Facts and Figures- Bah Humbug!

In this world of information overload, it's getting harder and harder to separate the factual wheat from the chaff, as the shear bulk of news stories, published data, opinion polls and research papers, makes it harder and harder to form a reasoned opinion about any issue, considering that most of the information is highly suspect.

Whether the issue be global warming, weapons of mass destruction or the state of the French language in Quebec, we have seen that facts and figures can be anything but incontrovertible and are more likely than not, a product of manipulation meant to advance the position of the author. Just as Photoshop has destroyed  our trust in the integrity of photos, the famous 'Hockey Stick' graph" of global warming fame, has forever tainted our perception of data reliability.

In Quebec, nothing typifies this modern phenomenon more than the information war currently being waged in the debate over language between the French and English.

This week was particularly interesting because of several publish reports that have people on both sides of the debate scratching their heads.

First we had a report in the Montreal Gazette-, Anglo salary fallacy persists: poll that declared that the the average salary for francophone Quebeckers has surpassed that of Anglophones by some $2,000.

"Yet it’s a fact: If your mother tongue is French, you earn $2,000 a year more, on average, than an English-speaking Quebecer."

Not so fast.... It's no fact at all. All this determined in an opinion poll? I remain sceptical and would like to hear about their methodology. After all, would you divulge your salary over the phone to someone who was conducting a survey?  Not likely. Why not go to the source for real information-Statistics Canada. The article went on to present the following comical assertion as fact which confirmed to me, that the whole presentation was junk journalism;

"The only place in the province where Anglophones earn more than French-speakers is Hampstead, where the average annual wage for English-speakers is $45,428, compared to $40,892 for Francophones."

Ha Ha Ha!!! What a crock!

Hampstead's 7,000 residents are over 90% Anglophone and 85% Jewish, those few who speak French  are really Sephardic Jews who are closely aligned to the English community. They send their kids to English schools and watch English TV. Trust me, Francophones they are not.
Making any salary comparison between Anglos and Francophones in Hampstead is impossible because there aren't any real Francophone 'de souche' at all. There's no cabane a sucre in Hampstead nor any Catholic Church. The mayor doesn't speak a word of French and city council business is conducted in the King's English. Nobody complains because there ISN'T A FRANCOPHONE IN SIGHT!!!

Hampstead is a town where the average home costs over a million dollars and where the average tax bill is between $10 and $20k per home. While other Canadians may not be impressed with the price tag, remember that Quebec property is worth a pittance compared to Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto.

Even if you included all the live-in maids and household staff there's no way you can get to an average annual salary of $45k, it's moronic to believe you can get there using any methodology.
So much for comparing Anglophone salaries to Francophones salaries in Hampstead!

I was watching an episode of Mario Dumont's afternoon conservative political talk-show where he discussed the survey with long time Anglo-basher Gilles Proulx, who laughed off the report as garbage. I tend to agree. The whole thing is absurd.

To make matters worse, Lysianne Gagnon, a highly respected columnist at the Globe and Mail tried to make sense of the 'revelation' that Francophones now out earn Anglos in Quebec by observing that ;

"One reason for the disparity is that French speakers are more inclined than Anglophones to get college-level training that leads to well-paid skilled trades."LINK.

Whaaat???
I usually value Ms. Gagnon's opinion, but she couldn't be more wrong about Anglos attending university. The graduation rate for Anglos attending university is  31% and 35% for Allophones as compared to 22% for Francophones.  Anglos and Allos out graduate Francophones by 50%. Huh!
You can download a report prepared by the Institut de la statistique du Québec entitled Données sociodémographiques en bref  that confirms this fact on page 3.
So is everything we read suspect???
NEXT.........
A study by New Brunswick demographer Eric Forgues, of the Canadian Institute for Research on Linguistic Minorities in New Brunswick, shows that there is a net migration out of Quebec because there are more Anglophones and Allophones leaving Quebec than are those arriving. LINK

An article in LE DEVOIR comes to the exact opposite conclusion.  

