Sinestra

Iggy Campaign to Senate and Grassroots: Your Voices Don't Count

2008-12-07T21:56:00.004-05:00

The Ignatieff braintrust has been lobbying hard today for a caucus vote to select a new leader. Last I checked, the full Liberal caucus includes Senators, however Team Iggy doesn't think our esteemed caucus members from the Upper Chamber deserve a say. They're in good company, however, because Team Iggy doesn't think individual Liberal Party of Canada members should have a say either. A lot of people are horrified by this but it makes a certain amount of sense given the hunger for power Iggy and his team have not even taken pains to conceal over the past two years. Seems only 10 of 58 Senators back Iggy with the overwhelmingly majority backing Bob Rae. And 50 of 77 MPs support Iggy according to his campaign. You do the math.

As for the grassroots.... Well. Given that it is these hardworking Liberals who fight elections, donate money, and all that non-elitist stuff, one might imagine that they were clearly baffled by Iggy's tepid reaction to any coalition. Why wouldn't we seize any opportunity to get back into power - even with Dion as temporary leader? they are no doubt wondering. Good question, that.

So, if Iggy has his way he will be selected by less than 1% of the party base, with only 2 Liberals between Toronto and Vancouver having the franchise. Brilliant.

'Crass Political Opportunism' Et tu, Guy Giorno?

2008-11-29T13:27:00.002-05:00

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081129.WBwblogolitics20081129113605/WBStory/WBwblogolitics/

Bob Rae for Prime Minister

2008-11-14T19:15:00.002-05:00

This time around, I've decided to support Bob Rae as leader of our great Liberal Party for several reasons:

1. Bob is a principled man with a strong grasp of all major policy issues.

2. Bob has a great deal of integrity as he's demonstrated in his long career in Canadian public life.

3. Bob is a natural born politician with a great sense of humour, fantastic people skills - he does well in any crowd in both official languages. And he kicks @ss in the House.

4. Bob is the only candidate who can unite both the party and bring in people from other parties.

This is going to be a great race and Rae is the man for the Liberals and all Canadians.

A Blog Worth Checking Out

2008-10-17T21:32:00.005-04:00

Steve at Far and Wide has compiled a list of Liberals who would like to see Stéphane Dion remain as leader of the Liberal Party. The various blog posts he links to are very interesting and telling, but I highly recommend the comments section, which is now up to 70+ comments and features some thought provoking discussion. I also want to encourage all Liberals who are disgusted with what has gone on this week vis-à-vis so-called insiders calling for our Leader's head (and shopping for support for other would-be candidates) to write to the Party to express themselves. If anyone should be gotten rid of without further delay, it's these people. And it's no secret who they are. While I actively supported another candidate for the leadership, I - along with my candidate - got behind our Leader from Day One. I only wish the saboteurs who would rather let Harper destroy the country while they orchestrate another leadership race had done the same. Rest assured that I will be writing my own letter to my friends at LPC and to our Leader.

PS: While I'm at it, I also want to encourage Liberals to stop watching politics shows on CTV. No longer will it be a toss up between Duffy and Newman in the PM and my Sunday QP ritual is no more.

Stéphane Dion is a leader....

2008-10-15T22:34:00.002-04:00

.... and he is our Leader.

Oh yeah!

2008-02-07T19:52:00.001-05:00

I've missed this wonderful sight over the past several years at LPC and LPC(Q) events, notwithstanding his show-stealing performance at Leadership 2006. But I didn't miss it last night. Rock on, Majority Man!

Gazette: Taxpayers shouldn't pay for Tories' boasting.

2008-01-06T11:11:00.000-05:00

The Montreal Gazette is on to the Conservatives. As has been noted on this blog quite recently, Harper's Conservative government is acting inappropriately with its tactic of turning government announcements into highly partisan events.

Today, the Gazette published an editorial suggesting that the Conservatives should reimburse taxpayers for their blatantly partisan and self-congratulatory announcement on the GST.

A small, but telling, excerpt:

'But this ad certainly blurs the distinction between the government and the political party in power. For starters, the "less than two years," as it happens, coincides precisely with the tenure of the Conservative government.
And with a minority government in office, and another election widely expected within the next few months, and almost certainly sometime this year, this kind of chest-thumping proclamation of virtue seems to us to be particularly odious.'

The full text of the editorial can be found here.

Fortier's Faux Pas (the latest one, anyway)

2007-12-21T11:55:00.000-05:00

According to my sources, Michael Fortier's campaign to actually get elected is going badly. In a convo with the unelected Minister of Pork's campaign manager some weeks ago, it was clear that, despite a lot of brave talk, CPC membership numbers in the riding of Vaudreuil-Soulanges are in the sous-sol. This is the riding where the minister 'responsible' for Montreal has been the declared candidate for 13 months. Of the much-publicised dual 'constituency offices', the one in Coteau du Lac is but a mere unoccupied shack, with the office in Vaudreuil only slightly better.

What is wrong with the Fortier campaign? Other than the question of why an unelected Senator/ Minister from Outremont needs a constituency office or two to begin with, that is.

Seriously. This campaign is a head-scratcher.

It's a chicken and egg thing. Is it the lack of traction of the Fortier for V-S campaign due to amateurishness to the nth degree - coupled with appalling arrogance - that is driving voters away in droves? Or is the amateurishness indicative of the desperation spawned by the lack of traction?

Case in point: Village Theatre West - Wednesday night, Hudson, Quebec.

The Harper Gang - as we've discovered over the past 23 months - is not much for culture and Canadian Heritage. I do, however, always think that any government programme yielding even meagre funds for minority cultural endeavours is something worth celebrating.

Though the minister responsible for Candian Heritage, Josée Verner, should have been present at Wednesday night's event, the 'Government of Canada' deemed it best to let M. Fortier take credit. He needs the boost, after all.

The amateurishness (or lack of humility and political acumen) was on full display as Fortier decided to make a government funding announcement into a partisan political issue. There have been numerous complaints from Wednesday night's attendees that Fortier's 'campaign team' decided this was an ideal opportunity to push Conservative membership cards on a captive audience. For obvious reasons, many people found this to be cynical and offensive. From an organisational perspective, this inappropriate membership drive smacks of the desperation surrounding Fortier's candidacy.

When will the Minister stop insulting the intelligence of voters in Vaudreuil-Soulanges?

Flick, Flick - A Complaint About CPAC

2007-11-26T16:44:00.000-05:00

This fall after the resumption of Parliament there was a disturbing change in CPAC's broadcasts in Quebec: There is no longer a CPAC channel with a 'live' broadcast from the floor. Regular cable subscribers have always had to make do with a French voice over, but specialty subscribers until recently could tune into a version of CPAC that played proceedings as is. Now that channel features English voice overs. And let's just say that the translations on both these channels are pretty bad. So, parliamentary junkies in Quebec who are fortunate enough to be bilingual have the option of flicking back and forth between the 'English' and 'French' CPACs if they want to hear proceedings in the actual language they are spoken. Extremely annoying. Bring back bilingual CPAC.

Un courant libéral bien québécois

2007-10-12T10:24:00.000-04:00

Un courant libéral bien québécois

L’actualité politique est gravement préoccupante pour les Québécois qui partagent les idéaux et valeurs à la fois libérales et fédéralistes. En plus d’un parti libéral du Québec maintenu au plus bas dans les sondages, la sévère défaite du parti libéral du Canada aux élections partielles du 17 septembre dernier a montré que ce qui est présentement en jeu au sein de la société québécoise, c’est non seulement l’influence électorale, mais l’existence même d’un libéralisme politique enchâssé dans une vision résolument fédéraliste de notre pays.

Devant quoi nous, libéraux (avec ou sans carte), fédéralistes et Québécois à part entière, refusons de baisser les bras, et affirmons notre détermination à relever le défi qui nous est posé. Cela, d’abord parce que nous adhérons au libéralisme, cette philosophie politique fondée sur la primauté de la liberté individuelle, sur la transformation paisible et démocratique des institutions politiques, sociales et économiques pour assurer le développement optimal et durable de l’activité humaine, et sur l’attachement à une société qui protège les droits individuels et les libertés civiles.

Il existe bel et bien un courant libéral dans la société québécoise. C’est lui qui, tout au long de notre histoire, a lutté pour l’avènement chez nous de la modernité et du progrès social et économique. C’est lui aussi qui a combattu sans relâche pour les libertés et les droits individuels, qui a vaillamment promu l’esprit de tolérance et d’ouverture sur le monde, de même que la participation active des Québécois à la construction du Canada. Les Québécois qui ont fait vivre ce courant libéral se sont toujours démarqués par leur esprit de bâtisseurs, par leur audace créative, par leur farouche défense de la liberté de pensée et d’expression, et aussi par leur constant désir d’équité sociale, car, pour un libéral, chacun dans la société doit pouvoir bénéficier des opportunités nécessaires à l’épanouissement de son individualité – ce qui, d’ailleurs, est l’une des valeurs libérales que nous chérissons le plus.

À l’encontre des adeptes d’idéologies passéistes qui s’acharnaient à isoler notre société du reste du monde, le courant libéral a façonné l’identité du Québec moderne. Ainsi, au morne « Notre Maître le Passé» d’un Lionel Groulx, le courant libéral québécois a opposé le vibrant « Notre Maître l’Avenir », proclamé en 1944 par le premier ministre libéral Adélard Godbout, créateur d’Hydro-Québec et instaurateur du droit de vote des femmes et de l’éducation gratuite et obligatoire. Résolument engagé dans la promotion de la langue et de la culture françaises, le courant libéral s’est reconnu, et se reconnaît toujours, dans cette idée qu’énonçait Jean-Charles Harvey, ce grand penseur libéral de chez nous et éminent précurseur de la révolution tranquille : « Le français n’a de chances de survivre que s’il devient synonyme d’audace, de culture, de civilisation et de liberté ». À cette idée, nous, libéraux québécois, adhérons profondément en ce début de 21e siècle caractérisé par la mondialisation, car nous ne sommes en rien angoissés pour la survie de notre identité linguistique et culturelle francophone. Contrairement à ceux qui ne cessent d’alarmer nos concitoyens contre la prétendue «menace» que poseraient nos compatriotes anglophones ou immigrants, nous avons une confiance indéfectible en la capacité des Québécois d’assumer pleinement leur langue et leur culture et de se projeter dans l’avenir.

