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.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.
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}
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?
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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....