"The exodus of English speakers outside of Quebec is well and truly over.  There is now a dramatic change in the situation. Between 2001 and 2006, the anglophone population of Montreal has experienced unprecedented growth in the history of Quebec."   LINK

Perhaps the lesson to be learned is that 'facts' presented are no facts at all. How many of us, with our busy schedules, take the time to analyze what is being presented.

Next time someone on the opposite end of an argument quotes you supporting facts and figures, don't be shy to call her or him out.

When sovereignists and nationalists start reaming off statistics and facts, chances are that those 'facts' and 'figures' are  nothing but a self-serving crock of BS!
EN GARDE!

New Poll Devastating to French Language Militants

It seems that forces in the English community,  in a clever attempt to influence the government's coming reaction to Bill 104, (the law struck down by the Supreme Court  that restricted access to English schools) has come up with an ace in the hole and has struck a devastating blow to French language militants.
Yesterday, the Montreal Gazette  published a poll that completely destroys the militant position that there is popular support for restricting access to English schools. LINK
The numbers have stunned everyone involved in the debate and appear to show that the majority of Quebeckers, even Francophones, want universal and free choice to both private and public English schools for everyone.

66% of Quebeckers (61% of Francophones) backed this position in a telephone survey conducted by the Leger marketing company.
The numbers are even more stunning when it come to admission to Cgep (junior college) with 84% of all Quebeckers (80% of Francophones) believing that universal access should be maintained.

For sovereignists it's a bitter pill to swallow with Mario Beaulieu of the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste claiming foul and that the survey is somehow rigged. Perhaps he knows something we don't, he's the champion spinmeister and is an expert at distorting information. LINK

The poll results is just now trickling through the nationalist movement and it's unlikely that any of them will accept the results, so expect to see flat out denials that the poll is in any way real or indicative of what Francophones really think. The poll will surely be attacked on its methodology or it will be tarred as being  dishonest or flawed. Perhaps it will be ignored in the faint hope that it won't make a splash in the French press. Not likely.

At any rate, it is going to make Jean Charest's job, in relation to the Bill 104 file even harder. He had counted on popular support against English school access in the crafting of his response to the rejection of Bill 104 by the Supreme Court and the stipulation that a new law be enacted before the Fall.  It now appears that the majority of Quebeckers are not in board. Whodda thunk that!

One of the curious aspects of the poll is that it represents so different a reality than has been painted by the press, the nationalists and even the politicians. Every day we are harangued that English school access is evil and unwanted, but it doesn't appear to be the case at all.

Is the language debate in general and the vendetta against English schools in particular, a house of cards run by militants without real popular support?  It appears so.

How devastating is this poll?
More than you think. Every time a militants demands restrictions to English schools, we can fairly argue that the position goes against popular support.
I'm afraid that all that will be left is the "Father knows Best" argument whereby militants profess to the right to impose their own political agenda, because like a father,  they better understand what is best for Quebeckers.

It hasn't been a good week all around for language militants, who are reeling from the reaction to their complaints about too many  English artists scheduled to perform at the  Festival d’été de Québec (Quebec Summer Festival.) 

A letter, signed by 25 'distinguished' Quebeckers, denouncing the Anglo participation was sent to the Minister of Culture, Christine St-Pierre.

In an effort to avoid the horribly negative  publicity that the province endured last year over Anglo artists being pulled, the reinstated to the Fete St. Jean celebrations in Montreal, members of Quebec's National Assembly voted unanimously  to support organizers of the festival, thus dealing another blow to language militants, who expressed surprise at the universal rejection that their letter received. LINK

It looks like there's going to be a couple of interesting couple of days ahead of us in relation to this language poll and I shall be keeping close tabs on the reaction in both the communities.

Bloc Quebecois Not Feeling the Love

In its never ending quest to convince Quebeckers that the time to separate is now, the Bloc Quebecois has released a newly-commissioned opinion poll which confirms that Canadians are remarkably indifferent to making any accommodation towards Quebec vis a vis constitutional powers.

