Simon Tremblay-Pepin, an emerging social policy scholar, has recently blogged here (in French) about Quebec tuition fees. He points out that, when one adjusts for inflation, Quebec tuition fees are headed into uncharted territory. Indeed, contrary to some recent spin from the Charest government, Tremblay-Pepin makes two important observations: 1.
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From Orangutan: To Line Beauchamp,
What if La CLASSE were a Jewish group, or a Hindu group, or a Buddhist group, or a Muslim group, or in other words, a group whose beliefs you don’t follow, but a group that nonetheless plays an important role in Quebec society? Would you still refuse to negotiate? In
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Discussing Quebec Student Protests on Talk Radio
Last Friday, I blogged here about the Quebec student protests. Subsequently, I was invited to appear on 580 CFRA News Talk Radio, with hosts Rob Snow and Lowell Green. I should note that Mr. Green is the author of several books, including: -How the Granola Crunching, Tree Hugging Thug Huggers
Continue readingCuriosityCat: The Metamorphosis of Thomas Mulcair
Mulcair is riding high wide and handsome in Quebec, with even arch enemies now thinking he is the best PM of the choices open right now, according to threehundredandeight’s analysis of two recent polls: What is absolutely fascinating about these personal numbers is that Thomas Mulcair gets a 58% approval
Continue readingDriving The Porcelain Bus: Federal NDP On The Rise In Vote-Rich Ontario
ThreeHundredEight.com: Massive NDP leads in Quebec, Ontario competitive: Two federal polls conducted recently in Quebec by Forum Research and CROP indicate that the New Democrats have not only taken the lead, th… The Federal NDP are doing well in Quebec and improving in Ontario. The big story here is not
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Paul Wells had previously theorized that the size of environmental demonstrations in Montreal might hint at the NDP’s ability to establish a long-term base. So what ended up happening? What happened in Montreal was a great big rally for Earth Day whose
Continue readingBlunt Objects: PQ in Trouble Again While NDP Rides High
CROP has a new poll out in Quebec which is showing the horse race in la belle province is once again a three-way, with the Parti québécois feeling the brunt of a 6-point drop from their last poll: CROP (Québec – April 23, 2012) Parti libéral: 30% (=) – 53
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Yesterday’s Alberta election certainly proved somewhat of a shocker – producing about the best possible result short of a minority scenario that would have allowed the NDP to exercise the balance of power, as the slightly-less-right party won even as its most
Continue readingCuriosityCat: The Liberal Party and the role of Quebec in Canada: Bob Rae’s Views
With the possibility that Bob Rae will soon step down as interim leader of the LPC and so trigger the beginning of the race to select the next permanent leader some time towards the end of this year and early next year, we will find the candidates stumping for support.
Continue readingMy journey with AIDS...and more!: Reading today (when I’m not writing)
When I read it’s a bit like grazing in front of the dessert table (minus the diabetic considerations). So it is that I am currently reading, roughly a chapter or section at a time: The Scottish Pioneers of Upper Canada, 1784-1855: Glengarry and Beyond by Lucille H. Campey Robert
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Rex Murphy’s Naive Take on the Quebec Student Protests
On CBC’s The National last night, Rex Murphy weighed in on Quebec’s student protests; the transcript can be found here, and the three-minute video here. He calls the protests “short sighted,” points out that Quebec already has the lowest tuition fees in Canada, and suggests the students’ actions are “crude attempts
Continue readingPolygonic: The case for an NPD-Q
A year, now, since Québec first crested the Big Orange Wave, and still, the NDP continue to thrive. It prompts a brand-new big idea: isn’t it time to build a provincial New Democratic Party in Québec? Will six be enough for the thirsty masses? There used to be one, though
Continue readingFrom Orangutan: Dear CUNY and SUNY students,
Thank you, students at the City University of New York (CUNY) and the State University of New York (SUNY) for writing a beautiful open letter of support of the student strike in Quebec. I am elated that three of you from Brooklyn College visited Montreal over spring break to understand
Continue readingFrom Orangutan: Psst Jean Charest,
Did you know that according to a recent study on access to information conducted by Canada’s newspaper industry Quebec was deemed to be “the most secretive” province in Canada? Mr. Charest, as the Quebec Federation of Journalists requests, please take a page out of U.S. President Barack Obama’s playbook and
Continue readingArt Threat: Sonic solidarity for Ziba Kazemi – An interview with Iranian artist Shahrzad Arshadi
Portrait of artist Shahrzad Arshadi by Thien V (Montreal, March 2012). It Is Only Sound That Remains is a sound theatre performance by artist Shahrzad Arshadi, meditating on the life and death of Ziba Kazemi, also known as Zahra Kazemi. The story of Kazemi’s 2003 death in Iran, the ensuing
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Liberal Party of Canada needs to re-think its approach to Quebec
Our currentPrime Minister has an amazing take on the history of the repatriation of theConstitution, and is reluctant to celebrate our magnificent Charter of Rightsand Freedoms because he think’s it might upset some people in Quebec. The new NDPleader jumped on the same bandwagon that the separatists set rolling, buyinginto
Continue readingA BCer in Toronto: Liberals need to rethink their Quebec approach
Since the election of former Quebec cabinet minister Thomas “Tom” Mulcair as leader of the NDP last month, much attention has been paid to the political situation in Quebec and the consensus seems to be the Liberals are screwed in the province. Consolidating NDP gains in Quebec is certainly a
Continue readingFrom Orangutan: Cher Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois et al.,
Thank you for displaying a rare from of patience and reason in the face of rhetorical manipulations and illogical accusations from lawyer, political scientist, and journalist Christian Dufour during a debate Tuesday on the Denis Lévesque show. Mr. Nadeau-Dubois, one can easily grasp your intelligence and clarity of thought compared
Continue readingbastard.logic: Happy 30th Anniversary, Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms
According to Louise Arbour, Canada’s internationally renowned & universally lauded Charter of Rights & Freedoms (HBD, eh?) “has transformed a country obsessed with the federal-provincial division of powers and enabled it to address its diversity in a substantive, principled way.” Gee. No wonder Harpercon insurrectionists can’t stand the fucking thing.
Continue readingFrom Orangutan: Bonjour Jean Charest,
You sure did blow off some smoke and pull out some mirrors Monday when you denounced the Coalition large de l’association pour une solidarite syndicale etudiante (CLASSE) for refusing to condemn the vandalism and social disruptions in Montreal. Last I checked, violence is not part of the CLASSE’s mandate, obviously.
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