Maxime Bernier's Sweet Revenge

A while back I wrote about the incredibly rough ride Maxime Bernier received in Quebec over a speech he gave in which he blasted his fellow Quebeckers over their uncontrolled spending and penchant for big government.
See: Maxime Bernier Burns His Bridges  and  Read the speech.

As you can imagine, it went over like a lead balloon and Bernier was chastised and even labelled  a "Quebec-basher' by no less than the Liberal finance Minister Raymond Bachand, himself. The ad hominem attacks failed to address the issues he brought up, which is typical of those who have no arguments to put forth.

“I was flabbergasted to hear his false, contemptuous declarations,” said the former separatist premier,  Bernard Landry

While the speech was received negatively in most of Quebec, it got the opposite reaction amongst traditional conservatives across the country and all of a sudden, Maxim Bernier was lifted from obscurity to someone on everyone's radar.

To refresh everyone's memory, Bernier was a rising star in the Harper cabinet until a silly indiscretion, where he left some confidential documents at his then girlfriends house. It turns out that the girlfriend had some dubious contacts with bikers and the press and the opposition had a field day playing up the story as a national security issue, when in fact it was her boobs and her 'hotness,' more than her dubious contacts that made her interesting.

You may recall that the girlfriend raised eyebrows by showing up to Rideau Hall for Bernier's investiture into cabinet, wearing a dress with a decidedly plunging neckline. Ever since then, reporters were on her case and when the incident over the documents occurred, they went to town.

Stephen Harper could have easily backed his minister and ridden out the storm, but back then, he was riding high on his morality horse and dropped Bernier from the cabinet over the indiscretion.

Bernier had no choice but to accept the demotion with dignity, but felt betrayed. When after a suitable period in purgatory and he wasn't returned to cabinet, he realized that the writing was on the wall for him, as far as Harper goes. 

And so Bernier retired to the back benches, quietly plotting his return. It isn't an uncommon phenomenon, just ask Quebec Liberal Pierre Paradis who is now plotting to overthrow Jean Charest,  after a similar falling out and banishment.
It's all about timing...

Last week Bernier struck and did so with a vengeance.

Stephen Harper was flirting with the idea of helping Quebec City finance a new arena in the hope that it would boost Conservative prospects in Quebec. It isn't clear whether this was a legitimate offer or just a gambit to hold a carrot out to the Quebec electorate, before a possible Fall election.

Although a majority of Harper's Conservative party caucus were aghast at the idea of federal money being spent in support of private industry, Harper was confident that he could hold everyone in line with the promise of a majority government.

Of course, helping Quebec City get a new arena would mean that the feds would have to help Edmonton, Regina and other Canadian cities realize their stadium or arena dreams, but no matter, the whole commitment would cost under two billion dollars, a fair price to pay,  in his estimation, I imagine, for a majority government.
After all, Harper had no qualms about blowing a billion dollars on the G20 conference in Toronto, with zero long-term return.

Plans were going along neatly with Quebec federal Conservative MPs posing for the media in Nordiques jerseys, giving the media and the public, a not so subtle message that help might well be on the way.

But conspicuous by his absence was Maxime Bernier and he was soon questioned by the press as to why he didn't appear in the picture.

At first Bernier played it coy, offering a terse 'NO COMMENT' to reporters, but as the pressure built and a Conservative backlash developed, he finally unloaded in his blog. 

"...I too share the dream of again seeing a professional hockey team come back to play in our region and I sincerely hope that a way will be found to make this dream come true. But dreaming does not make the hard financial reality go away. It’s nice to have dreams, but when you use borrowed money to achieve them and act as if money grows on trees, you may have a brutal awakening. For all these reasons, I cannot in good conscience support this project." Read the blog piece in English

His pronouncements served to act as a 'tipping point' in the Conservative caucus, Bernier saying openly, what so many wanted to, but were afraid to voice in fear of the inevitable Harper retribution.
It seems that Bernier has effectively destroyed Harpers's plans and the 'arena gambit' is dead.

Support for Bernier in the Conservative party is slowly and quietly building. He is now being perceived as an attractive package and a viable alternative to Harper, who is more and more being seen as a sell-out to traditional conservative values and like the biblical Moses, he seems unable to deliver the ultimate prize.

For Harper it's another bitter lesson that punishing foes and adversaries by banishing them, may not be the best prescription.
Like Helena Guergis, who was also thrown under the bus prematurely and who is coming back to haunt Harper now that she has been exonerated, Bernier is now more than a thorn in the side and is launching a legitimate challenge.