It seems that the plan to add thirty seats to Parliament, all outside Quebec has shocked the province, with many commentators openly ruing the fact that Quebec was responsible for the failure of the 1992 Charlottetown Accord. The agreement guaranteed Quebec 25% of the seats in Parliament, regardless of demographics, as well as a basket of other constitutional goodies.

There's little doubt that if that same constitutional package were offered to Quebec today, it would be accepted by a wide margin in Quebec, but likely rejected in Canada.

Alas, the only thing that I  agree with Mr. Duceppe, is that is a new round of constitutional negotiations is not likely.

Here are the results of the poll commissioned by the Bloc and prepared  by REPERE COMMUNICATION

 

Of course the questions were framed to generate the widest possible gulf between Canadian and Quebec opinion and to underscore the 'two solitudes' between Quebec and the ROC. That said, there's no hiding that the opinion poll indicates that Canada has run out of goodwill and patience.

Since 1992, Anglo attitudes towards accommodating Quebec has hardened. Quebec's language policies and its constant chirping about the iniquities of the federal system, all the while benefiting from billions in dollars of entitlements paid for by Anglo provinces, has convinced Anglos that there will be no end to the demands and that compromise is futile.

The Bloc Quebecois' irksome presence in Ottawa and the constant anti-Canadian rhetoric has also contributed to the declining attitude towards any accomodation with Quebec.

The Bloc poll is inherently dishonest, not because it shows Canadians as opposed to negotiations, but rather because it fails to mention that the Bloc is even more dis-interested in constitutional change, with sovereignty as its only goal.

Jacques Parizeau openly admitted that his rejection and his campaign against the Charlottetown Accord in 1992 was based on his one and only goal- sovereignty. In fact he wasn't shy to remind militants that any type of agreement would undermine efforts to achieve the goal of sovereignty.
 
As they say in French." La question qui tue" (the burning question) -
"Why would separatists commission a poll asking Canadians if they are willing to negotiate constitutional change, if the separatists are not?"

More McGill Bashing

There's little doubt that for Quebec nationalists there's no more hated a symbol of perceived Anglo predominance and entitlement than is McGill University.
The fact that the university is a world class institution remains a hard to digest meal of humble pie for nationalist militants. The university's international reputation further underscores the fact that Montreal (contrary to what they would have the world believe) is in fact, home to a vibrant, successful and bustling Anglo community and it puts paid to the myth that the city is exclusively Francophone.

The list of famous McGill graduates is so impressive that comparing it to the combined total of high achievers emanating from all Quebec francophone universities, is like comparing the famous names that wore a Montreal Canadiens jersey to those of the Quebec Nordiques.

The university alumni boasts an impressive group of, ex-Prime Ministers, foreign leaders, renowned scientists and inventors, supreme court judges, doctors, artists and successful businessman. Last year the university added two more Nobel prize winners to the half-dozen previous winners, further widening the gulf of excellence between McGill and its francophone rivals, which combined, have a grand total of zero Nobel Prize winners.

Although McGill is an English institution, academically high achievers in the Quebec Francophone community flock to the school, boosting McGill's Francophone student population to almost 25%, another cause for consternation among French language militants. After all having the best and the brightest 'abandon' Francophone universities, in favour of McGill is particularly galling considering the low enrollment and under achievement that is the hallmark of Francophone institutions of higher education.

Even more aggravating to McGill bashers is the gulf between McGill's endowment fund and that of the Univeriste de Montreal (Quebec's premier Francophone university) - $800 million versus $110 million. This chasm can be explained by the success of McGill graduates in the business field and the propensity of Anglophones to donate money to their alma mater, a practice not largely duplicated in the Francophone community, reflecting a wide difference in the culture of giving.

And so, every couple of months a new attack is launched on McGill, repeating the mantra that McGill is 'overfunded' and that Francophone institutions are under-funded and suffer as a result.

