Tag: Quebec politics

Alberta Politics: Brian Topp, NDP strategist who led Rachel Notley’s 2015 war room, describes what Jagmeet Singh must do this year to win

With a federal election looming this fall, mainstream pundits have already written off the federal New Democratic Party and its leader, Jagmeet Singh, relegating Mr. Singh to history’s discard bin and declaring the party to have already returned to perpetual third-party status. Maybe they shouldn’t, suggests long-time NDP political strategist

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Alberta Politics: All’s fair in politics and the oil business, but the claim Canada’s facing a constitutional crisis is just politics

The fact the federal and Alberta governments were unable yesterday to reach an agreement with British Columbia on proceeding with the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project does not mean Canada is facing a constitutional crisis. However, it doesn’t preclude one happening eventually. Nevertheless, it’s important to state this clearly because

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Alberta Politics: If you’re an Albertan who demands low taxes, balanced budgets, and pipelines to B.C., expect to be told to look in the mirror

PHOTOS: Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci, a New Democrat. Below: Former Wildrose leader and United Conservative Party leadership contender Brian Jean, now retired from politics, and B.C. based environmentalist Tzeporah Berman, very much not retired from activism. By way of setting the stage for Thursday’s budget speech, Finance Minister Joe

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Alberta Politics: So long, Denis; Hello Valérie … Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose

PHOTOS: Just-defeated Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre (Photo: City of Montreal.) Below: Montreal Mayor-elect Valérie Plante, who defeated Mr. Coderre in the city’s civic election Sunday, and Saskatchewan Senator Denise Batters, both photos from their Twitter accounts. I’ve got some advice for those right-wingers from Western Canada cheering the political demise

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Alberta Diary: Good advice for Alberta New Democrats from Quebec: this time, make it easy for voters to support you

Ray Guardia, one of the key architects of the federal NDP’s 2011 breakthrough in Quebec, at yesterday’s closing session of the Broadbent Institute’s 2014 Progress Summit in Ottawa. Below: Environmental activist Tzeporah Berman. OTTAWA Here’s a tip for Alberta New Democrats from one of the principal architects of Jack Layton’s

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Canadian Soapbox: Les raisons pourquoi un anglophone va voter pour le PQ

J’habite à Québec pour une bonne boute, mais j’ai jamais essayer d’écrire en français…donc svp excusez me plusieurs fautes pendant que j’explique les raisons pourquoi un “tête carré”  va voter pour les pésquistes.
La première chose à confronter c’est la question d’un referendum. Philippe Couillard joue la politique de peur en disant que la journée suite à une victoire pour le PQ Pauline Marois va commençer de préparer pour un 3e referendum.  Je ne le crois pas.  
Peut-etre une journée il y aura un autre vote sur la separation, mais pas cette année et même pas l’année prochaine.   Jamais? Moi, je ne sais pas…si ça arrive ça arrive.  Le Québec, c’est une societée democratique, et si les citoyen(ne)s décide qu’ils veut un 3e referendum dans les années qui viennent, ça c’est leur doit.
Juste pour soit cent pour cent clair, si il y aura un referendum demain, je voterai non.
Donc, pourquoi voter PQ?
Parce que j’aime tellement la langue et la culture française-québecoise et de mon avis, ce n’est que le PQ qui va le protéger et le promouvoir.  Est-ce qu’il y a un bésoin?  Quant à moi, oui.  Le centre commercial de Québec c’est Montréal, et il est arrivée à moi de trouver des gens qui parle pas français dans les coffee shops et les dépaneurs.  Récenement je suis allée dans un dep à Montréal et j’ai demandé.  “Vendez vous les timbres”.  La reponse?  “Sorry, I don’t speak French”.
Comment ça?  Dans la ville de Montréal, à Québec en osti!!!  C’est pas grave pour moi, un anglophone….mais imaginez un(e) Québecois(e) unilangue, dans un commerce de sa propre nation….pas capable d’avoir la service dans sa/son propre langue….la seul langue officiel de Québec.
Il y a d’autres raisons aussi.  Moi, je suis pas un idéologue.  Je suis pas gauchiste, ni sur le doit.  Et je trouve que le gouvernement PQ récent, ils essayent de faire le ménage sur les finances publique. Ce n’est pas un job façile car il n’y jamais assez de l’argent pour tous les bésoins.  Les commissions scolaires font des plaintes sur les coupures, mais c’est les choses ce qu’il faut faire pour nettoyer le portefeuille publique.  
Meme avec l’exploration pour l’huile sure l’ile Anticosti.  Est que ca va marcher?  Je ne sais pas, mais c’est pas un billet de lotto, comme disait M. Couillard, c’est un investisement…et avec des investisements il y des risques.
Quant aux plusieurs sondages M. Couillard serai le prochain PM de Québec, mais moi….je crois de moins en moins dans les sondages.
On va voir.  

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Alberta Diary: PKP to run for PQ: Why PKP, with SNN and CPC PMO spell SOS for Canada, which could be FUBAR

Impressionable English Canadian youngsters tune in to SNN for sinister ideological conditioning by RWN (right-wing nuts) on the staff of the PMO-favoured network. Below: PKP and his now-ex wife (NXW), grabbed from the Internet; SNN broadcaster Ezra Levant. Oh, H-E-double-hockey-sticks, PKP wants another D-I-V-O-R-C-E! This time, having just given his

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Canadian Soapbox: Does tolerating intolerance make one tolerant? Québec’s secular charter

Québec’s secular or ‘values’ charter is quite the paradox.  Those who are opposed to it accuse proponents of being xenophobic and intolerant.  Supporters of the charter consider detractors to be supporters of intolerance.  So who are the intolerant ones, the supporters of the charter or its detractors?
While the legislation is aimed at banning many different religious symbols from being worn in certain public spaces, the flashpoint for discussion is the various forms of head and/or full body coverings worn by some Muslim women.  
Québec society is very secular in nature.  I go to church here on a semi regular basis, a Roman Catholic church, and my wife and I are always among the youngest attendees.  The congregations are dominated by elderly parishioners, if I had to guess I’d put the average at somewhere between 70 and 80 years of age.  
Why have so many Québecers turned their backs on a church that at one time was such a huge part of their identity?  One of the reasons is Rome’s treatment of women.  Women here were the last Canadians to be given the right to vote in provincial elections.  It wasn’t until 1944 that Québec women could vote for their provincial MNAs.  
A big opponent to the cause of suffrage was the Roman Catholic Church. Then Québec cardinal Rodrigue Villeneuve objected to women voting based on the perceived authority structure of the family, that is to say MEN ARE IN CHARGE.
The government of that day opted to be intolerant of Roman Catholicism’s intolerance when it came to equality of the sexes, and it was obviously the right choice.
In that light it should not be surprising that many Québecers support the charter.  They see it as a continuation of the feminist movement and a fight for the equality between women and men.

And frankly I have to say I agree.

Even Québec Liberal MNA Fatima Houda-Pépin, the only Muslim woman in the National Assembly, supports at least some aspects of the charter.  Actually that should be former Liberal MNA, as her opposition to her party’s negative stance on the charter has forced her to leave the party and sit as an independent.
Now I’m not suggesting that there isn’t a red neck element who support the charter for reasons more xenophobic….yes, there are plenty of those.  But sometimes even small and wrong minded people can be in favour of positive change, even if its for the wrong reasons.  

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