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Will the Orange Wave lift Quebec solidaire too?
Wed, 2011-05-11 10:03
#1
Boom Boom
Will the Orange Wave lift Quebec solidaire too?
Wed, 2011-05-11 10:06
#2
Boom Boom
The next election in Quebec will be interesting. 
Wed, 2011-05-11 10:07
#3
Boom Boom
Will the Orange Wave lift Quebec solidaire too?
excerpt:
A new stage is now set for the next year provincial election in Quebec. If the almost non-existent NDP could bring 57 more MPs to accompany Thomas Mulcair, then the idea of Quebec solidaire winning dozens of seats to accompany its lone MNA, Amir Khadir, does not seem too far-fetched anymore. They are both identified as a party that fights for the poor and often share the same activists. Meanwhile Jean Charest's Liberal government is considered the most hated government in the history of Quebec, maybe only second to Duplessis. The demise of the Bloc showed that the old sovereignty spell has lost its charm and this could be a death knell to its provincial counterpart, the Parti Quebecois. Thus, the objective conditions are ripe for another earthquake in the next provincial election. Quebec solidaire has a real chance to not only win more seats but also become the official opposition, or even the government. Earlier this year its leader Amir Khadir had already been proclaimed as the most popular politician in the province, according to the Leger Markerting.
excerpt:
There is also a possibility that some sort of QS-NDP alliance might emerge. Should this opportunity presents itself all progressive forces in Quebec -- including the unions who have made a mistake of supporting the Bloc and the PQ -- should rally behind it and drop any sectarian and nationalist-federalist squabbling.
Wed, 2011-05-11 11:30
#4
I'm sure you know this, BB, but is the author of this article aware that QS are also a sovereignist party?
Wed, 2011-05-11 11:38
#5
bagkitty
[...]The demise of the Bloc showed that the old sovereignty spell has lost its charm and this could be a death knell to its provincial counterpart, the Parti Quebecois.
Hmmm, how did Sam Clemens put it? "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."
Wed, 2011-05-11 12:30
#6
Boom Boom
I'm sure you know this, BB, but is the author of this article aware that QS are also a sovereignist party?
Obviously not! 
Wed, 2011-05-11 12:34
#7
Le T
I'm sure you know this, BB, but is the author of this article aware that QS are also a sovereignist party?
I don't think that they call themselves "sovereignist" because that kind of is hinged upon colonial domination of Indigenous territory. But yeah, that was my thought too since they aren't a "federalist" party by any means. I think that english Canada is kinda going a bit "Osama bin Laden's dead!!!!" on the whole Quebec separatist thing these days.
Wed, 2011-05-11 12:41
#8
Boom Boom
From the article in the OP:
excerpt:
There is also a possibility that some sort of QS-NDP alliance might emerge. Should this opportunity presents itself all progressive forces in Quebec -- including the unions who have made a mistake of supporting the Bloc and the PQ -- should rally behind it and drop any sectarian and nationalist-federalist squabbling.
From Wiki:
After the general election of 1994, the NPDQ decided to change its name to Parti de la Democratie Socialiste (PDS). Under this new name, the PDS contested the general election of 1998. The PDS subsequently merged into the Union des forces progressistes (UFP), which in turn merged into Québec solidaire. QS contested its first general election in 2007 and elected its first MNA in 2008.
Sat, 2011-05-14 22:46
#9
Op-ed by Amir Khadir in Le Devoir - this is a must read - I'll try my hand at translating the first two paras:
[url=http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/canada/323325/apres-les-elections-fede... the federal elections - the Québec which awaits us[/url]
Many progressive sovereignists, like me, wished for the NDP surge. But not at the expense of such a decimation of the Bloc québécois. Québec solidaire had called on people to vote for progressive candidates, whether Bloc or NDP. Would I have voted for the NDP candidate had I known that my MP and friend, Gilles Duceppe, was in danger in his riding? Without a doubt, I would not. But today, I confess that I have no regret. The person I voted for, Mme Hélène Laverdière, will make an excellent MP for Québec.Nonetheless, I'm sad for Gilles and so many of his colleagues. Duceppe didn't deserve that. My "strategic vote" - anti-Harper and aimed at strengthening the NDP surge in Canada - wasn't against my Bloc MP, but it contributed to his defeat. It seems that many other sovereignist voters went through the same experience - an exceptional electoral experience, which brings to the fore two major problems which we must confront squarely in the independentist movement: 1. the effects of the strategic vote; 2. the political exhaustion of a certain sovereignist orthodoxy.
Khadir must have pondered long and hard before admitting publicly that he voted NDP. He will take heat for it, but hopefully it will facilitate unity among progressive forces that is so badly needed.
