Team Martin drops ball in Quebec

Vincent_2002

Electoral Member
Mar 27, 2002
181
0
16
Montréal, Quebec
Team Martin drops ball in Quebec
CHANTAL HÉBERT

When it comes to finding their way to Quebecers' votes, it seems Paul Martin and his brain trust might as well be lost in the wilderness without a compass. Judging from the Liberal pre-election ads, they can't see the forests for the trees.

Consider the following:

The issue that most raised the profile of the federal Liberals in Quebec over the past decade was Canada's stance on the U.S.-led Iraq war.

So popular was the move to keep Canada out of the war that it earned then-prime minister Jean Chrétien kudos from all three Quebec leaders, including the PQ's Bernard Landry.

So sensitive were Quebecers to the Iraq issue that Landry, Mario Dumont and Jean Charest all sported the white ribbon of the peace movement throughout last spring's provincial campaign.

On a related front, Quebec is home to a large French-speaking Haitian community. As a result, political developments in Haiti are treated as top news in the province's media.

Telejournal — Quebec's version of The National — is broadcast in Haiti. Quebec's usually insular private networks regularly dispatch correspondents to the area.

Probably more so than anywhere else in the country, Quebec public opinion is sensitive to Canada's evolving role in Haiti.

Montreal is also home to an ever-growing, largely French-speaking, Muslim community.

What goes on in the Middle East, what takes place in North Africa, the manner in which Canada interacts with the Muslim world — these are all followed very closely in Quebec.

On a more personal note, Quebec families lead the country when it comes to international adoptions.

Young francophone Quebecers, in turn, flock to international studies programs.

International relations programs are in such demand at Montreal's two French-language universities that students need higher marks to be admitted to the programs than to enter law school.

The province's politicians are keenly aware of Quebec interest in Canada's role on the international scene.

One of the most passionate speeches Lucien Bouchard ever delivered in the House of Commons in his days as leader of the official opposition dealt with Canada's peacekeeping missions and the pride he himself took in them.

The Bloc Québécois has not one, but four, MPs responsible for various aspects of the international file.

In a province where the chattering classes are always on the lookout for federal infringement on areas of provincial jurisdiction, foreign affairs is one sector where Quebecers generally look up to the federal government for leadership.

Knowing all that, it should be a no-brainer for Martin, who has a genuine and passionate interest in the matter, to score points in Quebec by talking up his vision of Canada's place in the world.

And yet, in their wisdom, the image-makers of the federal Liberal party have decided that when the Prime Minister buys air time to talk about Canada on the international scene, he should do so in English only.

For their French-language pre-election ad campaign, the Liberals have substituted the message about Canada's role on the world stage that they are running in English for one on social solidarity.

To make matters worse, rather than buy Martin time to talk about the issue most likely to enhance his statesman-like image in Quebec, the Liberals are running a redundant message on education.

If there is one area where Quebecers are less likely than other Canadians to look to the federal government for action, it is student loans.

Quebec boasts the lowest post-secondary tuition fees in the country as well as a well-established provincial student loans and grants program. As a result, the Quebec student loan burden is a fraction of the Canadian average.

Moreover, francophone Quebecers are particularly jealous of their government's exclusive say on education, an area they see as crucial to the preservation of the French language.

Given all of the above, the Liberal ad on education is more likely to backfire in Quebec than earn Martin support.

It is hard to fathom how the Martin Liberals can so miss the mark in Quebec.

It may have to do with the fact that most of the charter members of the Prime Minister's brain trust are really flying blind in Quebec because they cannot speak French.

It may also be because Martin has compartmentalized his operations, often treating Quebec apart from the rest.

In any event, the results to date speak for themselves.

A CROP poll published yesterday in La Presse shows 61 per cent of Quebecers are not satisfied with the Martin government.

Those are the kind of numbers Liberal governments traditionally collect in Alberta.

And 53 per cent of Quebecers feel the Prime Minister has mishandled the sponsorship affair, up (instead of down) from a month ago when Martin had not yet swung into action to clean up the patronage process.

If an election were held tomorrow, the Bloc would sweep the province.

If it did, it would look like the BQ scored into a Liberal empty net.
 

Vincent_2002

Electoral Member
Mar 27, 2002
181
0
16
Montréal, Quebec
I thought that this article would be a good source of information for anybody who is interested in the next fed. elections.


The techniques that the new liberal government is using probably won't have much effect here as many, if not all quebecers are very sensitive to the world and our cousins around the world. Not to mention we have many haitians and muslims here.

Montreal is only one place, but I know how much support the bloc q. has all over this province. I would hate to see them "Sweep" the province like they have in the past.


I read a different article about the bloc and the conservs. forming an alliace in government. Is this true?

I will try to find the article and post it.
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
1
38
Winnipeg
Actually, given their respective political leanings and concerns over foreign policy that is not just tied to whatever the US does, wouldn't it make more sense for the Bloc to form a coalition with the NDP?
 

Numure

Council Member
Apr 30, 2004
1,063
0
36
Montréal, Québec
The bloq is very left wing, I doubt they would form any alliance with the conservatives. And they have my support, as they always had. The bloq is their to represent the intrest of Québécois, not to run Canada. That is what contents me.
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
1
38
Winnipeg
Under the present system of government isn't that kind of limiting though, Numure? The Bloc can never form the Canadian government because it is a regional party.

Given that, how do you feel about some form of popular representation? It would likely lower the number of bloq seats in the H of C, but those that remained would have more say.