It is sad to see that the latest attack comes not from extremist organizations like the SSJB but rather from the education ministry itself which came down hard against the university's decision to make major changes in it's MBA program.

It seems that McGill has decided that it's MBA program is losing ground to similar programs in other elite universities because of it's under-funding. Even at the modest funding level the university provides, the school collects less in tuition than it spends on the course. Since the program's chief beneficiaries are business types, many of whom are subsidized by their companies and in consideration that graduates will move into extremely high paying jobs, the university decided to put the cost of the program squarely on the shoulders of those benefiting. 

And so the university went to a private mode, whereby neither the government, nor the university would bear any of the costs of the program, resulting in a $30,000 a year tuition fee.

The education ministry went ballistic and demanded that the university reverse it's position based on the notion of accessibility, the idea that education is open to all students, not just those who could pay. The ministry threatened the school with equivalent funding cuts if they chose to go on with the tuition increase. The ministry felt confident that the general population would back their opposition to McGill's 'elitist" program. Bashing McGill on grounds other than language was a sly and clever political move designed to pander to the underlying dislike and jealously that most Francophones harbor towards the school. 

Within days, the Francophone academic elite were pumping out long articles in defence of the government's position, some using statistics, other emotion and still others basing their argument on the tried and true socialist model of Quebec society.

All was going according to plan, with McGill strictly on the defensive, until a pushback campaign was undertaken by many of Quebec's most successful businessmen, both Francophone and Anglophone.

In a letter sent to Quebec newspapers, Quebec's ex PQ Premier Lucien Bouchard as well as other concerned "Lucides" said in part;

"The government’s position is inspired by an outdated, socially inequitable model. It costs $22,000 per student to deliver one year of McGill’s MBA program, but McGill receives only $10,000 per MBA student from government, plus roughly $2,000 per student at current tuition levels. McGill makes up the $10,000 gap by taking support from other programs such as art history and social work.

But MBA students come back to school to maximize their job prospects and earnings potential, while art-history students don’t start classes having already been earning an average of $50,000 a year. And students in social work don’t graduate with the prospect of virtually doubling their income within three years - to $104,000 - as McGill MBA students do.......The ministry’s punishment will make it more difficult for McGill to deliver the kind of MBA program Quebecers deserve." LINK

In an advertisement in LA PRESSE  last week a group of 50 enraged Quebec busisness personalities attacked the position of the government as regressive, and inequitable, shifting the argument away from the French/English debate, something the government hadn't been bargaining for. The letter intimated that the government was badly out of touch with the direction that a modern Quebec needs to go and that it's policy is badly outdated.

At any rate the school hasn't backed down and with surprising support in the business community the government's 'no lose' position is no longer the winner it thought it was.
Surprisingly, outside the academic and sovereignist constituencies, people don't really care if a bunch of Anglos want to spend 30K in tuition on their eduction, the feeling being that if it frees up money for everyone else, so much the better.
This attitude is reflected in a poll a couple of months back in the Journal de Montreal that revealed that Quebeckers also had no objection to rich people paying for private medical care, again with the idea that it would free up money.

If the government thought that it's opposition to McGill's tuition increase, would somehow take the heat off them in relation to other scandals, they badly miscalculated, something that they've been doing a lot of lately.

Let's hope that they quietly abandon punitive funding cuts.

'Oncle' Tom Mulcair and the NDP More Dangerous Than the Bloc

It seems that with friends like the Ndp, Anglos don't need any more enemies. The old saying applies rather neatly to the party which represents a larger threat to English rights in Quebec and Canada than do the Bloc Quebecois.
By proposing and supporting Anglo-bashing legislation, the Ndp gives legitimacy to the French language supremacist agenda of the Bloc Quebecois and undermines English rights in Quebec and Canada.

The Ndp is a nasty collection of socialist wannabes whose message fluctuates according to the constituency. What little success the party enjoys is based on tailoring their platform to the local market, regardless if it jibes with national policy. As they say, different strokes for different folks.

