not of the same religion, race, or who speaks the same language?'
While this type of behaviour by parents would be roundly rejected by right-thinking folks, when applied on a societal level in Quebec, it is somehow not only acceptable, but eminently justifiable!

The new Bill 101 would likely eliminate the so-called 'bridging schools' where about two or three hundred students, ineligible for English instruction, attend private English schools for a year or two, in order to win eligibility in the public system.
Because the Supreme Court has ruled that this is legal, the new PQ government would likely invoke the notorious 'Notwithstanding  Clause.'

There's no doubt that the 'bridging school' manoeuvre is a 'work around' by desperate parents, but the Charest government has created so many hoops and barriers that the number of students availing themselves of the ploy is severely restricted.

But for the PQ, this is not good enough, the very idea of bridging schools is too good an issue to pass up. Deemed offensive and insulting to the Francophone majority, it is the ideal  issue to fire the emotions of indignation.

Lost in all this is the realty that the 200-300 families taking advantage of the strategy is infinitesimal compared to the approximately 10,000 students who qualify for English school under Bill 101, yet voluntarily attend French school.

The Charest government's inelegant treatment of the 'problem' is actually rather clever, avoiding a constitutional issue, yet accomplishing the major goal of restricting access. (and no, I'm not congratulating him for the effort.)

Clearly, the PQ is seeking a manufactured issue to breed conflict across linguistic lines, something that they believe will be instrumental in fostering support for sovereignty.

Now to the proposed "Charter of Secularism" which is nothing more than a disguised device to rid the public and para-public service of observant Muslims.
The law will state that no ostentatious religious regalia can be worn by public employees, something on the surface that seems equal, but in practice is discriminatory.

Let us consider that this measure will bar these public employees from wearing a hijad, a niqab, a yarmuke, a turban or a great big crucifix around the neck, or any other ostentatious display of religion.

But let us be practical.
When was the last time you went to the license bureau and was served by a Hasid or a Sikh and how many Quebecers, other than Raelians wear humongous crucifixes around their necks?

This provision is designed to attack Muslims who wear a  simple scarf (Hijab) around their heads, an offence to French language militants because it denotes a person who is religiously observant, another anathema in the new Quebec.

But this Charter of Secularism will not trifle with the crucifix in the National Assembly, nor will it eliminate traditional statutory public holidays on Christian holy days like Christmas and Easter.

Militants will feed us the line that these holidays are not religious, rather part of a certain Quebec 'heritage.' Hmmm..
Readers, please understand that I'm not attacking the celebration of Christmas in Quebec, I'm just demanding a little truth in advertising.

French language militants remain defensive about their motives and freak out when they are described as ethnic-cleansers.
They uniformly hold that everything they do is meant to preserve the French language and culture and not specifically meant to hurt minorities.

Haven't we all heard and seen this before?

Kamal G. Lufti...  Kamal G. Lutfi

The newest wunderkind of this modern separatist philosophy,  Mathieu Bock-Coté, took great exception to a statement made by the now dumped CAQ candidate Kamal G. Lutfi, who described sovereigntists as racists. Link

By the way, regular readers of this blog know that spelling is not a criterion for criticism in our forum. 
That being said, when a newspaper with a distribution of hundreds of thousands of subscribers allows an attack column to misspell the name of the target, I will make an exception and call the newspaper and the columnist out for non-professionalism. Link{Fr}

To Mr. Back-Caté, a word of advice... before criticizing someone in such a public forum, please get the spelling of the name of the target right.

At any rate, it is decidedly a sore point with most sovereigntists, who cannot imagine that their defence of French and Quebec culture be construed in any way, shape or form as discriminatory.
The very idea is so alien, that the leader of the CAQ, removed the poor Mr. Lutfi from running for the party faster than you can say Jacques Frost.

But here is the interesting twist and remember that I promised to bring you aspects of the current election campaign that are largely ignored in the mainstream media.

It seems that describing Muslims as unworthy of being considered for Quebec immigration is perfectly okay by CAQ standards and the fact that these comments were made by an ex- CAQ member of the National Assembly seems to be of no import.

In a radio interview, Claude Roy went off on Muslims, calling the decision to give them priority in terms of immigration because they spoke French, a grave mistake. Link{Fr}

In that interview, the ex-MNA, advanced the notion that Muslims are bad members of Quebec society, lazy and prone to dishonesty and crime. He went on to say that Quebec would be better served by replacing them with Orientals, whom according to Mr Roy, are ideal immigrants.

True? False?.. it doesn't really matter.

Are these types of remarks acceptable, while Mr. Lutfi's are unacceptable.

No readers, these comments made not a blip in the mainstream media.

This is the Quebec reality and therein lies the problem.

So who is right? .... Readers will judge....

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!