Lost on Harper is the old "Art of War" quote;

"Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer" -Sun Tzi

Bernier remains safe in his Beauce Parliamentary seat. The region is atypically federalist, and fiercely entrepreneurial. Nothing will unseat him. Although unpopular for his stand on the Quebec arena now, the press is begrudgingly respectful.
Should he ever become leader of the federal Conservatives, his good looks might even trigger a modern Trudeaumania effect. If he can deliver between 30-35 seats in Quebec, the Conservatives might well achieve a true 'Big C' Conservative majority, something Harper is unlikely to ever produce. It's not impossible, Brian Mulroney once delivered 58 seats. Things change quickly in Quebec.

For Bernier, revenge is sweet.
Not only has he destroyed Harper's "arena gambit," he has raised his profile and stature.

For Bernier, his star is rising, having "passed GO and collected his $200 successfully"

Inspirational Posters Volume 3

 

See    Inspirational posters Volume 2

See    Inspirational posters Volume 1

Please have an EXCELLENT weekend!
BONNE fin de semaine!

 

NDP Joins Forces with Separatists in Anti-English Rally

The NDP, led in Quebec by the indomitable "UNCLE TOM" Mulcair is joining forces with separatist forces to protest the Quebec government's proposed Bill 103, the law that will replace Bill 104, struck down by the Supreme Court as illegal.
That law closed a 'loophole' whereby students who didn't qualify for English education could skirt the law by attending an unsubsidized private English school for as little as one year, thus earning qualification for public English education, the next year.

The law that closed this loophole was deemed too harsh and the Quebec government was given a year's reprieve to write a kinder and gentler law.
That they did, but Bill 103 can hardly be labelled kinder and gentler, it is, if anything, much harsher and just as likely illegal.

That being said, for militant language and separatist groups, it's not enough. They are pushing for the use of the "Notwithstanding Clause" to nullify the Supreme Court's decision, something the government is loathe to do as it might present Quebec internationally as repressive.

"They ask us (PQ) to do what they did not want to do when they were in power, aware of the impact on the international stage. When you say you want to make a country, you're not going to walk around saying you're going to bully, in some cases, fundamental freedoms. The whole debate is here. It is the protection of the image of Quebec abroad, "she said.

-Christine St. Pierre Minister of Education  LINK(French)

Nowhere in the NDP literature or any web site (that I could find) is there any mention that they are taking part  in this coalition, but as you can see, the NDP logo appears prominently under the advertisement for the big 'spectacle' to be held to protest Bill 103 on September 18th.

I wonder if any journalist will put the question of whether the NDP supports the use of the Notwithstanding Clause, in relation to Bill 103,  directly to Mr. Layton?
We don't need to ask Uncle Tom, he is always front and center, when it comes to shafting Quebec Anglophones..

In joining the coalition, the NDP shares company with the Bloc Québécois, Parti Québécois and Québec Solidaire.  Federal separatists, provincial separatists and communist separatists. Wonderful company!

What's more interesting is that the NDP has placed its logo besides the Réseau de Résistance Québécoise and  Jeunes Patriotes du Québec, two radical organizations who have either engaged or hinted at violence.

Going down the list we can find the usual suspects of sovereignists, unionists and language militants, not many surprises except for the NDP, who's logo, complete with the Canadian flag, seems a bit out of place.

By the way, I was a bit put off by the inclusion of the Commission scolaire de Montréal, A PUBLIC ORGANIZATION, paid for with tax dollars.

Here is the complete list of members of the the "coalition against Bill 103"
Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal
Mouvement national des Québécoises et Québécois

Commission scolaire de Montréal

Bloc québécois

Parti Québécois

Québec solidaire

Nouveau parti démocratique

Conseil de la souveraineté

Revue de l’Action nationale
Les Intellectuels pour la souveraineté
SPQLibre
Rassemblement pour un pays souverain
Mouvement souverainiste du Québec
Réseau de Résistance québécoise
Jeunes Patriotes du Québec
Mouvement pacifique pour l’indépendance du Québec
Comité action indépendantiste et culturelle québécoise du Cégep du Vieux-Montréal
Mouvement Montréal français
Mouvement Montérégie français
Mouvement Laurentides français
Mouvement Lanaudière français
Impératif français
Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec
Confédération des syndicats nationaux
Centrale des syndicats du Québec
Syndicat de la fonction publique du Québec
Fédération autonome de l’enseignement
Union des artistes
Mouvement des cégépiens pour le français
Comité souverainiste de l’UQAM
Mouvement des étudiants souverainistes de l’UDM
Mouvement étudiant pour le français-UQAM

I wonder how Canadians outside the province of Quebec, feel about the NDP's decision to join in this anti-English, coalition of separatists.