In the west the Ndp  is more Green than the Greens, promoting a granola agenda of feel-good environmentalism. In Ontario, they are the socialist party of the union, the downtrodden auto workers and working poor. In the Maritimes, they are the party of entitlement, pledging money without the tedious requirement of commensurate labour and in Quebec, they preach French language supremacy, with increased powers to be bestowed on the provincial government.

How else could one possibly explain the election of a Ndp member in the snobby Montreal riding of Outremont, where wealthy, professional Francophones intellectuals rule the roost, as well as electing a brother in arms in Acadie-Bathurst, which shares but one common trait, the French language. While Outremont is beautiful urban and successful, the northeastern Acadian part of the New Brunswick riding is the complete opposite, ugly and poor and basically hick, the armpit of the country with one of the most unpleasant and needy constituencies in the country. The sitting NDP MP Yvon Godin won his seat over the burning issue of the Federal government's cuts to Employment benefits, the major industry of the riding. 

A trip through the Acadian part of the riding which includes the  towns of Shippagan and Tracadie is a thoroughly depressing experience, where the locals proudly fly their own version of the French flag and one can only wonder as to what they are so proud about. They speak French so poorly that Montreal Haitians sound like Harvard educated professors in comparison. The unemployment rate tops 40% in the winter and it seems that the main industry is scamming up enough weeks of work to score employment insurance. A local judge once lost her job for claiming that a poll in the Acadian peninsula would uncover more dishonest people than honest ones.

And so the Ndp says whatever it needs to, and supports whatever it has to, in order to eke out a living on the fringe of Parliament, seeking relevancy where there is none.

You'd think that the MP of this lovely riding, Yvon Godin, would have better things to do (perhaps stamp collecting, something he probably knows a lot about) rather than putting forth ridiculous proposals that would require all Supreme Court judges to be bilingual, another assault on English rights.

The proposition is so stupidly patronizing to French language militants that it defies logic. And so the  Ndp proposal supported by Bloc, forced the Liberals to side with the idiots, knowing full well that the bill will be shot down in the senate. Thank God Harper stacked the deck in the Senate, otherwise Bill 101 would soon apply across the land.

In a country where 80% of the people are not bilingual, making bilingualism a criterion for eligibility to the highest court is the height of folly, an effort to garner style points and nothing else.

The whole exercise is just an effort to hurt the government politically, with the residual effect of giving comfort to the sovereignist camp given no thought. Thanks to the NDP, whatever support sovereignty does have in Quebec is reinforced through this affair.

This isn't the only betrayal that Anglo Quebeckers have suffered by the insufferable Knee-dippers.
Led by the thoroughly loathsome Quebec lieutenant "Oncle" Tom  Mulcair, the NDP has supported an assault on English rights that is much more effective than anything the Bloc could ever put up, alone.

'Oncle' Tom has voiced a great love affair with Bill 101 and has supported the Bloc Quebecois proposal that Bill 101 be applied to federal civil servants working in Quebec. He himself has introduced a bill that would amend the Canada Labour Code to apply business "francization" rules of Bill 101 to companies operating in Quebec under federal jurisdiction.

'Oncle' Tom told a Montreal Gazette reporter that protection is needed for the rights of French-speaking employees of companies under federal jurisdiction in Quebec, but not for English-speaking employees.  LINK

Of course the ever pliant Jack Layton supports anything his very own Quebec Anglo collaborationist  has to say, ever fearful of losing his toehold in the province. The pandering to Quebec nationalists at the expense of Anglos is deemed acceptable collateral damage in the Ndp's pitiful quest for a seat or two in Quebec.

And so the Ndp remains more dangerous to national unity than the Bloc. They are a ragged collection of petty politicians more interested in being heard and keeping a job, than of doing anything constructive. 'Oncle' Tom Mulcair is so dedicated to protecting his meal ticket that throwing Anglos under the bus and tailoring his campaign to the tweed, pipe-smoking sovereignists of Outremont is a given, after all it's the Ndp way.