Les enjeux qui agitent présentement la planète nous préoccupent. Le libéralisme s’identifie fortement avec le multilatéralisme et c’est sous de grandes figures libérales, comme Lester B. Pearson et Lloyd Axworthy, que le Canada a acquis une formidable réputation dans le monde et fait progresser les causes les plus chères à nos valeurs comme la sécurité humaine, une vision de notre humanité aujourd’hui universellement acceptée.

Le courant libéral est encore bien vivant dans le Québec d’aujourd’hui. Nous en sommes, fièrement. Plusieurs parmi nos concitoyens et concitoyennes en partagent eux aussi les idéaux et valeurs. Mais la situation difficile que vivent présentement chez nous les partis politiques d’obédience libérale pose le risque d’un affaiblissement important de ce libéralisme politique qui a pourtant tellement contribué à l’édification du Québec moderne, et dont les valeurs et idéaux valent, aujourd’hui plus que jamais, la peine d’être défendus avec courage et persévérance.

Nous appelons donc les libéraux québécois à renouer avec l’audace et la confiance en eux-mêmes. Restons certes fermement attachés à nos convictions et à nos idées, mais ne craignons jamais de les renouveler pour mieux les adapter aux défis d’aujourd’hui et de demain. Remettons-nous le cœur à l’ouvrage. Assumons, tous et chacun, notre part du leadership nécessaire. Comme nos prédécesseurs l’ont montré, le renoncement devant le difficile et l’adversité n’est pas libéral : nous nous engageons à en faire la preuve à notre tour, pour que le courant libéral québécois puisse retrouver sa capacité à construire un Québec sûr de lui-même et apte à s’investir non seulement dans un Canada qui lui appartient, mais aussi partout dans le monde.

Jennifer Crane, consultante (affaires publiques), Pointe-Claire ; Mary Damianakis, médiatrice professionnelle, Baie d’Urfé ; Stéphane Desjardins, travailleur du papier, St-Jérôme ; Jean-Pierre Dufault, travailleur agricole, Brôme ; Nathalie Goguen, journaliste, Waterville ; Catherine Grégoire, étudiante, Québec, Daniel Laprès, rédacteur-pigiste, Montréal ; Philippe Legault, étudiant, Laval ; David Simard, étudiant (maîtrise science politique, UQAM), Montréal ; Francis Tourigny, avocat, Montréal, et plusieurs autres signataires : www.courantliberal.ca

liberalism - alive and well in Québec

2007-10-12T00:08:00.000-04:00

'In defence of liberalism and federalism in Quebec ....

'The current political situation is of grave concern to Quebecers who share liberal and federalist values. The resounding defeat of the federal Liberal Party in the September 17th by-elections, combined with a Quebec Liberal Party that is confined to the bottom of the polls, not only demonstrates that these parties are electorally weak, but also threatens the very existence of both political liberalism and of a resolutely federalist vision in the province.

As federalists and full-fledged Quebecers, we liberals (whether independent or card-carrying) refuse to be defeated by the present state of affairs; we are determined to overcome it. We take this position because of our attachment to liberalism, a political ideal based on the primacy of individual freedom, on peaceful and democratic changes in political, social, and economic institutions to encourage the best and most durable outcomes of human endeavour, and on commitment to a society where personal rights and civil liberties are protected.

A liberal strain certainly runs through Quebec society. Throughout our history, this movement has fought for modern ideas, social progress, and economic development. The same movement has relentlessly upheld the rights and freedoms of every individual. It has courageously promoted a spirit of tolerance, understanding and openness to the entire world, as well as the active participation of Quebecers in the building of Canada. The champions of this liberal cause have always distinguished themselves by their constructive spirit, their creative audacity, their tenacious defence of free thought and speech, and their ceaseless concern for social equity: among the most dearly held liberal beliefs is that each member of society must have access to opportunities essential to his or her fulfilment as an individual.

In contrast to ideologues who were focused on the past and insisted on isolating Quebec from the rest of the world, the liberal movement fashioned Quebec's modern identity. To Lionel Groulx’s doleful cry of «Notre Maître le Passé» (Our Master, the Past), the liberal tendency responded with a resonant «Notre Maître l’avenir» (Our Master, the Future), an ideal proclaimed in 1944 by Liberal premier Adélard Godbout, the man who founded Hydro Quebec, recognized women’s voting rights, and was the architect of free and mandatory education in the province.

Steadfastly devoted to the promotion of the French language and culture, the liberal tendency identifies with (and has always identified with) the words of the great liberal thinker and eminent forerunner of the Quiet Revolution, Jean-Charles Harvey: «French has chances of survival only if it becomes the synonym of audacity, culture, civilization and liberty». We liberals of Quebec cling to this idea more than ever at the turn of a 21st century characterized by globalization. In no way do we fear for the survival of Quebec’s linguistic identity or culture. Unlike those who constantly sound alarms about the so-called Anglophone or immigrant «menace», we fully trust that the people of Quebec have the capacity to take their language and culture into the future.

The issues that now concern the planet concern us too. Liberalism embraces multilateralism. Great Liberal figures such as Lester B. Pearson and Lloyd Axworthy have forged Canada’s formidable reputation in the world, and advanced causes we hold dear: human security being among our values that are now generally accepted. The liberal movement is alive and well today in Quebec. We are proud to be part of it. Many of our fellow citizens share these ideals and values. However, the precarious situation of liberal-minded parties at this time threatens to weaken the voice of political liberalism, a voice that has contributed so much to the creation of modern Quebec, that has proclaimed ideals and values worth defending – now more than ever –with courage and perseverance.

This is why we are asking of all Quebec liberals that they reassert their vision with boldness and self-confidence. Let us remain firmly committed to our convictions and ideas, but in doing so, let us always be open to adapting them to the challenges of today and tomorrow. So, let’s roll up our sleeves! Let all the liberals of Quebec do their share of the work that is necessary. As our predecessors have proven throughout history, abdication in the face of difficulty and adversity is not a liberal trait. We pledge to keep that very same spirit alive, for the liberal movement must strengthen its capacity to build a confident Quebec, one that can take its proper place not only in Canada, but also in the rest of the world. '

Jennifer Crane, public affairs consultant, Pointe-Claire ; Mary Damianakis, professional mediator, Baie d’Urfé ; Stéphane Desjardins, pulp and paper worker, St-Jérôme ; Jean-Pierre Dufault, agricultural worker, Brôme ; Nathalie Goguen, journalist, Waterville ; Catherine Grégoire, student, Quebec City, Daniel Laprès, freelance writer, Montréal ; Philippe Legault, student, Laval ; David Simard, master’s student in political science (UQAM), Montréal ; Francis Tourigny, lawyer, Montréal, and many other signatories : http://www.courantliberal.ca/

Support Quebec l(L)iberals - http://www.courantliberal.ca/

Multiple Choice Question: Harper Faces National Press

2007-10-03T21:06:00.000-04:00

After not facing the National Press since he became PM, today our friend Steve deigned to take questions.

Question:

Why did Steve un-avoid the national media amid a multitude of Maple Leaf flags today?

Possible Answers:

A - He was feeling sheepish after being slagged for opting not to attend this year's gala (hosted by the above-mentioned) Many CPC Ministers are also not attending.

B - He really hates it when his favourite Grit and hero - JC - can still steal hadlines and the hearts of Canadians.

C - Other

Duff's With Me: Convention 2007

2007-10-01T22:58:00.000-04:00

I was happy to hear Mike Duffy saying earlier today that the Liberal Party needs a 'policy meeting'.

Nowhere is this more true than in Quebec. This is something the grassroots have been pushing for and which is due this year - there has not been a biennial policy convention since 2005. We have made do with 'policy' 'passed' at General Counsel meetings and Special General Counsel meetings which are nowhere near the same as a convention, in terms of process, quality content and widespread attendance.

Unfortunately the braintrust in Montreal is opposed to any policy convention for whatever reason. As a policy person, I find this troubling. LPC(Q) is aware of our poor numbers among francophone Quebecers, yet resists going to the grassroots to formulate and pass policy that will resonate with Quebecers. Given the popularity of recent provincial 'green' policies, we can certainly build on what we know to be important to Quebecers in our day-to-day lives. We need policy that reflects our Leader's three pillars. Four pillars if we consider Canada's role in the world - this last is particularly important if we consider Afghanistan as a key ballot issue in Quebec.

The excuse given by the DG is lack of money. This is particularly confusing in light of certain Quebec MPs clamouring to go back to the polls - with no new policy. Does this not cost money? I daresay a general election would be a lot more costly to LPC(Q) than a properly organised, Opposition-budget policy convention for LPC(Q)

Harper is only interested in throwing cheap 'solutions' at Quebecers to show he gets it. (Nation resolution; $100 for child care). Quebecers want and need real policy that will positively affect their daily lives. The Liberal Party of Canada (Quebec) needs to take up the challenge.

Support the LPC(Q)'s grassroots in promoting a biennial policy convention at the earliest opportunity - for real change and renewal.

Quebec Liberals, Resignations, etc.

2007-09-29T10:09:00.002-04:00

There has been a lot of consternation among certain Quebec Liberals over alleged remarks by a certain Liberal staffer. The most vocal advocate of serious consequences is none other than the wildly popular (not very, actually), President of LPC(Q). The same President who opted to criticise Leadership candidates who weren't his choice at Liberal events. The same President who is at war with the duly elected Senior's Commission (Dionistas - all). The same President who verbally attacked a prominent Liberal activist in plenary at a General Council meeting back in June and was rebuked by a Senator for his trouble. The same President who refuses to allow a biennial policy convention in Quebec though we are overdue. It should be noted that any such convention would also include an election of the LPC(Q) executive positions - including his own. Maybe if Me Fragasso really wants to make a point he should resign and let a convention return him overwhelmingly as our prez.

And of course: the same President who opted to run crying to the media rather than clarify and if need be - rectify - the situation internally.

Yet another reason why 'la nation québécoise' was a bad idea

2007-05-17T11:18:00.000-04:00

There has been a lot of hoopla in the House this week, replete with MPs aggressing others in QP, name-calling, accusations, you name it. Of course, shutting down an essential committee because the discourse was too partisan is pretty dumb and deserves questions - lots of questions. It is understandable that much of the focus is on that.

HOWEVER a couple of other interesting things have come up in recent days, both centring on the BQ and no, I don't mean Duceppe's pitiful stunt last weekend. I can't believe I feel sorry for him, but there it is: I feel very, very sorry for him.