How low can the knee-dippers sink, trolling for votes?

Sovereignist Support For Israel?

Tonight is New Year's eve for the many Jewish readers of this blog and I'd like to take this opportunity to wish them a healthy and happy New Year.

This blog has little to do with religion and nothing to do with the middle-east situation, but I've seen some anti-Israel-bashing posts creep into the Comments section which is unfortunate.

It is true that Quebec is a hotbed of Israel-bashing, where left wing unionists like Gérald Larose and communist sympathizers like  Amir Khadir perpetuate a campaign of vilification of Israel in the media as if the rest of the world was a Garden of Eden and Israel was the only thorny bush.

One of my favourite bloggers wrote a rather interesting rebuttal. Lifelong sovereignist and ex-MP and PQ cabinet minister, Jacques Brassard who hails from the Saguenay region wrote a rather stinging blog piece, one where he pulls no punches.

Among sovereignists, he's a bit of an anomaly, a free thinker who was sacked from his newspaper job at Le Quotidien du Saguenay-lac-St-Jean, as a columnist for writing an unflattering piece denigrating the Quebec environmental movement and its messiah Steven Guilbeault. He continues to pontificate on his own blog which is one of the most important and interesting examples of free-thinkers, unbound by party politics and loyalties.

Here he takes on the 500 Quebec artists who signed a letter condemning Israel and calling for a boycott;

"A call from Montreal artists to support the international campaign for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israeli apartheid…" LINK

Mr. Brassard replies;
For those who read French find the original post HERE

The ZARTISTES Furious Over Israel
(note: 'zartistes'- a disparaging term for 'artists')


Ah, these sweet, left wing Quebecois zartistes, how predictable they are!!

How constant and unequivocal is their indignation! How eminently selective!

If Israel were to disappear (as desired so ardently by these Teherani stools), where would our leftist zartistes, so sensitive to human suffering, manifest their compassion for human misery?

Fortunately feeding their compassion, is the oppressed Palestinians, massacred, starved, locked up ... and to stimulate their indignation even further, there are the Jewish oppressors, murderers, starvers and jailers!

But tell me, what do you do for the Tibetans, Sudanese, Tamil, Congolese, the North Koreans, Burmese, Zimbabweans, the Copts, the Christians of Iraq and Pakistan, all persecuted, bullied and murdered?

They're nothing but 'Small Fry!' Our zartistes will not be distracted by these lowly whiners!

Their job, their mission, is to defend the Palestinians, victims 'par excellence' of the entire galaxy, and especially those in Gaza.
500 of them have signed an open letter expressing solidarity with the Palestinians, mistreated by the "Jews-with-no-heart-and-no-soul", calling for a boycott of Israeli products and calling for sanctions against the Jewish state.

I went through the list of the 500. Almost all are zartistic 'nobodies.' Except a few. As Richard Desjardins, for example. This is hardly surprising since the Guru of Abitibi is a well known leftist, eco-pacifist, anti-globalization, anti-American, pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist.

But what saddened me is to see the name of Gilles Vigneault among the petitioners.

Gilles Vigneault! How Sad!

How can he ignore that the people of Gaza are in no way subjected to "a chronic shortage of electricity, fuel,  food and other commodities?" Even during the military operation of 'Cast Lead,' against Hamas terrorists, the supply line to the Gaza Strip never really stopped.

Gilles Vigneault. How can he say that Israel has turned Gaza into a giant prison? Has he forgotten that the Israeli army left the Gaza Strip in 2005?
And if Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are in prison, it is the one established by the Hamas extremist fanatics who impose a bloody tyranny steeped in hateful antisemitism so vicious that it is surprising that the 500 freedom-loving zartiste petitioners, never noticed?

Gilles Vigneault must be aware that he utters a horrible lie and demonstrates an appalling intellectual dishonesty when he proclaims that Israel has created "a system of institutionalized racism and segregation that resembles apartheid South Africa"

This is a charge so vile and so villainous that only the demonization of Israel can explain its presence in the cultural, media, politicians and intellectuals in the West.

