Wednesday, December 03, 2008

What’s good for the Separatist cause is good for Canada?



Well there’s a quote from Gilles Duceppe that may do more harm than good to the newly minted coalition of the power seekers…

Even better for the optics, that old champion of sovereignty, Jacques Parizeau has emerged from his political seclusion and his angst over money and the ethnic votes, to celebrate the great move forward for “le movement:” made by Mr. Duceppe

In Le Journal de Montreal, Mr. Parizeau praises Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe for his “impressive victory,” in prying enough concessions out of the coalition of the New Democratic Party and Liberals to agree to back them.

The price of participation by the party dedicated to bringing an end to the nation as we know it, was apparently another 1 billion dollars in transfer payments to Quebec, an achievement trumpeted by Parti Quebecois leader and would be Premier Pauline Marois.

Madame Marois, set to face the electorate in her bid to oust Jean Charest as Premier of Quebec, was revelling today in her good fortune, just days away from Quebec's election day.

You think that all of that bad karma won’t come back to haunt the Liberals and to a lesser degree the NDP in any future political discussions…

The debate is turning into a fiery bit of rhetoric which threatens to stir up all the old animosities of the confederation dating back to before the Plains of Abraham.

For sure Stephen Harper has a good share of the blame for this nasty turn of events, but with the Liberals and NDP throwing their lot into a cabal with the one party that unabashedly has espoused a Canada without Quebec or more accurately we guess, a Quebec without Canada, they both tread on much more dangerous ground both politically and more importantly for the fabric of the nation.

Much was made of the last voter turn out at it’s less than full participation levels of 57 per cent. It was symbolic of the cynicism that Canadians have about their political leaders these days, and we’re pretty sure that those opinions aren’t shifting into positive territory as the current debacle unveils itself.

Perhaps those that chose not to vote were just ahead of the curve, after all if a government can be formed in a back room with trade offs among the willing participants in the bid to change government, then perhaps they don’t need our votes at all.

If this little bit of political theatre results in an amalgam of special interests and depends purely on the whim of the one party that wishes to see the nation split, then the next voter turn out may be even less than any other in history, or it may be a clarion call for a more dedicated participation rate for the electorate .

That is of course if we're given the option of a vote...

Montreal Gazette-- Ex-PQ leader praises Bloc for joining coalition
Montreal Gazette-- Marois goads Charest over coalition
Montreal Gazette-- Péquistes, Bloc showing bad judgment: Dumont
Montreal Gazette-- Political donnybrook proves Canada doesn't work, Marois says
Montreal Gazette-- Ottawa squabbles overshadow Quebec election
Montreal Gazette-- Ottawa coalition is short on principles
Montreal Gazette-- Forget coalition, let the people decide
National Post-- If it's good for Parizeau, can it be good for Canada?
National Post-- Eleven critical questions for Stephane Dion to answer
National Post-- Parizeau beaming over 'eminently satisfying' deal with Dion
National Post-- Dion stumbles, Duceppe says it all -- coalition is good for separatists
Globe and Mail-- Opposition leaders dare Charest to break silence
Globe and Mail-- Duceppe sets conditions for collaboration
Globe and Mail-- In the West, a deep sense of betrayal
Globe and Mail-- A false pretext
Globe and Mail-- A coalition in a time of economic tumult? No thank you
Globe and Mail-- Mutiny on the Rideau
Globe and Mail-- The stupid and the lean must all tread carefully

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