The first issue was last week when Josée Verner, Minister responsible for La Francophonie announced increased funding for French-language colleges and CEGEPS. Now, my ears pricked up when I heard that because Quebec is the only province with CEGEPS and, well, education est une compétance provinciale. Nothing from the Bloc. Next day, same announcement - again nothing from the Bloc. Of course, reasonable people know that anyone complaining about increased funding for education must be mad, but this response or lack thereof from the Bloc is puzzling simply because EVERY issue for them becomes one of jurisdiction. Their silence on what is clearly the feds sashaying all over provincial jurisdiction is truly bizarre. Their stock answer would normally be, in French of course, the money rightfully belongs to Quebec and the Quebec government will decide how it's distributed.

The next issue that came up stems from the recognition of the nation québécoise, which the CPC made clear was only French-speaking québécois de souche. As an anglo-québécoise de souche, I've always been leery of the whole nation thing for obvious reasons. On Tuesday and again on Wednesday Pierre Paquette - the man who would have been leader - demanded 25% representation for Quebec in the House. From yesterday's Hansard translation

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is not alone in opposing the bill introduced by the government, which seeks to increase the number of members in this House from 308 to 320. A majority of members of the National Assembly of Quebec also spoke out against the electoral representation bill yesterday.

If the Prime Minister does not want the motion on the Quebec nation to be nothing but wishful thinking, he must withdraw his bill and guarantee Quebec 25% of the seats in this House. That is what he must do.

On both days, he indicated that the demand was based on the recognition of the the nation in the House. I wonder if the Bloc would consider increasing the seat count in largely anglophone or allophone or aboriginal regions. After all, these groups were not included in the 'nation'.

In any case, Harper may have thought he had a quick fix that would score him big points in Quebec, all the while stealing the 'glory' from the Liberals for the problem that plagued our Leadership race. But this is just the beginning of the headaches - Harper will soon realise that his seemingly innocuous gesture is going to lead to increasingly strident demands from the Bloc that will never be met to their satisfaction. He'll soon learn learn what Quebec federalists have known all along: you can't appease separatists. Nothing is good enough.

On the other hand, given the Bloc's above-mentioned bizarre behaviour i.e. not defending provincial jurisdiction and trying to increase Quebec's presence in Ottawa rather than complete withdrawal makes me wonder if they are turning into federalists, after all.

UPDATE: They were all over the subject again today, with Duceppe leading the charge.

It Could Have Been a Trudeau Landslide

2007-04-29T23:06:00.000-04:00

Very interesting, I think.

My friend, Antonio, has posted the number of membership cards sold and the turnout by candidate. The intended turnout for Justin was much higher - the problem was confusion among some residents of the Papineau riding.

I was talking to a gentleman who is very active in the large Greek community in Park Ex at the Trudeau reception after the victory. On two fronts a couple of thousand more people would have come out for Justin.

1. Among Greek-Canadian Liberal members in Papineau, the support was split between Mary Deros and Justin Trudeau. However it appears that Justin had a lot more support than that. Since the membership cut-off on March 29th, my friend has been approached by many, many people trying to sign up to support Justin. Apparently some people even refused to believe they couldn't vote today.

2. This is perhaps poor comms on the part of LPCQ, but many didn't even know they had to be Liberals to go out to vote for Justin today. Hundreds of non-Liberals in the Greek community intended to go to Cégep André Grasset to vote for Justin Trudeau as they believed all residents had the right to vote like during an election. Just goes to show that Justin LOCKED DOWN the Greek community not Mary Deros as was widely reported. He got out a good percentage of his vote AND could even have managed to get out the non-Liberals.

Justin ran a great campaign and I am very happy for him.

Mulcair Makes His Choice

2007-04-20T09:26:00.000-04:00

Quebec's former environment minister, Thomas Mulcair has chosen to run as an NDP star candidate in Quebec rather than selling out to the Conservatives, who also wanted him. He lives in my beautiful riding of Lac-Saint-Louis, but it's not likely he will run here. The Gazette suggests he may run in Outremont if a by-election is held. It would be interesting, though, if he opted to run in Laval-les-Iles, which includes Chomedy (his provincial seat) where constituents are still annoyed with Raymonde Folco.

Mulcair was a strong critic of his own government's environmental record, as well as the nonsense spewed last year by Rona Ambrose. He chose the New Democrats because he believes they are the best on environmental issues. This should be very interesting. The NDP organisation in Quebec is pitiful and this guy could be very good for them.

Michel C. Auger Mistaken

2007-04-16T12:20:00.000-04:00

I had wanted to respond to this the other day, but time got away. Sebastien over at Liberal View From Quebec was discussing Dion in Quebec and linked to a Michel C. Auger article, stating Thursday's excellent speech in Saint-Laurent was poorly attended by Liberals and that there were more Senators present than MPs. Untrue. While our province isn't exactly top-heavy with Liberal MPs, present and accounted for were:

Francis Scarpaleggia
Bernard Patry
Irwin Cotler
Lucienne Robillard
Denis Coderre
Raymonde Folco
Pablo Rodriguez

And of course, the MP for Saint-Laurent himself.

And while I did not actually see Marlene Jennings and Massimo Paccetti, this does not mean they were not there. Pretty sure Paul Martin and Marcel Proulx were not present, but the bulk of Quebec MPs were there, as well as a healthy smattering of Senators, defeated and future MPs (Denis Paradis and Eleni Bakopanos, to name a couple), a pack of future and former candidates, as well as riding contingencies from all over. Either M. Auger was blinded by the brilliance of our Leader or he just wasn't paying attention to who was in the room.

Caption Contest, Anyone?

2007-04-15T22:29:00.000-04:00

Make my day.

Gazette: An Anglo for Westmount-Ville-Marie

2007-04-13T15:15:00.000-04:00

Old news, I know. But the Montreal Gazette and the National Post published this piece while I was sunning myself on the Mayan Riviera and I think it's worthy of comment.

As we all know, Westmount-Ville-Marie is safe as houses for the LPC - and it just might have something to do with the high percentage of Anglos and English-speaking Allophones living there. MP Rodriguez pointed out earlier this week that LPCQ will be focussing on attracting more francophone and off-Island support. This is good and necessary, but what about rewarding voter loyalty? The LPCQ would be largely dead in the water were it not for Anglo voters, yet Anglo elected representation is almost nil. Unlike in some ridings in the regions outside of Montreal, running an Anglo is Westmount would not negatively affect Liberal numbers. I think the Gazette is bang on in suggesting Montreal Anglo support for the federal Liberals since time immemorial should be rewarded by running a candidate from this underrepresented group. Is it really any wonder that Quebec Anglos feel taken for granted by both the federal and provincial Liberals?

Only By-Elections this Year

2007-04-11T10:20:00.000-04:00

This was on the radio news this morning, but here is the only press version I have found so far. Harper will hold by-elections to replace Jean Lapierre in Outremont, Yvan Loubier in Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot and Michel Gauthier in Roberval and that will be it for this year. Unless, of course, according to Harper, the three opposition parties scheme to bring down the government.

A rumoured Liberal candidate for Outremont is Jocelyn Coulon, which makes one wonder about the claim that this coveted riding - as well as Lasalle-Emard - will be given to a woman. One can only hope that the Liberals come up with better candidates for the other two ridings than they did last time. Preferably females, too.

The Hypocrisy of Mario Dumont

2007-03-19T13:33:00.000-04:00

Vincent Marissal had a great blog entry yesterday describing Mario Dumont's 180 on municipal mergers and his political opportunism in general - disgraceful is a word he uses. He echoed my own sentiments on Dumont's support for the mergers and his recruitment of Mr. One Island One City Pierre Bourque in 2003.

The thing that I really don't understand is what is going on with Maria Tutino, Mayor of the Town of Baie d'Urfe. Maria was the most vocal opponent of the municipal mergers that I have the pleasure of knowing. Her Blue Ribbon campaign spread throughout Montreal, and with some help, to suburbs of Quebec City. For the past two months, she has been encouraging West Islanders to vote for the ADQ, appearing at a press conference with Mario Dumont back in January. I learned today that Mayor Tutino and her city councillors distributed a letter to residents of Baie d'Urfe, encouraging them to vote for the ADQ. Now either Maria is unaware of Mario Dumont's linkages with the hated mergerites (Bourque in particular) or she is so deadset on punishing Charest's Liberals that she doesn't care. Either way, the fact that anyone as opposed to municipal mergers as the formerly non-political Maria Tutino is supporting the ADQ is simply appalling. Especially given the demographics in her town. Put simply, the ADQ treats the Anglo community with disdain. A Mayor who would sell out her constituents like this really needs to re-think this whole thing - or at least do her homework. Can she really be ignorant of the ADQ's past?

Quebec Advance Polls

2007-03-19T13:30:00.000-04:00

Vote early. Vote often. And vote LIBERAL

Ordre du Jour: Intolerance

2007-03-17T11:47:00.000-04:00

By now everybody and their dog has blogged about Boisclair's remarks. He has refused to apologise, blamed a linguistic gap and is now being backed up by Dumont and Charest. Ok, so maybe it is part of his regular vocabulary, but does that make it right? Regardless of meaningless attempts to gloss it over by Boisclair's rivals and further exacerbation of the situation by the PQ's communications director, Shirley Bishop, it should not be a matter of 'if' he should clarify/ retract/ apologise, but 'when'.

To add to an already abysmal week, Boisclair now says that even a minority PQ government would hold a referendum. Desperate, desperate, desperate.

The Intolerance Party of Quebec (aka ADQ) is now attempting to pander to the Anglo community. After stating that school boards should be scrapped - a move that would irreparably harm English-speaking Quebecers - he now informs us that English schools are safe. Maybe I'm a bit of a cynic, but as an Anglo nothing about Mario Dumont and his vision for Quebec makes me feel safe. His desperation to shore up West Island Anglo votes is further evidenced by his claim that he would scrap the glom councils. What I'm sure many of my West Island neighbours would really like to know is how he felt about the mergers in the first place. I encourage my fellow square-heads not to fall for this line of pure, unadulterated bullshit.

The Federal Intolerance Party of Canada has ejected media from its campaign bootcamp in Toronto. In light of their tax-payer-funded espionage on Stephane Dion, I find this particularly rich.

Friday: Partisan Bits and Bites

2007-03-16T19:02:00.000-04:00

It has been a thrilling week in Liberaland. It started early Sunday morning at the U of M with policy platform outreach with the candidate for Willowdale. Martha engaged Montreal-area Liberals in French and English. Naturally, among Quebecers the environment was a huge topic, but I will not say more given the number of Conservatives who frequent this blog -we all know how they like to steal our ideas and especially my wise counsel on their neck props.