"Israel," writes Pierre-Andre Taguieff, embodies the West for anti-Westerners, imperialism for anti-imperialists, infidels for the Islamists and racism for pro-Palestinians. It combines all the negative stereotypes. It is seen as the ultimate state, which should disappear so that man can be delivered from evil. "
How, exactly does Israel impose apartheid in the Gaza Strip, where it exercises no authority?

On its own territory, there is no racist policy, no discriminatory system. The State of Israel is a democratic state where Arab Muslims are full citizens, enjoying all the rights and fundamental freedoms for all and are represented in the Knesset, Israel's parliament. 

But, the anti-Zionists scream- "There is the Wall! The security fence! How horrible! What a disgrace!" Even the Pope is upset.

Before they choke with indignation, they should ask themselves this one simple question: why is there a fence?

Benedict XVI, during his trip to the Middle East, saw fit not to raise this essential issue because the answer is as simple as the question.

Before the "Israeli apartheid wall," as the beautiful souls of the petitioners describe, the terrorists crossed the border easily, wrapped with explosives and would blow themselves up on the terraces of cafes, buses, cafeterias of universities, public places, in the middle of bustling markets. After the construction of the fence (a fence because it is more than a wall), the aim has been largely achieved: the level of security for Israeli civilians, has increased considerably.

It is true that terrorists now favour rockets fired indiscriminately at Israeli towns. This has compelled the Jewish state to resort to other means of protection that include sirens and shelters.

How is it that the security fence Israel has become the "Wall of Shame" 'par excellence'? Because it is far from alone. There are many others, the walls of separation between the U.S. and Mexico, between Morocco and the Sahara between India and Pakistan, between Botswana and Zimbabwe, between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, Cyprus, Ireland, and between Thailand and Malaysia.

Why is the indignation of the Western left exclusively focused on the 'monstrous Israeli Wall ?

Because they are Jews who have erected it to protect themselves from Islamist terrorism. And because the Western left is anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic.

Dear Gilles Vigneault, if Gaza is hell now, know that it is the rotten fruit of the culture of hatred and violence in which the Palestinian population have swam in, over the ages.

Palestinian youth are indoctrinated, fanatisized, and fuel the hatred of the Jews, while worshipping a pathological version of Islamist terror.

Know that  Hamas and other Islamist hordes are solely responsible for the confinement of Palestinians in Gaza.

By signing this petition, you behave as useful idiot (in the words of Lenin), "idiot" because you do not comprehend the fundamentally totalitarian, obscurantist, terrorist, barbaric, draconian nature of the nazislamism of Hamas. "Useful," because you are a cog in the machinery of propaganda and disinformation of the Islamofascist Caliphate of Gaza. It's deplorable and pathetic on behalf of a great poet like you.

-Jacques Brassard

Hmmm. That was certainly unexpected!
It's not that often a sovereignist takes such a public stance in favour of Israel and it's not often that anyone uses such strong language in doing so.

Now before we all get into a pro-Israel/anti-Israel slug fest, the point of this post is not really about Israel.

It is about the labeling of sovereignists as left-wingers and federalists as conservatives.

The sovereignty debate in Quebec has redefined people as what they may or may not be, based solely on their position on sovereignty.

But the reality is a little different, within the two camps there lies conservatives and liberals.

We federalists are certainly not a homogeneous lot marching in lockstep with the policies of the Quebec Liberals and the federal Tories. Far from it. We are a diverse group that share a fundamental belief in Canada, but the similarities probably ends there.

The same truths applies to sovereignists, who are also tarred by the same brush and considered radical leftists by most in the English media. It is not true.

A group of famous Quebec conservatives who are generally aligned with the sovereignist camp  known as the "Lucides'  wrote a devastating indictment of Quebec society in an open letter that demonstrated that there is no consensus among sovereignists over liberal/conservative values.

We Quebeckers, whether sovereignists or federalists cannot be defined by one issue alone, even if it is the biggest issue.

But we are.

Editors Note. Gratuitous comments in support of Israel or Palestine, unrelated to the article above will not be posted. This blog is not about the Middle East.

Ouch!!!!! Friday's Blog Piece Hits a Nerve

My piece on Friday provoked some strong reaction by French language militants, some even rising to the level of hate. I've printed a couple of these comments so that readers can get an understanding of the level of malevolence, language militants bear to those who disagree with them. I didn't print a slew of others, all bearing the same theme theme of "Get the "F" out of Quebec , if you don't like it.' and other racist missives.

Of course none of those comments offered any sort of rebuttal to the piece that I wrote, the premise being that hysteria by French language militants over English and Bill 101, are driving francophones and allophones towards English education.

