Re: On coalition, Gilles Duceppe's credibility is questionable

How serious are they, (I'm not even sure of all the players - yes, we are 
woefully uninformed about politics north of our border), about breaking up the 
country?  I know there has been a separatist Quebec movement for a long time but 
I thought it had become a fringe group at best.  Are there really elected 
officials who are truly interested in seceding from Canada; and do they have any 
semblance of a plan for how that would actually work out? 


Mike F.  




________________________________
From: Peter Chattaway <petert-LOVM4QxV+tDq6eQxt3vRmLDks+cytr/[email protected]>
To: Daniel Amos off-topic listserver <[email protected]>
Sent: Tue, March 29, 2011 1:25:01 PM
Subject: [DADL-OT] On coalition, Gilles Duceppe's credibility is questionable

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/second-reading/silver-powers/on-coalition-gilles-duceppes-credibility-is-questionable/article1961390/


Tim Powers
Globe and Mail Update
Posted on Tuesday, March 29, 2011 12:22PM EDT

There is something about Canadian elections that makes them deliciously absurd 
affairs. For only in Canada, in our very healthy open democracy, could the 
leader of the only major political party dedicated to the break up of our 
country be seen in the eyes of some as the voice of truth and reason on the past 
actions of our current federalist Prime Minister. How is it that Gilles Duceppe, 
the Leader of the Bloc Québécois, is seen as possessing the most authoritative 
and legitimate account of what happened in 2004 when opposition parties 
discussed co-operative options for that minority parliament?

Just because Duceppe heads a party whose raison d'etre is separating from Canada 
doesn't mean he is a de facto propagator of political falsehoods to suit his 
agenda. All politicians get carried away from time to time with their own 
interpretations of the truth.

In fact, Duceppe is well regarded by many Quebeckers who don't share his party's 
goals but see the Bloc as a useful vehicle for advancing the province’s 
immediate economic interests in a united federation. Yet, Duceppe seems happy to 
live by a bit of a double standard: He leads a party whose mandate is separation 
but his actual success comes from taking advantage of everything a united 
federation has to offer. In this case, that includes an apparent generosity of 
spirit among many for his political rhetoric.

In 2004 when then-opposition leader Stephen Harper, NDP Leader Jack Layton and 
Duceppe had a press conference to discuss their letter to the Governor-General, 
the Bloc Leader was quoted as saying: “In no way are we a coalition and we won't 
be a coalition.” So why in the eyes of some is his current memory of what 
happened in 2004 more valid than what he actually said at the time?

Duceppe doesn't need any additional motivation to develop a contemporary 
narrative that has no bearing on what actually happened in 2004. Maintaining his 
stranglehold on Quebec in 2011 is best advanced by calling Stephen Harper a 
liar, whether it is true or not. The Bloc's own longevity has been based on 
these shape-shifting abilities – particularly, and thankfully, as Quebeckers 
seem less interested in sovereignty.


-- 
dadl-ot mailing list
http://mail.thehood.us/mailman/listinfo/dadl-ot_thehood.us
http://news.gmane.org/gmane.music.dadl.ot

-- 
dadl-ot mailing list
http://mail.thehood.us/mailman/listinfo/dadl-ot_thehood.us
http://news.gmane.org/gmane.music.dadl.ot