Mutiny in PQ, but Marois still defiant

[Saddle Bronc 124]

http://news.yahoo.com/quebec-separatist-leader-defiant-despite-mutiny-164958813.html

Quebec separatist leader defiant despite mutiny

By David Ljunggren,Reuters 2011/08/23 12:45 ET

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The leader of a separatist party seeking independence for the Canadian province of Quebec brushed off complaints on Tuesday from mutinous legislators in her party who say she is not up to the job.

The opposition Parti Quebecois (PQ) lost its once commanding lead in opinion polls after a group of influential legislators quit the party in June in protest against the performance of leader Pauline Marois.

"I think the events of last June clearly shook up public opinion about our (party) but apart from that, it doesn't fundamentally change anything," Marois told French-language public broadcaster Radio Canada.

The PQ, which has spent the last 40 years pressing for Quebec's independence, is notorious for treating its leaders roughly and Marois is just the latest chief to face internal dissent.

To break away from Canada, the party would first have to regain power in the province and then hold a referendum on secession. Its two previous referendums, in 1980 and 1995, both failed.

Marois has declined to say when a PQ government led by her would launch another referendum, prompting criticism from hard-liners that she is not serious enough about independence.

Marois said she was determined to create a new country. But in the short term, the party will stick to her policy of paving the way for Quebec independence while remaining inside Canada.

"The strategy we've adopted (to secede) is different from the one followed by the Parti Quebecois in the past. So give us a chance," she said. "The previous policy did not produce all the expected results."

An opinion poll published on Monday showed only 32 percent of Quebecers backed the idea of splitting away from Canada, indicating that another referendum now would end up in humiliating failure.

The poll also showed the damage suffered by the PQ, which pulled well ahead of the governing Liberals in popular support in May 2010 and had looked set to win the next provincial election, due by late 2013. It now trails the Liberals by 24 percent to 34 percent.

To make matters more complicated, after the searing split of legislators from the party in June, a second small group of separatist hard-liners broke away from the PQ this month and created the Nouveau Mouvement pour le Quebec (New Movement for Quebec) to push more strongly for independence.

[sly_wolf 199]

http://news.yahoo.co...-164958813.html

Quebec separatist leader defiant despite mutiny

By David Ljunggren,Reuters 2011/08/23 12:45 ET

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The leader of a separatist party seeking independence for the Canadian province of Quebec brushed off complaints on Tuesday from mutinous legislators in her party who say she is not up to the job.

The opposition Parti Quebecois (PQ) lost its once commanding lead in opinion polls after a group of influential legislators quit the party in June in protest against the performance of leader Pauline Marois.

"I think the events of last June clearly shook up public opinion about our (party) but apart from that, it doesn't fundamentally change anything," Marois told French-language public broadcaster Radio Canada.

The PQ, which has spent the last 40 years pressing for Quebec's independence, is notorious for treating its leaders roughly and Marois is just the latest chief to face internal dissent.

To break away from Canada, the party would first have to regain power in the province and then hold a referendum on secession. Its two previous referendums, in 1980 and 1995, both failed.

Marois has declined to say when a PQ government led by her would launch another referendum, prompting criticism from hard-liners that she is not serious enough about independence.

Marois said she was determined to create a new country. But in the short term, the party will stick to her policy of paving the way for Quebec independence while remaining inside Canada.

"The strategy we've adopted (to secede) is different from the one followed by the Parti Quebecois in the past. So give us a chance," she said. "The previous policy did not produce all the expected results."

An opinion poll published on Monday showed only 32 percent of Quebecers backed the idea of splitting away from Canada, indicating that another referendum now would end up in humiliating failure.

The poll also showed the damage suffered by the PQ, which pulled well ahead of the governing Liberals in popular support in May 2010 and had looked set to win the next provincial election, due by late 2013. It now trails the Liberals by 24 percent to 34 percent.

To make matters more complicated, after the searing split of legislators from the party in June, a second small group of separatist hard-liners broke away from the PQ this month and created the Nouveau Mouvement pour le Quebec (New Movement for Quebec) to push more strongly for independence.

They are the equivalent of a bunch of racists.

[scandal 951]

They are the equivalent of a bunch of racists.

They are. Jacques Parizeau, after losing the 1995 referendum, blamed "money and the ethnic vote", suggesting that if "nous" (we - the French, alone, with no English or 'moneyed' interests interfered), "we" would win.

Screw him. Anglophone Quebecers are Quebecers too. Jewish Quebecois are Quebecois too. Wealthy Quebecois are Quebecois too. Not just Parizeau's narrow conception of who is a true Quebecois counts in a real democracy.

Listen to his speech here, talking about the inevitability of another referendum and the inevitable success of such. Look at the PQ in disarray today. What a loser. What a lousy racist loser. Him and the whole PQ.

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/federal_politics/topics/1891-12470/

'Money and the ethnic vote'

Broadcast Date: Oct. 30, 1995

It was close, but not close enough. Supporters of Quebec's sovereignty are left reeling after the No side ekes out an uncomfortably close win to cap a historic referendum night. With emotions running high, Premier Jacques Parizeau takes to the podium to address a cheering crowd. But as this CBC Television clip shows, the cheers would turn to silence and recrimination after the defeated leader blames his loss on "money and the ethnic vote."

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

They are. Jacques Parizeau, after losing the 1995 referendum, blamed "money and the ethnic vote", suggesting that if "nous" (we - the French, alone, with no English or 'moneyed' interests interfered), "we" would win.

Screw him. Anglophone Quebecers are Quebecers too. Jewish Quebecois are Quebecois too. Wealthy Quebecois are Quebecois too. Not just Parizeau's narrow conception of who is a true Quebecois counts in a real democracy.

Listen to his speech here, talking about the inevitability of another referendum and the inevitable success of such. Look at the PQ in disarray today. What a loser. What a lousy racist loser. Him and the whole PQ.

http://archives.cbc....ics/1891-12470/

Parasol, the azzclown, he hated allophones and anglophones. Anti-Semite, Anti-Ethnic, Anti-Everyone, Mr. Pur Laine himself. He looked like the millionaire from Monopoly and spoke like a cross between Commander McBragg and Terry Thomas.

[scandal 951]

Mr. Pur Laine himself. He looked like the millionaire from Monopoly

He really did, didn't he? As much as I never liked Rene Levesque, he was a gentleman compared to Parizeau.

I'm actually thankful that I no longer follow Canadian politics as actively as I did when I lived there. The PQ and BQ both turn my stomach.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

He really did, didn't he? As much as I never liked Rene Levesque, he was a gentleman compared to Parizeau.

I'm actually thankful that I no longer follow Canadian politics as actively as I did when I lived there. The PQ and BQ both turn my stomach.

I used to listen to his French and chuckle and his English used to give me convulsions I was laughing so hard. My father would just smile, Parasol sounded 100% ENGLISH. Not Montrealer, not Canuck, ENGLISH. I half expected him to say, "jolly good show, pip, pip," I could have sworn that he said, "quite" while he repeatedly took puffs from his pipe. His FRENCH was so arrogant sounding that I remember thinking what a supercilious (I used other less genteel language) #######. Levesque, as my father pointed out, was a bit of a hustler but Parasol thought that he was anointed to be King of Quebec.