In the afternoon, Martha engaged Eastern Townships Liberals at Bishops University in the Compton-Stanstead riding. She was equally well-received there and made a very good statement on the importance of electing more women. Lots of great ideas came out of these two sessions and I encourage anyone who cannot attend a session with Martha to send your ideas to outreach @ liberal.ca

Meanwhile in the same riding on the same day, Compton-Stanstead Conservatives turfed party heavy-weights Brian Mitchell and Dany Renaud aside in favour of low-profile nomination candidate, Maurice Gagné.

In other Conservative entertainment, I would encourage everyone to visit the website of Senator Michael Fortier. Not too sure about the rest of you, but I find the fact that this unelected senatorminister cash-dispenser has opened two so-called constituency offices and now claims to be acting as the MP is quite bizarre. Now, I know democracy is not the CPC forté, but I am quite sure that Vaudreuil-Soulanges has an MP. Her name is Meili Faille, by all accounts she is a good MP and she was duly elected. Does the arrogance ever end, I wonder. If you peruse the photo gallery, you will notice that he also has interesting taste in ties - especially for someone who has not been elected.

Dryden in Darfur

2007-03-15T10:02:00.000-04:00

The MP from York Centre has spent part of the parliametary break in Sudan. The Star reports on it:

For the past week, he has been travelling hard to dangerous places. But he exhibits the enduring stamina of the star goaltender who helped lead the Montreal Canadiens to six Stanley Cups.
"Sudan is an important part of the world and its Darfur region has a big, big problem," he says after returning from Darfur.

"Like the majority of Canadians I would like to do what I can," he says, when asked why he is here – alone, visiting for the first time – exposing himself to what the United Nations calls "the world's worst humanitarian crisis" and the U.S. government brands "genocide."
"And like the majority of Canadians, including those in positions of governmental responsibility, I don't quite know what the best way is. But I would like to try to find it."

More here

English Verboten?

2007-03-13T20:59:00.000-04:00

It's an hour into the Quebec Leaders' debate and not one word of English has been spoken. M. Jean (ne John) Charest boasted of an improved education system, with a focus on a high level of French and the ability of students to communicate in English. I know he can, so why hasn't he?

Similarly, Mario Dumont was educated at Concordia, understands and speaks English, is courting the disgruntled West Island vote, but has yet to prove he has any respect for Anglo Quebecers.

M. Boisclair, decidedly unable to attract many Anglo votes, of course, has not uttered an English phrase, notwithstanding the media. On the other hand, he was framed by Dumont as promoting a federal Liberal vision and - despite his assertion that there will be a referendum under a PQ mandate - has the most federal Liberal - friendly POV of the bunch. Strange bedfellows, indeed.

Bad or good news?

2007-03-10T11:18:00.000-05:00

CanWest is reporting that 12 Liberal MPs won't seek re-election. This is bad news in that we will be losing a lot of cumulative parliamentary experience and this fuels speculation about a lack of confidence in the Liberal's electoral fortunes.

On the other hand, this frees up a number of ridings for M. Dion to make good on his promise of one-third women candidates in the next election. Given that incumbents are 'protected' from nominations, we believed that PEI would not have the benefit of a female Liberal candidate. With Liberal MP Joe McGuire retiring, it looks as if this will open up a spot for a female candidate on the Island.

Given that all 12 ridings - including Outremont - are obviously 'winnable' what an ideal opportunity for women. I want to take this opportunity to encourage all Liberals to promote women's candidacies in the bulk of these freed-up safe/ winnable ridings. I have met the majority of would-be Liberal candidates in Ontario and Quebec and they are certainly a meritorious group. I don't think any Liberal would have any problem with any of these candidates being appointed in order to maximise election readiness - unless, of course, they have ulterior/ self-interested motives.

Friday's Partisan Bits and Bites

2007-03-09T18:15:00.000-05:00

In honour of International Women's Day, I'd like to draw your attention to this bit by Janet Bagnall in today's Gazette which features an interview with our fun, tireless and indefatigable Me. Linda Julien. I especially appreciate the bit about nominations vs. appointments. Well done, Linda!

A sweet, if belated, bite is that Jean Charest finally sees things my way: Too right: ADQ = no friend of the Anglo Quebecer.

And thinking about the fun M. Dion, Compton-Stanstead Liberals and I had at the Cabane in Bulwer on Sunday last .... This coming Sunday we will finally learn just who the candidate is for Boss Harp's (or is it Peter MacKay's?) CPC in Compton-Stanstead.

A bit of circumspection is in order

2007-03-08T15:54:00.000-05:00

First, I want to wish all Liberals, women and other interested parties a very Happy International Women's Day. The Quebec Women's Liberal Commission celebrated Friday evening at the Queen E - what a great event with the gang all there. Even a massive snow dump didn't keep people away. Congrats to my talented colleagues who organised the evening, as well as the wonderful musicians who entertained us.

Now on to some more serious business. As susan.com points out in her two posts today, some serious blabbering is going on and it's not helpful. And it's not just a matter of reports 'accidentally' going astray and fellow Grits criticising the Leader. Blabbering bloggers are a big part of the problem. There are the bloggers who - while supposedly being Liberal - gleefully point out every negative media piece on Stephane Dion with a kind of 'I told you so attitude'. There are bloggers who feel the need to describe exactly where they believe the Leader is going wrong and providing public tips. For frig's sake, if you're all as 'well-connected' as some of you like to allude, you'd know where to direct your input, rather than posting on a public blog and being all self-congratulatory about the supposed response. There is a certain blogger who likes to report on his blog about tidbits he's gotten from his friends on the Electoral Commission. If they can't keep their yaps shut, perhaps they are too immature to participate. Then there's a rather prominent blogger musing openly about what he perceives as our relative powerlessness to set any agendas. Should he really be chairing a session on election readiness at the LPCM AGM?

Watch and learn, kids.

2007-03-07T10:49:00.000-05:00

Watch and learn.

In the middle of a brutal Quebec cold snap (ducking at friends in the Peg!), I found this page was helpful in beating the winter blues. I find video clip #15 especially masterful.

Facts? Who needs FACTS?

2007-03-02T10:28:00.000-05:00

Certainly not Canada's New Government. And especially not the PM.

Yesterday during QP, Boss Harp levelled charges - in both official languages - against two Montreal Liberal MPs. He stated that Lucienne Robillard (Westmount-Ville-Marie) and Marlene Jennings (Notre-Dame-de-Grace-Lachine) were guilty of patronage because former and current spouses had been appointed to the Immigration and Refugee Board. Indeed, he even charged that Me. Jennings had made the appointment herself. At the time it sounded completely outrageous. And it should have because the allegations are simply false. As Susan Delacourt reveals in the The Star today, Mme. Robillard's husband was appointed by former PC PM Brian Mulroney and Me. Jennings's spouse was appointed before she was ever elected.

I guess Harp believes that mixing up timelines will take the public's attention away from the spate of resignations at the IRB. Meanwhile the smear campaign against Liberal MPs continues....

UPDATE: Ralph Goodale is asking for a retraction. Van Loan, of course, refuses.

ADQ No Friend to Anglo Quebecers: More Proof

2007-02-28T11:03:00.000-05:00

As the Gazette opines today, Mario Dumont is no friend to Quebec's English-speaking population. No surprise, that. It is kind of bizarre, though, that Dumont has been trolling for votes among West island mayors who are still disgruntled over what they perceive as the LPQ's botching of the demerger file and the inefficiency of the agglomeration council.

Now Dumont is proposing the scrapping of school boards, stating that the education system would be better run under municipal authorities. As one of our two remaining English-language dailies in this province ponders today: would English-speaking communities find our institutions better served and more representative of our needs if, for example, Mayor Tremblay and his franco-dominated glom council were in charge? I think not.

Again, another example of how insidious the ADQ really is.

While the outrageous xenophobic comments of separatist leaders of yesteryear have been shelved in a possible nod to political correctness (and a not-so-secret bid to get votes from cultural communities), there is no reason to believe that nationalists and separatists have developed warm and fuzzy feelings towards the anglophone community. They know that no matter how much they suck up to other communities no Anglo in their right mind would ever vote for them. It seems in the post-1995 referendum era, their solution is simple: squeeze the squareheads out, but do try to go about it subtly.

Shades of this tactic could be seen back in the late 1990s when the PQ first proposed the municipal mergers, with former Montreal Mayor (and failed ADQiste) Pierre Bourque as their partner in crime. At that time Bourque said one of the first orders of businesss would be to change the repetitive and seemingly 'dangerous' street names that plague Montreal's west end and West island suburbs. Offensive street names such as Elgin, Mayfair and let's not forget the ubiquitous Victoria would be replaced by the Societe de Toponymes by 'other', more suitable names. Certainly not Smith, Jones or Brown. That set my squarehead radar shrieking. Those of us with roots in Quebec's Townships know how badly the Toponyme geniuses mangle formerly English place names.

The proposition to scrap all school boards is a similar squeeze which would serve to rid the province of the only pan-Quebec English institution.

From experience, I can say with a great deal of certainty that Bourque's Vision Montreal detested the Anglo community. Their board meetings were rife with anti-Anglo slurs. It didn't suprise a soul when Bourque decided to run - and mercifully lost - for Dumont's ADQ. They have a lot in common, right down to their disregard for a community that predates Confederation.

A lot of people outside Quebec may believe that we Anglos have nothing to complain about in comparison to minorities in other provinces. However, other provincial governments want to protect and preserve their minority communities - unlike Quebec where the sole focus seems to be burying them. Even FLQ threats against Anglos are not treated seriously - very disturbing.

Make no mistake: Like Bourque before him, Mario Dumont is nothing more than a twerp separatist dressed up in autonomist's clothing. Do not be fooled for one bleeding second.

Ontario Liberal Sisters

2007-02-26T07:52:00.000-05:00

A big 'Thank you' to the Ontario Womens' Liberal Commission, Liberal Party of Canada - Ontario and the Ontario Liberal Party, the Judy LaMarsh Fund and the Margaret Campbell Fund. Meredith, Eileen and co. put on a great Saturday Campaign College in Toronto at the beautiful Verity Club. With a bit of tweaking and a lot of translation, we have the basis for a similar school for the mighty Quebec women. But I'm borrowing my beloved Jack for the event, so be prepared to hand him over, girls!