Instead, the comments included the obligatory ad hominem attacks on myself for blogging anonymously, coupled with a rehash of the same-old/same-old hackneyed ideas and misleading statistics that are the bread and butter of the French language/sovereignist militant machine.

I'm not sure what these militants want to accomplish by posting their nonsense to our little blog, if they're not going to make any rational arguments, their hysterical anglophobia is mis-directed.
I guess I must have pushed a button that triggered a certain wave of frustration and anger which bubbled over. All I can say is, tough noogis...

There is nothing these militants hate worse than being called out on the facts, they are used to preaching to the converted. They pump out falsehoods and use misleading and doctored statistics as a matter of course  and are outraged when these myths are challenged by skeptics.

Readers on this blog, I'm glad to say, are not the saps who lap up the lame hysterical mantra passed off as fact by the Mario Beaulieus and Louis Prefontaines of the militant sovereignist movement. We remain unimpressed and defiant. I myself have felt the sharp end of a criticism from readers and that's a good thing!

Readers have already offered some interesting critiques of the nonsense spouted by Mr. Prefontaine.
Congratualtions! 'Adski' , 'Appatchik' and 'Troy' and others! You have given me one less column to write!

BTW, Mr. Prefontaine, as adski pointed pointed out, I have already written about  The Myth of the Overfinancing of English Universities.

I will however add this;

By claiming that Anglophone schools are over-financed, you intimate that francophone schools are under-financed.

This simply isn't true.
Francophone education is in a catastrophic state of decline that has nothing to do with anglos, ethnics or allophones, or financing, for that matter.

If anglophone institutions are over-financed (and they are not) it is because francophones just don't go to cegep and university in the same proportion as anglos and allos. 
Those francophones and allophones who go to anglo institutions are numerically insignificant in comparison with the simple fact that francophones are just less interested in higher eduction.

Now I know this is hard to swallow, so let me back it up with facts.

First of all, francophones value education less than Anglophones. 

Read a highly interesting report on this and other problems in the Quebec educational system.

REPORT OF THE ACTION GROUP ON STUDENT RETENTION AND SUCCESS IN QUEBEC

It's hard to fill universities and cegeps when students don't finish high school. The high school dropout rate amongst francophones, especially boys has become a critical indictment  of the francophone educational system.
In a letter to the Journal de Montreal former sovereignist Premier Jacques Parizeau was 'scandalized' by the poor performance of francophone high schoolers as compared to their anglophone counterparts.

"Premier Jacques Parizeau wrote a newspaper article drawing attention to the high dropout rate among among boys. He cited government statistics on high-school completion rates as of 2007, showing that in Montréal French-language public schools 63 percent of girls and only 49 percent of boys had graduated seven years after entering secondary studies. The comparable statistics in Montreal English- language public schools were 86 percent for girls and 79 percent for boys. “Why,” he asked, “are the results of [Quebec’s] English-language school system so much better than those of the French-language system?” 

read;  Dropouts: The Achilles' Heel of Canada's High-School System

I wonder if Mr. Prefontaine will blame the poor performance of francophone high school students on the over-financing of the the English high school boards?

Finally one last sad  piece of evidence, here's a bar graph indicating the different graduation rates from university:

Yup, Anglos earn almost 50% more university degrees than francophones, per capita. Allophones do even better!

I know it's sad and I know it's infuriating to have an anglo like myself bring these facts to light. There is a problem in the French educational system but it hasn't got anything to do with money or anglos.

To my francophone friends, I tell you that I take no pleasure in revealing this sad state of affairs.
Something has to be done pro-actively to get francophones back in school where they belong. Other studies show that when they do stay in university, they do just as well as anglophones.

Perpetuating myths and spreading falsehoods is what language militants do, blaming anglos and Canada for everything under the sun, instead of looking at the unvarnished truth that faces them in the mirror.

I know that in reaction to this piece, someone, somewhere is trying to spin the facts to prove otherwise, but the truth is, the Anglo education system is infinitely more successful, to the point that the very best francophone students want in.

Instead of trying to destroy the Anglo system, perhaps it would be better to try and emulate it, but alas it's easier to whine.

If you don't like my words, then debate them. If you can't or won't, well.... bring on the racist anti-English rants, we're all used to them. But I won't be printing any more of your crap.

PS. Note to Louis Prefontaine;
That was your one free shot.
Don't ever think that you can come around again and insult me like a moronic twit on my own blog.... If you want to slag me, do it on your own blog.