On a cold winter day in Montreal this past Friday, January 6, police bullets took the life of Farshad Mohammadi, a Kurdish refugee from Iran who arrived in Canada seeking security and protection. Farshad was inside the métro seeking warmth, homeless in a city and country that failed to provide
Continue readingTag: quebec
Molly'sBlog: Molly’sBlog 2012-01-11 01:42:00
CANADIAN POLITICS QUÉBEC: POLITICIANS LEAD CHARGE AGAINST PENSIONS IN QUÉBEC: It seems that in almost all countries there is a concerted effort to deny workers the pension benefits that they have worked and struggled for. Canada is, of course, no different, and the following open letter from the Canadian Union
Continue readingImpolitical: A new Liberal MP from the NDP?
That is what Le Devoir is reporting is the subject of a Bob Rae press conference this morning. If so, it’s big news: Le caucus du Parti libéral (PLC), relégué au rang de troisième parti aux Communes par la vague orange qui a déferlé aux dernières élections, pourrait bien avoir
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Will Britain’s PM Energize Quebec Sovereigntists?
British PM David Cameron is prepared to roll the dice. He’ll tell the Scots this week they can hold a binding referendum on sovereignty provided, 1) that it be held in the next 18 months, and, 2) that if it fails any future referenda will be advisory only. Cameron is
Continue readingBlunt Objects: Quebec a la post-2011 and Equipe Autonomiste
Here at Blunt Objects we seek to provide lovely graphics wherever possible, such as now. Here’s what I’ve culminated so far for Quebec’s rapidly changing political environment (which now includes yet ANOTHER party, which I’ll get to in a bit here). Here’s where the parties stand at right now: You
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Importance of Geography in the NDP Leadership Election
When choosing the next NDP leader, one question that can be raised is considerations for where the NDP leader is geographically based from. How much of a difference does this make, and, if it matters, where ought that region to be? The list, found at the end of this post, shows the
Continue readingThe Equivocator: Canadian Politics Word(s) of the Year: 2011
Today is the final day for writing/releasing end-of-the-year posts. 2011 featured a federal election and provincial/territorial elections in Manitoba, Ontario, PEI, Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, Yukon and the NWT. At the end of 2011, Canada now has 4 female premiers (up from 2 at the beginning of the year), the BQ have
Continue readingFar and Wide: Bob Rae Hits Quebec
While the story focuses on rehashed nothingness, there is something informative at the bottom of the Bob Rae article, namely the Liberals might have finally discovered this one province in Canada, think they call it Quebec: He said the Liberals will be stumping in Quebec in early 2012 to pick
Continue readingLa Vesse du Loup : Les clés de mon pays
Quebec’s folk group La Vesse du Loup sings about yearning for independence. The lyrics are fairly powerful; the melody nostalgic with an undertone of anger, mainly targeting, I would say, the previous generation who they feel has let them down [« les beaux parleurs » as they are called].
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your Boxing Day reading – with plenty of interesting news below the headlines. – Naturally the Globe and Mail’s headline focuses on a modest dip (to a 14-point lead) in Quebec rather than the NDP’s strong national performance. But the more noteworthy development in the latest Nanos
Continue readingArt Threat: Art and inspiration meet on Montreal streets
J. R. Carpenter. Entre Ville. as appeared in Four Minutes to Midnight A text originally published in edition twelve of Four Minutes to Midnight, launched in November at Expozine in Montreal. Ideas expressed in this article largely are linked to and inspire the work of the Howl! arts collective in
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: As Candidate Quits NDP Leadership Race, Canadian Bilingualism Triumphs
Robert Chisholm dropped out the race to replace the late Jack Layton as the Federal leader of the New Democrats for a noble reason. The Nova Scotia NDP MP doesn’t speak French. The leader of …Read More
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: Jack Layton, Canadian Newsmaker of the Year
It’s a fitting tribute to a fine Canadian and global citizen. In 2011, no other Canadian dominated the news headlines like the late NDP leader, Jack Layton. Editors and news directors participating a Canadian Press …Read More
Continue readingImpolitical: Merry Christmas Stephen Harper and Christian Paradis
News today of a possible Conservative rebellion on asbestos: Les députés conservateurs, en particulier ceux de l’extérieur du Québec, sont de plus en plus mal à l’aise de voir leur gouvernement défendre bec et ongles l’industrie de l’amiante. Le malaise est tel que, si l’occasion se présente de nouveau à
Continue readingBlunt Objects: Four MNAs Become Caquistes; New By-Election for 2012
I love that title – “caquiste.” It works, doesn’t it? So four independent MNAs have joined François Legault’s Coaltion and have become its first sitting deputies before the merger deal with the ADQ is finalized. The four MNAs are former pequistes Daniel Ratthé and Benoît Charette, and former adequistes Éric
Continue readingBlunt Objects: How to Project Quebec?
I’m coming across a bit of a quandry when attempting to project the province of Quebec’s seats that takes into account a proper, regional balance of the Coalition Avenir du Quebec’s new-found success. My original model followed a basic average of the amount of voter drift between the older parties
Continue readingthe reeves report: Quebec to sue Ottawa over access to gun registry data
Quebec's Public Security Minister Robert Dutil After tabling legislation in late October that would abolish the long gun registry, Prime Minister Stephen Harper let the other shoe drop: that in addition to the registry ceasing to exist as a tool to pry into your private life or help police officials
Continue readingBlunt Objects: NDP Collapse in Quebec?
Sorry for the triple post, but I can’t help myself – has anyone seen this? The Harris-Decima survey conducted for The Canadian Press indicates the New Democratic Party’s support in the province has plunged to 26 per cent – tied with the Bloc Québécois and down 16 points since the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On eroding bases
It’s far too early to declare anything decided as to what’s going to happen in Canada’s next federal election. But for anybody looking for an early indication as to whether or not we’ll see a Bloc resurgence, about the only more clear sign than this… The Bloc Québécois had held
Continue readingPample the Moose: Publications!
Just a quick post today to announce two new publications that I’m excited about. The first is my new edited collection, Contemporary Quebec: Selected Readings and Commentaries, which I co-edited with Michael Behiels at the University of Ottawa. We’ve been working on this book for the last six years (yikes!)
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