Good luck to all the future Ontario Liberal candidates - you are an impressive bunch.

Premature Erection?

2007-02-21T09:34:00.000-05:00

Of signs, that is. At 7.00 this morning I was cruising down Sherbrooke Street in Westmount and lo and behold, what do I see? Jacques Chagnon's PLQ election signs everywhere. Big ones, small ones. Apparently signs were also erected in Outremont, and I also saw some in the Lachine borough. This struck me as sort of funny since the writ hasn't been dropped yet and the electoral laws are pretty clear about what needs to be done within the electoral period i.e. from the droppping of the writ to e-day. Signage must be posted within the electoral period.

I've also noticed the CPC is somewhat perplexed as to what constitutes an electoral period and what publicity and expenditures are permitted. More on that in another post, though. I should note that I am a card carrying member of the PLQ and my MNA is a federal Liberal, too. Thus the Minister will be getting my help. Otherwise....

TorStar on CPC Sleaze

2007-02-17T07:53:00.000-05:00

Oh yeah! Today's editorial in the Toronto star pretty much sums up what Liberals knew all along about the values and moral fibre of Canada's 'New Government'. Words like gutter and sleaze come up, but hey, if the shoe fits...

Here is a short excerpt from HARPER HITS OUT FROM THE GUTTER:

'While Harper took office promising "good, clean government," there is nothing good or clean about lashing out from the gutter to claw down the opposition even before the election writ is dropped.
Exactly what Canadian "values" are engaged by a French-language TV ad the Tories aired this week that links Dion to the highly-charged term "vendu," which means "sellout" or "traitor," a jab at his credentials as a staunch Quebec federalist? Or in another that slyly implies Dion and Jean Chrétien are criminals, picturing them behind yellow police tape labelled "centralization, pollution, sponsorships and fiscal imbalance"?
What value inspires an English-language ad, aired earlier this month, that links Dion to the sponsorship scandal, among other things, when the entire country knows he had no part in that particular fiasco?
Or one that links former Liberal finance minister Ralph Goodale to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police income-trust probe that hurt the Liberals in the last election? The RCMP cleared Goodale and his aides this week. Even so, a Tory spokesman insisted "the ads will continue to run." That speaks volumes about values in Harper's camp.
While some of the ads are amusing, they are also personal, vicious and misleading. They invite the public to look beyond Harper's soothing rhetoric, to the shabbier reality of his politics. There is a growing dissonance between what he says and what he does.'

Harper Suddenly Sensitive to AIDS?

2007-02-16T10:52:00.000-05:00

CanWest is reporting that Harper will announce a joint project with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to fund a high-tech facility for clinical trials for AIDS vaccines. The Canadian government will pony up $110m and the Gates Foundation's share will be $28m. I wonder if Harper thinks this will make people forget how he snubbed the World AIDS Conference in Toronto last summer, as well as the Outgames in Montreal.

Le Québec Prends Des Forces?

2007-02-13T13:04:00.000-05:00

I just checked out the so-called French-language attack ads on the CPC website - sorry, I won't link to them. According to CTV, the ads will be aired starting tomorrow.

They are very amateurish and focus on old news - sponsorship, fear-mongering, the usual CPC nonsense. But they clarify one thing nicely: Boss Harp's biggest fear is Chrétien. I wonder how he'd like to go up against him and his majority machine.

Canada Ecotrust

2007-02-12T14:08:00.000-05:00

Boss Harp was in Sherbrooke today announcing $1.5 billion for a national ecotrust programme. He was at the side of Jean Charest, who seems to believe that this initiative will fulfill part of the fiscal imbalance issue. Quebec will receive about $350 million - about what was negotiated with Paul Martin to allow quebedc to fulfill its Kyoto plan.

Both were coy about the election issue during a press conference.

Charest: There will be an election call sometime.

Harper: We hope the budget will pass.

John Baird's Vile Green Tie

2007-02-08T14:37:00.000-05:00

What is up with that? He is not fooling anyone. Baird needs a fashion coach along with tantrum management therapy.

NY to ban iPods?

2007-02-08T10:28:00.000-05:00

I found this to be interesting. It seems that no fewer than three of NY Senator Carl Kruger's Brooklyn constituents have been killed while crossing the street under the iPod or Blackberry influence. Maybe Ottawa should introduce a similar by-law in order to prevent CPC staffers on bb from getting mowed down on the Hill. Or maybe not.

The Green Threat

2007-02-05T17:35:00.000-05:00

The latest cover story from the Western Standard features Harper as the Incredible Hulk. According to Levant, Harp and Baird are not focusing on 'symbols' i.e. the science and are focusing on 'practicality' when dealing with climate change - very telling. Levant believes that Harper is threatening to alienate his electoral base, but still manages to sufficiently suck up, painting Harper as a pragmatist who will take on unpopular issues in the short term in order to allow himself to get down to the 'real business' at hand. Ezra is not too clear on what he takes to be the 'real business'. Apparently not Kyoto.

Compton-Stanstead: Who Does Peter MacKay Endorse?

2007-02-04T15:01:00.000-05:00

Very interesting, if conflicting, reports out of the Townships. The CPC nomination battle is heating up in the Bloc-held riding of Compton-Stanstead, located in Quebec's beautiful Eastern Townships. As le Progres de Coaticook reported a few weeks back, Dany Renauld, a former Charest aide from way back, has expressed his intention to seek the nomination in the riding. The article goes on to explain that Peter MacKay was in the riding before Christmas to endorse Renauld. Renaud also has the endorsement of a couple of mayors in the riding.

What's interesting is that this week's edition of the Stanstead Journal features a story about the other contender for the CPC nomination - Ontario-born and raised lawyer Brian Mitchell. Mitchell has lived in Montreal for a number of years and was Vice-President of the Progressive Conservatives - he had the nomination in Westmount-Ville-Marie in 2006, but either withdrew or was withdrawn - no info is available. Mitchell supported Steve for the leadership of the CPC. The photo accompanying the article is Mitchell with none other than Peter MacKay, leading the casual observer to conclude that Mitchell enjoys the support of MacKay, as well. Maybe I'm just a typical Grit cynic, but it looks like Mitchell is trying to pull a mindfuck on Renauld. Surely Mitchell could have found a picture with his political master, Boss Harp.

Or maybe not.

There are a few possible scenarios that spring to mind:

1. Mitchell represents the progressive wing of the CPC and has been accused in the past of trying to shift the party to the left. Harp may figure the optics of such a figure will fool Quebecers into believing the CPC is becoming more progressive. A perceived association with MacKay will help the optics of such a strategy, as well as serving to sock it to his opponent.

2. The rift between Harp and MacKay is alive and well, with each running their own preferred candidate. Only, now MacKay may have some explaining to do to his boy, if the English-language media is any indication. Typical Harp move to destabilise.

3. They're all in it together with Mitchell signing up large numbers of anglos in the west of the riding and Renauld doing the same in the east with francophones. A nomination contest will provide the illusion of democracy and the party benefits from the buzz surrounding the whole thing.

The membership cut-off is February 13th - the nomination meeting will be held at a 'national convention' March 11th.

And I just have to mention Brian Mitchell's campaign slogan:

LET'S WIN THE RIDING!

Well, duh.

Dryden Jersey Retirement

2007-01-30T23:59:00.000-05:00

Here are just some of the pics I shot last night from the Bell Centre. What a night! Go 29!

CPC's so-called attack ads

2007-01-30T22:48:00.000-05:00

I just saw the supposed attack ad - were we supposed to be worried?

Barbaro: RIP

2007-01-30T15:11:00.000-05:00

This is so sad. That was one of the most dreadful sports accidents I've ever seen. I'm just sorry his growth from colt to stallion was spent in pain.

# 29

2007-01-29T09:04:00.000-05:00

Well the big day has finally arrived. The Habs will retire Ken Dryden's number tonight at the Bell Centre. Check this space tomorrow for pictures of this momentous event.
We all know that Ken is awesome - a word I don't use lightly - but Red Fisher says it best.

GO KEN GO!!!!

If I lived in Niagara Falls....

2007-01-25T14:16:00.000-05:00

I would support James Curran for the Liberal nomination in that riding. Since I don't, though, I thought I would strongly encourage LPCO members to give James the nod. And some not-so-gentle prodding.

CPC Trashing Canada's International Reputation

2007-01-21T11:04:00.000-05:00

Or:

Peter MacKay's Levantine Misadventures.

Despite Harper's best efforts to make an optical ideological shift in many quarters, the Minister of Foreign Affairs's cool reception by Mahmoud Abbas is just further evidence that the damage has been done. Decades of global goodwill and international respect as a balanced middle power destroyed in just under a year.

From the article:

'In any event, Mr. Abbas's top aide suggested beforehand that there was little riding on the talks. He suggested that Canada's decision to cut aid to the Palestinian Authority after Hamas won control of it in elections last year, and its refusal to allow diplomats to meet with PA officials, has diminished whatever influence Canada once had in the region.'

To make matters worse, the CBC has just reported that on a visit to a West Bank refugee camp, directly in the shadow of the security barrier, MacKay refused to comment on the conditions in the West Bank, refused to comment on the wall and refused all questions from the journalists following him through the camp. To his dubious credit, he did visit a UN-run girls school to remark on the importance of education.

This is deeply disturbing.

Power: It's All About What You Do With It

2007-01-20T10:39:00.000-05:00

Yet another excellent profile on M. Dion can be found here. It's lengthy, but definitely worth the time on a wintry Saturday morning. For those not familiar with the bid to run Dion out of parliament, I'll include this short excerpt.

That was not enough for Paul Martin. When he took over from Mr. Chrétien in 2003, the new prime minister dumped Mr. Dion from the cabinet. Led by David Herle, the coterie of advisers that surrounded Mr. Martin considered Mr. Dion a liability in Quebec. The prime minister's Quebec lieutenant, Jean Lapierre, called the Clarity Act a “useless” piece of legislation.

“That was very hard for Stéphane,” says Pierre Pettigrew. “He was someone who had gone into politics for all the right reasons.”

Then a rival, Martin-backed candidate started selling Liberal memberships in Saint-Laurent—Cartierville. “When they tried to take away his riding, that is the moment he became a politician,” Ms. Krieber declares. “It was not an ideological debate. It was a power struggle.
“They could have asked me how to get rid of him and I would have told them: ‘Leave him alone, ignore him.' Instead they provoked him. . . . You know, my husband is a romantic knight.”

Does anyone else find it dignified how Stephane has treated those who have previously sought to marginalise him? Either that or he's even more Machiavellian than we all suspected. This is a good thing.

ADQ: More Insidious Than PQ

2007-01-17T16:25:00.000-05:00

The PQ has been a sworn enemy of mine since I first donned a Non Merci macaron as a Grade 3 student in the spring of 1980. I never thought Quebecers would see a more dishonest, morally corrupt party than the PQ - notwithstanding, of course, the defunct Union National. I was wrong: way, way wrong. Mario Dumont's ADQ has bypassed the PQ in garnering my scorn.

While the Oui forces of 1995 lied to Quebecers through a dishonest signage campaign; repeated falsehoods on what parts of 'Canada' Quebec would get to keep, culminating with the barely controlled racist rant of Jacques Parizeau on the night of the defeat, at least we know where the PQ stands. They are separatists; they want out of Canada; they blame federalism for everything that's wrong with this province. Yes, we've heard it all before countless times.

What we haven't heard is any degree of clarity on the ADQ - an ostensibly federalist option. Much has been made of Dumont's call for less leniency for minorities. He suggests the PQ and the BQ are being 'politically correct' in their leniency towards minorities. I will admit to being sceptical about the separatists outreach to cultural communities, particularly because the movement has always had an unpleasant tinge of ethnic nationalism. I chalked it up to Realpolitik and the manipulation of the immigrant integration system in this fair province. On the surface, though, the optics are good because it appears as if the separatist movement in Quebec is finally reaching out, perhaps in order to reassure cultural communities in a separate Quebec. But I digress.

The thing that is the most irksome about Dumont is that he's a federalist of convenience. Canada is fine, as long as it is hollowed out and meaningless. I'm not a betting woman, but I'd be willing to wager that Dumont took quite a bit of Schumpeter with him when he left Concordia's School of Community and Public Affairs - his approach to federalism and the role of the state reeks of it. In Dumont's mind, Canada is only useful as far as equalisation and other transfer payments go - a place for Quebec to 'autonomously' assert its uniqueness. It's enough to make one sick: Dumont proposes a constitution for a province that would essentially contradict the federal government's focus on multiculturalism and leave the door open for further discrimination of minorities in this province. One could easily envisage cultural laws akin to those that banned the use of English under the PQ.

A visit to the ADQ's website - not for unilingual anglos as key platform and positions have not been translated, though they are looking for volunteers - will confirm that they intend for autonomous Quebec to remain in Canada. One can only conclude - given his electoral base and his centre-right ideology - that Dumont seeks to appeal to so-called 'traditional' small-c conservative Quebecers who are suspicious of and/or dislike anglos and ethnic and religious minorities, but are too conservative to disrupt the staus quo and face the unknowns of separation. With Dumont's proposal, they'd have the best of both worlds: the security of the Canadian safety net and an entrenched coccoon that would protect the 'de souche' from any unpleasantness arising from other cultures and their 'weird ways'. Hence the fundamental dishonesty and narrow-mindedness that is the 'federalist' ADQ. They are the worst Quebec has to offer.

FAQ: Professeur Dion

2007-01-17T12:20:00.000-05:00

This great piece by Benoit Aubin should answer a lot of those questions. It also provides a very nice profile of Prof. Krieber, one of my former professors. Well done!

Happy Solstice

2006-12-21T10:25:00.000-05:00

To all Libloggers and CPC spies: Happy Solstice! Enjoy the shortest day of the year; the sun will be back in power tomorrow as it enters Capricorn at 7.22PM EST tonight. Here is a good CBC backgrounder on the Winter Solstice. Enjoy!

Another Reason To Love My Liberal Family

2006-12-14T18:32:00.000-05:00

Wine. And not just any wine. A lovely bottle of 2003 Ladoucette Pouilly-Fumé. This special treat was delivered chez moi by one of my Liberal breathren for the simple reason that he accidentally upended a glass of not nearly so nice wine over my head at the Ken Dryden party during the Convention. Awwww! Merci, Laurent!

CPC: All Wrong About Quebec

2006-12-14T09:07:00.000-05:00

As was Ignatieff, but I digress.

As the CPC plummets to only a dozen percentage points in this province, Quebecers have to wonder if all the grief has been for naught. The last six weeks of the leadership race were marred by idiotic discussions and disputes about Quebec nationhood. No blame, but we all know where this originated.

So, the CPC, having trouble with an original thought of their own, decideds that NATION is the key to winning hearts and minds of Quebecers - of a certain background anyway. Lo and behold, Steve steals Iggy's fire and snags the nation thing right out from under him. It's passed in the House. The CPC follows this ass-kissing excerise with a money-dropping tour of CPC ministers in Quebec. The CPC emphasises their commitment by having ministers speak even more French in the house than even 101 would mandate in Quebec.

And WHERE has this gotten them? The numbers speak for themselves.

Defending Duceppe?

2006-12-13T08:48:00.000-05:00

J'aurais jamais cru....

It's not usually my thing to defend Bloquistes, but upon reading letters to the editor in the English Canadian media, I feel compelled to say something. It appears that some people would like to ascribe treasonous motives to M. Duceppe for his threat to topple the government over the Afghanistan mission. I can't help but wonder if he would be vilified if he were a federalist. What is so bad about asking for a clarification of the Canadian Forces' mission? Surely we would all like to know exactly what are troops are doing there and M. Duceppe is perfectly justified in belabouring the point during QP.

I'm not too sure what's going on here, but when the NDP questions the mission, it's regarded as naivete, but when the Bloc asks questions that most Quebecers regardless of language would like to have answered, he is abandoning our troops and disappointing our allies. I can't speak for others, but I find this double-standard very disturbing.

SWC funding slash and M. Dion's Plan

2006-12-11T14:17:00.000-05:00

The Star reports today that M. Dion intends to stick to his plan to hand-pick (if necessary) 33% women to run in the next election, which could come as soon as early spring. While I have never been convinced that pure quota systems are best to address any type of underrepresentation, it's certainly a positive step forward and a promise kept. Of the Quebec ridings where someone could be hand-picked, Compton-Stanstead comes to mind, should Mr. Price not choose to run ;)

There are many reasons why quotas can be counter-productive; hybrid methods of recruitment are more sustainable and therefore preferable. In any case, ANY type of plan to increase women's representation is at risk due to the funding cuts to Status of Women Canada. Projects funded through SWC such as Equal Voice, among other NFPs aimed at increasing women's representation at all levels of government, will suffer from the ideological funding cuts to women's organisations. Obviously, the CPC would have more women in the house than in the House, but it's very disturbing that NFPs working to empower women will be on the frontlines of the cuts.

How will this immediately affect any gender parity plan? Campaigning is hard work, whether it is a 'safe', 'winnable' or 'poteau' riding. Candidates must be ready and armed with a lot of critical information. Equal Voice provides an invaluable on-line campaign school for women, which it had intended to expand with increased funding from SWC. Other organisations use similar funding to host 'live' campaign schools. What will happen to these multi-partisan projects?

Perhaps I'm just being paranoid, but it seems that these cuts, coupled with the scrapping of Mr. Dryden's national child care plan, have the sole purpose of limiting the way women can find expression in public life. Shameful.

MacKinnon Stepping Down

2006-12-07T16:03:00.000-05:00

The Globe has reported that the National Director of the Liberal Party, Steve MacKinnon, is stepping down after three years. Who's next in line?

Highlights Convention 2006 - Montreal

2006-12-06T13:48:00.000-05:00

I have a bunch of pictures and videos that I'll get around to posting, but after a few days to reflect upon it, here are some of the highlights of the Convention, in no particular order.

1. Welcoming Liberals from across the country to Montreal. It was great seeing everyone - regardless of affiliation - having such a great time here. The warm weather the first couple of days was a bonus.

2. Hearing Howard Dean address the crowd in good French on Wednesday night - a very nice touch.

3. The Team Dryden rallies before registration and before Ken's speech. What positive energy and excitement!

4. Ken's speech. Words can't describe it.

5. Jean Chretien addressing the crowd of Liberals on Saturday afternoon. That man knows how gto get a crowd of Liberals going like no other. Electrifying.

Liberals: Two Words.....

2006-12-05T11:00:00.000-05:00

ELECTION READINESS

Let's get working on re-building th Big Red Machine.

Liberal Dream Team Hits the Ground Running

2006-12-04T14:27:00.000-05:00

The first QP under our new leader is underway. Liberals wasted no time in going after the CPC on re-opening the SSM issue and cuts to the Status of Women. Fellow Liberals: we are in good hands.

Disappointed by the Dion-bashing

2006-12-03T15:41:00.000-05:00

I find it appalling the way some Libloggers and others are deadset on excoriating our new leader. While he may not have been the first or second choice for some this type of behaviour is more harmful to the party than they realise. Stephane Dion saved this country a decade ago. He intellectually shredded the separatists - he is capable of doing the same with Harper in both languages.

Dryden Speaks Against Harper Motion

2006-11-27T15:51:00.001-05:00

And Liberal resolution, as well.

Dryden Speaks Against Harper Motion

2006-11-27T15:51:00.000-05:00

And Liberal resolution, as well.

Welcome to Balmy Montreal!

2006-11-27T08:28:00.000-05:00

The forecast for the first half of our convention is warm, warm, warm! Delegates coming from
-23C Edmonton and other sub-Arctic locations: dress accordingly! The lovely weather will give everyone an opportunity to make the most of our wonderful city. Looking forward to seeing all Liberals this week :)

Harper Recognises Quebec Nation

2006-11-22T15:25:00.000-05:00

Harper has brought forth a motion in response to the motion to be brought forward by the Bloc tomorrow. He recognises the Quebec nation within a united Canada. He rejects Bloc notion of Quebec of independant nation. House goes mad. Big, great kudos from our fearless leader Bill Graham for commitment of Canada and ability to overcome partisanship. Liberals will work with all parties to promote Canada - houuse goes mad. Great speech! Duceppe is up next.

Proper Process and Transparency: Necessary for Renewal

2006-11-18T12:36:00.000-05:00

Last week the Quebec Women's Liberal Commission passed a procedural resolution asking that all resolutions adopted by the Special General Counsel on October 21st be removed as LPCQ priority resolutions. The concern is not the content of the resolutions themselves - though some resolutions are more popular than others -but how this set of resolutions became a priority in the first place. The process is highly questionable and not transparent in the least.

Last year, the LPCQ enhanced its warchest by $250 a delegate at the LPCQ Biennial Policy Convention, held in Montreal in November. After months, sometimes years, of preparation of policy resolutions by standing commissions, riding associations and Liberal clubs, a final set was debated and prioritised in plenary. Those resolutions stood as priority LPCQ policy until they mysteriously vanished from the website two weeks ago.

The LPCQ constitution is clear: the convention is sovereign. Yet, somehow resolutions crafted over not more than three LPCQ 'policy committee' meetings and adopted by a special general counsel have been permitted to supersede policy legitmately passed in plenary by a large number of LPCQ members.

In yesterday's English and French language media, 2 members of the 'policy committee' went to great lengths to defend one particular resolution in order to give it and themselves legitimacy. Interestingly, other members of the same 'policy committee' questioned from the outset the committee's legitimacy in - and the propriety of - developing policy. One member protested vocally, but alas this was not recorded as the 'policy committee' did not take minutes. People were permitted (including one blogger) to show up at the last meeting to vote, when they had attended no previous meetings. If you have members of the body that brought us this policy questioning the body's very legitimacy, what does this say about the policy output?

And why should a small, transient group that met infrequently and was not transparent about its process have more power than the grassroots?

The majority of the Quebec leadership campaigns support the Women's Commission in this effort. If the LPCQ refuses to remove the resolutions and replace them with the legitimate 2005 resolutions, a motion will be brough to the floor. Clearly, this can be avoided and should be, however logic and politics don't always mix. If you support transparency in process and grassroots advocacy in the LPCQ, lend your signature to petitions that will be circulating before the Quebec Caucus meeting.

Iggy Youth Sinks to New Low

2006-11-12T14:54:00.000-05:00

I was not terribly surprised to see that anti-Anglo sentiment is alive and well in the booing Quebec Iggy Youth. Alexandre Plante of Fuddle Duddle posted the following remark at Views from the Water Edge:

It is supported by most Quebec Liberals. Only a handful of angry anglos are against it. The type of Anglos that haven't evolved since the 1950-1960s. The ones that caused the separatist movement to erupt.

Now suppose we replace 'anglo' with some other ethnic/religious or linguistic group. It's interesting that among certain people, the last bastion of socially acceptable ethnic slurs are those directed at English-speaking Quebecers. With inflammatory remarks like that, I'm wondering if it will be Iggy campaign propaganda in my mailbox tomorrow or something slightly more sinister....

Aucune réponse, en n'importe quelle langue

2006-11-09T20:37:00.000-05:00

Today Michael Ignatieff had op-eds published in both languages (G&M and La Presse) where he 'clarifies' his position on the nation of Quebec.

He tries to be clear that he is - undoubtedly for pragmatic purposes - against any constitutional entrenchment of a 'fact'. What is he is still still unclear on is how the resolution that came out of his campaign would affect ethnic and linguistic anglos and allophones dans la Belle Province. I have asked his blog patrol this question several times and I've gotten no answer. Not even spin. So, again I must ask Team Iggy: How does Iggy's view of the civic/social/fiscal/spiritual/numinous nation he refers to affect Quebec Anglos and Allophones - or 'New Canadians' in ROC. If you have no response - which you clearly do not - you should look into who designed the policy proposal; question whether anyone clearly understood the demographics at play (i.e. Anglos in Qc; Anglos and allophones prevalance within the Liberal Party Canada - Quebec)

In addition to littering Canadian mailboxes with non-recycled paper product (bad Iggy!), his Quebec Team has also conveniently avoided demographic realities. In short, the Iggy campaign was happy to learn that as a delegate from a Montreal riding, I would be attending convention. They were less than thrilled to hear what I had to say about my perception about their campaign's perception about the Quebec 'reality' and the foul treatment of Mm. Dion et Rae in our fair city on 21 Oct.

All that to say: I'm still extremely interested in hearing an explanation from team Iggy about how this will affect the 1 million people in Qc who identified themselves during the last census as 'English Canadian' and the other countless people who are 'allophone' Quebecer/ Canadian. Tell me a story about the Charter, Iggy. But don't forget the notwithstanding clause.

LPCQ Grassroots Demand Democracy and Transparency

2006-11-04T00:34:00.000-05:00

The following is a draft resolution from real LPCQ activists. Contrary to the spin, not all members of our party support the process used at the Conseil Général Spécial to determine priority resolutions. We are also concerned that members of LPC in the other provinces and territories might be led to believe that all members of LPCQ support lack of transparency in process. This is not the case. We are determined to save this Convention and we hope we will have the support of Liberals everywhere - even if only in spirit.

Sinestra
xx

Resolution Concerning Prioritisation of 2005 Liberal Party of Canada (Quebec) Policy Resolutions for consideration at 2006 National Biennial Convention of the Liberal Party of Canada

Whereas Liberal Party of Canada (Quebec) policy has been developed, deliberated and prioritized by the grassroots members through biennial policy conventions;

Whereas the LPC(Q)’s ridings and grassroots members devote considerable time and energy to developing policy resolutions for debate, amendment and adoption at biennial policy conventions;

Whereas the Liberal Party of Canada (Quebec)’s Constitution was amended in November 2005 to allow for policy to be amended and adopted at meetings of the Special General Council, which remains a governing body;

Whereas the General Counsel’s recently-acquired ability to develop policy does not confer on it the authority to override decisions of the biennial policy convention in its capacity as the supreme and ultimate policy-making body of the LPC(Q);

Whereas resolutions passed by the Special General Counsel at its October 21st 2006, meeting cannot be allowed to supersede resolutions adopted and prioritised in plenary at the LPC(Q) Biennial Policy Convention, November 2005, lest biennial policy conventions be rendered redundant;

Whereas, notwithstanding the aforementioned facts, it has become a matter of contention as to which set of resolutions should represent the voice of the LPC(Q) members at the upcoming National Biennial Policy Convention;

Be it Resolved that the LPC (Q)’s Constitution be amended to clarify the prioritisation, relationship and ranking of resolutions adopted at biennial policy conventions, such that these take precedence over those adopted by any other LPC(Q) body or forum, including special general counsels;

Be it further resolved that the hard work and firm will of the membership of the LPC(Q) be recognised by validating resolutions prioritised at the November 2005 Biennial Policy Convention;

Be it further resolved that in the spirit of good faith towards its membership, the democratic process and transparency, the LPC (Q) present the priority resolutions adopted in November 2005 as its priority resolutions at the upcoming National Biennial Convention.

Happy Halloween - Team Dryden

2006-10-31T20:50:00.000-05:00

Beware the Leaked Memo: Iggsters have no reason to celebrate

2006-09-28T14:31:00.000-04:00

As much as we love to hate the CPC, even the most diehard partisan has got to admit: they don't make mistakes like that. This leaked memo is just an attemt by the CPC to manipulate our process. Look at the timing: leaked at a time when Mr. Ignatieff's credibility in Western Canada will be severely hampered due to his infamous Carbon Tax. The CPC is getting pounded in Quebec because of their foreign policy - a foreign policy shared by Iggy. Yes, I'm sure the CPC is just TERRIFIED of Mr. Ignatieff. What a joke - Harper could wipe the floor with Iggy without batting an eye. The CPC is about as terrified of Iggy as they are of Bob Rae - and that's not very.

The candidate that they are afraid of is the one whose polling numbers indicate that he can take votes away from the CPC, BQ and NDP and who ranks #1 among the candidates in terms of the general population. That would be the national favourite: Ken Dryden.

Reason Number 2 to Support Ken Dryden

2006-09-27T21:37:00.000-04:00

You can see something like this, laugh your head off and - unlike with some of the other candidates - not wonder if it's actually true.

Why I Endorse Ken Dryden for Liberal Party Leader Part 1

2006-09-26T17:25:00.000-04:00

The Liberal Party has seen a lot of bad press over the past couple of years - even in the last few days, though a lot of that was self-generated and not terribly constructive for cleaning up our party's reputation. Ken Dryden as Leader would radically change our party’s image just by being elected. The rest of the country wants him as leader as seen here and here and here. Ken Dryden would take votes away from other parties and could win in all provinces - this is not something that can be said for any of the other candidates. Despite any unwillingness among bloggers to admit this, each of the other candidates has serious problems that will prevent them from winning the country. Why would any serious Liberal want that?

But it’s not just Ken Dryden’s winnability that should make him the obvious choice among Liberals. There are a number of other reasons why Liberals should vote for Ken Dryden on Super Weekend and at the Leadership Convention. Over the next few days, I will add new reasons why it’s important to vote for Ken Dryden and Dryden delegates this weekend.

Joe Volpe: The Anti-Establishment Candidate

2006-09-25T12:07:00.000-04:00

So.... rather than answering pointed questions on the alleged irregularities in Quebec, Joe decided it was a better plan to say that after 51 years in Canada - he is still 'not Canadian enough' to be leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. According to Joe the 'Establishment' is against him. Interesting.

Women: Write 'em off: CRAParty of Canada

2006-09-23T09:57:00.000-04:00

Women don't typically vote for the CRAParty of Canada, so let's cut funding to Status of Women Canada. This isn't exactly news, but what is new and disturbing is the way the minister responsible for SWC, Bev Oda, has blatantly refused to answer direct questions on the issue. Minister Oda has also not heeded calls from Canadian citizens of both genders to state her position when it became clear that REAL Women had suceeded in their lobbying efforts and the future of SWC was at risk.

At the time, Liberal Leadership candidate Ken Dryden wrote to Minister Oda asking her to confirm her support for SWC and its important projects. Rather than helping Canadian women, like Mr. Dryden is committed to doing, Minister Oda has decided to punish all groups that don't fit her party's ideological agenda.

It's pretty telling when Liberal men are more concerned about gender equality and diversity than Conservative women.

Libloggers and Polls

2006-09-17T09:01:00.000-04:00

I must say that I am mildly amused by the disdain with which the Gandalf Group's poll is being treated by bloggers who usually have so much to say if their candidates gets the slightest positive press. The most unscientific of 'polls' are cited as 'proof' that Kennedy, Dion, Rae, Iggy will win the leadership. Even Cerberus is trashing this poll, saying he doesn't put much faith in polls. However, he does 'validate' it by saying it shows Iggy is WAY ahead of the others (it does? I must have missed that bit) and that it's now a race between the two frontrunners Iggy and Rae.

This would be funny if it weren't so pathetically sad. Libloggers give credence to straw polls, web polls you can drop into your blog. Yet the poll that states Ken Dryden is a frontrunner among Canadians and Liberals is being studiously ignored. Ingnoring it won't make it go away.

Merci, les Habitants!

2006-09-13T14:04:00.000-04:00

All the Montreal dailies are reporting that the Montreal Candiens Hockey Club will be honouring one of the Liberal Leadership candidates. Obviously I don't have to mention that it is the Absolutely Fabulous Ken Dryden.

UPDATE: Press Conference 20 September, 11.00AM.

Ken Dryden Launches Policy Platform

2006-09-05T10:43:00.000-04:00

Ken Dryden just released his policy vision for Canada at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa. The document can be found here. Don't miss him on Politics with Don Newman this afternoon.

Tory: CPC doesn't deserve title

2006-08-27T16:16:00.000-04:00

The nickname Tory has had a long and distinguished history in conservative politics in the British Commonwealth. There have been many Tories who, while big 'C' conservative, I have admired. There is nothing resembling the respectable 'Tory' in Harper's Conservative Party of Canada. Its core is based in other hard right parties that merged to form CPC. A True Tory is not discriminatory like Harper's gang has proven itself to be. I believe we should not dignify CPC and besmirch 'real' ideological Tories like Scott Brison by calling them Tories. Perhaps we should steal the term away: Liberal Tory could apply to the more conservative wing of our Liberal family. A few candidates and MPs come to mind, actually.

We need to find a new, more suitable nickname for the Conservative Party of Canada. They do not deserve to be called Tories.

Liberals, let's change the subject

2006-08-25T11:33:00.000-04:00

I can just imagine all those CPC wankers having a laugh-fest at our ripping each other to shreds over the Middle East. So, I'd like to propose to this extended Liberal family that we change the subject and re-focus on fighting over whose candidate is the best - not worst - and focus on Canada instead of points East.

With this in mind, I'll suggest a trip to Shoshanna's blog where she captures what we all knew about KD all along.

Dryden et ses Députés....

2006-08-22T23:41:00.000-04:00

....

Winners Never Quit

2006-08-17T09:39:00.000-04:00

And Quitters Never Win.

Why be kingmaker when you can be King?

The Price of an Orchard Endorsement

2006-08-16T10:12:00.000-04:00

The rumour is that David Orchard will endorse Stéphane Dion. What has the professor promised the farmer? Understandably, the Orchard group has been calling for a seat for DO. Logically, Mr. Orchard would run in Saskatchewan - it's not like he'd be challenging any incumbents. But alas, no.

Orchard wants a seat alright. In QUEBEC. How is M. Dion going to work this? Replace Mme Robillard with David Orchard in Westmount-Ville-Marie? Dr. Patry in Pierrefonds-Dollard? Or will he be banished to the Liberal wasteland known as the regions and left to fend for himself?

As I said on Cherniak's blog, if M. Dion sticks him in my riding we'll have a field day running him out of the province. Some were encouraging Orchard to settle for a BC seat - he should take their advice.

Dryden Scores at Montreal Outgames

2006-08-05T14:05:00.000-04:00

Ken Dryden was warmly received at Montreal's Outgames this past Thursday. Mr. Dryden was asked to present the medals for the Men's and Women's Track and Field at the Centre Athlétique Claude-Robillard and, of course, he was happy to oblige. What an amazing buzz.

And while a blogger was quick to scandalise with the Yankee-Burger Gate, I can certainly attest to the fact that he loves Canadian smoked meat. As usual, he was treated like royalty at Schwartz's Deli on The Main at lunch.

Later in the day Mr. Dryden dropped the puck for the Competitive Men's Hockey Semi-Finals at Aréna Saint-Michel and watched the game with another former NHL-er. The future Prime Minister of Canada was quite a hit with the crowds and French and English-language Canadian and US media.

Way to go, Ken!

Happy Lughnasadh!

2006-08-01T08:58:00.000-04:00

For those who celebrate the old ways, happy first harvest! May your corn grow high and your tables and cups runneth over! Eat, drink and be merry. Dance nekkid around the bonfire and above all be grateful for the relative peace we enjoy.

And the wheel of the year grinds on....

Boring Liberals? Candidates Take Note

2006-07-30T07:10:00.000-04:00

Linda Diebel reports that the Liberal Leadership race and, indeed, the candidates are a big yawn. Aside from my chosen candidate, I must agree ;)

This whole race needs a firecracker up its bum.

Ken Dryden's Middle East Statement

2006-07-19T09:19:00.000-04:00

The Leadership hopefuls have been releasing statements on the unfortunate state of affairs in the Middle East. Ken Dryden's statement is balanced and puts expectations on all sides of this issue. I have great faith that Ken Dryden would steer Canada back in the direction of being a globally respected peacemaker, peacekeeper and peacebuilder.

Red is Definitely His Colour

2006-06-27T13:42:00.000-04:00

On Bob Rae's Electability

2006-06-12T13:27:00.000-04:00

Bob Rae impressed me quite a bit during Saturday's debate. I thought he came across quite well and I can see why people like him. But the thing is: he's Harper's wet dream. Tory insiders are actively wishing for a Rae victory and the reason is pretty obvious: what ever fragile hold we may have on some Ontario ridings, Rae would not be able to deliver his home province. He may not even be able to win a seat. People have long memeories and especially Tory people who will be all over him like a cheap suit. He will be drawn into the past again and again. And more importantly back to his provincial days. Notice how easy it was for Maurizio and Joe to drag Gerard Kennedy back into the provincial realm and defend the provinces. It made Kennedy, who I also like, look like an amateur. The is not to say that Bob Rae is an amateur, but he will not be able to escape his past. Even without what will surely come from the Tories, the people of Ontario will not want a replay of Rae.

OK, Joe. We're still waiting....

2006-06-06T16:25:00.000-04:00

Most good Liberals that I know expected Joe Volpe to bow out yesterday. In fact, we were positive it would happen, but it's almost 4.30 on 6.6.6 and Joe is still among the Leadership hopefuls. I found that he was rather too nonchalant about the whole thing to begin with, but when I read this morning about his stunt in Victoria on the weekend, I can't really believe that he's going to drag this out even further. Now it seems his henchman Jim Karygiannis is trying to muzzle Liberals and strongarm them. Please, Joe - it's time to go!

Hébert: Afghanistan Vote to Define Liberal Leadership

2006-05-23T06:36:00.000-04:00

Once again, Chantal Hébert is bang on the money. Today's column in the Star features on analysis of how Wednesday's vote will shape the Leadership campaign contrary to Harper's intentions.

Kudos to the candidates who voted against an extension: you WILL have a chance in Quebec. With this latest bit of folly, Harper's ballroom days are over.

No Big Surprises: Vote on Afghanistan Mission

2006-05-18T14:41:00.000-04:00

It's no great surprise that of the Liberal Leadership Candidates, Michael Ignatieff and Scott Brison voted in favour of extending the mission. The vote should hurt Ignatieff in Quebec, where among his caucus supporters on;y one - Raymonde Folco - voted in favour.

The Afghanistan issue is sure to chip away at the Conservatives fragile support in Quebec, as this mission will surely become as unpopular here as the Iraq war was and still is. Brison never had much of a chance in Quebec anyway, but what will this do to Ignatieff?

Prediction: Ignatieff will plummet like a stone and it will be between Dion and Dryden in Quebec.

Budget 'mean-spirited, crass, dishonest': McCallum

2006-05-12T10:58:00.000-04:00

What a fantstic dissection of an opportunistic budget! In his typical quirky style, McCallum pinpointed each of the groups who had been short-changed or otherwise villified (i.e. one Tory suggesting homeless people should be put in jail) and made clear how these groups were selected: they are not likely to vote Conservative anyway. The spin given as response to his scathing and brilliantly executed attack was feeble.

I particularly enjoyed his comparison of the tax credit for 'sports parents' as opposed to the big zero for 'music parents'. His implication was that most Tory voters are less than cerebral and certainly not culturally inclined. Way to go, John!

Women and the Liberal Leadership Race

2006-05-04T16:32:00.000-04:00

Canada has a very poor record among the developed world and even now the developing world in terms of women's representation. At last year's National Policy Convention women Liberals made it abundantly clear that this is something that has to change. Yet, we fielded a dismally low percentage of women candidates nationally in January, even more dismal when looked at in terms of 'winning ridings'. In Quebec, 26 of the 75 candidates were women, but only two were in 'safe' Liberal seats.

The candidates for leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada need to address this imbalance - whether it's a woman or a man. This issue is a constant focus of Women's Commissions and clubs across the country, but it is something that goes virtually ignored when nomination time rolls around. The wise candidate is the candidate who pays more than lip service to changing the Party Constitution to entrench proportional representation of women in the Commons, Senate and Party structure.

Dion Best Leader: 'Quebec Liberals'

2006-05-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, La Presse reported on a sample of 'Quebec Liberals' who believe Stéphane Dion would be the best person to lead the Liberal Party of Canada. This article and, indeed, the methodology used by CROP are misleading and useless for the purpose of the current leadership race.

The term Quebec Liberal is inaccurate given that these people have only identified themselves as Liberal voters. Among that sample, 21% would support Dion; Bob Rae would claim 15%; KenDryden 14%; Michael Ignatieff 13%. Lesser known candidates Joe Volpe and Scott Brison each have 1%. Note these are not card-carrying members of the LPC-Q who will be voting here in Montreal in seven months' time, though M. Dion would do well to start trying to recruit some of these people, as even among these identified Liberal voters, 34% are undecided. This report is no reason for celebration.

It's also telling that half of the total 'population' could care less about this race, but 43% believed that the leadership of the LPC should stay in Quebec. This is so very typical of Quebec, but it is also where things begin to fall off for M. Dion. Among the general population of Quebec, his support is at 15% to Ken Dryden's 13%, with Ignatieff and Rae at 12% each.

But what does this mean for the Leadership Race? Not too much without serious delegate recruitment from all camps.

www.stopiggy.com

2006-05-02T18:05:00.000-04:00

I first learned of the Stop Iggy campaign this past weekend at the Conseil Général of the LPCQ. Though initially I thought about how inappropriate negative campaigning is within the Party, since visiting the Stop Iggy website, I realise that this website is an invaluable source of information on Mr. Ignatieff's viewpoints and writings. And while I do not endorse Stop Iggy in any way, I will say that it's a definite boost to some of the other campaigns.