Mon, 2011-05-16 11:22
#10
[url=http://www.legermarketing.com/documents/POL/115141FR.pdf]Leger Poll (May 9-11, 2011) (pdf)[/url]
PQ 34%
PLQ 30%
ADQ 18%
QS 09%
PV 05%
Other 05%
See the link for further regional and linguistic breakdowns.
Tue, 2011-05-31 21:44
#11
The PQ is hurting. QS will have to play this right. My translation:
[url=http://www.radio-canada.ca/emissions/christiane_charette/2010-2011/chron... between sovereignists[/url]
For about 10 days, partisans of the PQ and defenders of QS have been exchanging letters to [i]Le Devoir[/i]. On May 20, Raymond Archambault attacked Amir Khadir for supporting the NDP during the election. On May 24, Zoé Gagnon Paquin [a PSAC union organizer and QS supporter] defended her MNA [Khadir]. Both are in our studio today to talk about it.
[...] Zoé Gagnon-Paquin denounces the negative and vengeful attitude of the PQ, which considers itself as the only sovereignist party and which is prepared to make any political compromise to achieve power."When a sovereignist supports a federalist, you can no longer view them as an ally," maintains Raymond Archambault.
Then there's 18 minutes of audio, in French. The battle is engaged!
Tue, 2011-05-31 22:32
#12
I'm sure you know this, BB, but is the author of this article aware that QS are also a sovereignist party?
I'd say the big difference between the PQ and QS is that QS is a socialist, perhaps even left-socialist party that sees covereigntism as an element of its program but not as the totality of it, and the PQ is a sovereigntist party that has, at times, seen social-democratic policies(and more often, social-democratic rhetoric)as elements of its strategy but never really as core values.
After the "end of history" in 1989, the PQ was making it clear that it was perfectly willing to have an independent or even "sovereignty-associationist" Quebec be a willing servant of the banks and corporate power, willing to carry out a neoliberal austerity agenda just as compliantly as the PLC or even the ADQ would have done. It's hard to see, given that, how a Quebec that gained independence on neoliberal austerity globalist terms would be anything for francophones to celebrate at all. Obviously, if it started out right-wing and capital subservient it was going to stay that way. The only difference was that your pink slip would be written in French. It's not as if there's any difference between being exploited by anglophone capitalists and being exploited by francophone capitalists. Class is class, no matter what the language.
QS, from what I've observed, grew out of the realization among a fair amount of Quebec leftists(not all, even now, for some reason) that the PQ(unlike the BQ on a good day)was no longer "left" or even "center-left" in any meaningful sense. It's hard to see why some people in Quebec who identify as left would still put sovereignty BEFORE the implementation of an overall left program and still back the PQ, which will never be left of center again in government, over QS, which will at least try to be.
And Archambalt's cynical willingness to defend the proposition that sovereigntists should compromise with anyone in the name of sovereignty is very telling.
It's reminiscent, for example, of Sinn Fein's argument in the early Twentieth Century, that the cause of an independent Ireland should be supported by global capital because such a state would be a source of cheap labor.
Obviously, he'd be willing to settle for sovereingty in name only, as the Irish in the 26 county Free State were made to settle for by British arrogance in the 1920's and 1930's-a trap the Irish are only now beginning to claw their way out of.
Tue, 2011-05-31 22:42
#13
Boom Boom
Wow - I don't recall starting this thread. 
Wed, 2011-06-01 20:34
#14
Look like that Qs migth make big gain in the next election Amir just made a big move on the political chest board with his attack on Lucien bouchard!
Wed, 2011-06-01 22:16
#15
How could any leftist in Quebec STILL vote PQ after the arrogant way the PQ chair treated Amir Khadir and the arse-kissing he bestowed upon Bouchard?
Thu, 2011-06-02 10:44
#16
How could any leftist in Quebec STILL vote PQ after the arrogant way the PQ chair treated Amir Khadir and the arse-kissing he bestowed upon Bouchard?
Yes - many people are asking variations of that very question these days!
Thu, 2011-06-02 10:46
#17
Amir was amazing.
Lucien Bouchard appeared in front of a National Assembly committee as a witness on behalf of the Québec Gas and Petroleum Association - which he chairs as a full-time lobbyist. He has been pushing for shale gas exploration, in the face of growing and effective mass popular opposition, which led to a sort of moratorium after publication of a government-sponsored report a few months back (all discussed here on babble). This time, Bouchard is "demanding" compensation for the oil and gas barons - for lost profits!
Amir Khadir calmly began his allotted time by expressing his "disappointment" that Bouchard, a former premier and alleged Québec patriot and sovereignist, not only participated in the privatization of SOQUIP (created in 1969 as a government-owned exploration company), but was now in the pay of foreign interests seeking to despoil Québec's assets. Khadir and QS have been leaders in the shale gas mobilization, besides calling for environmentally sustainable exploitation of Québec's resources by and for Quebeckers, not private or foreign interests.
Bouchard exploded. He attacked Khadir, ridiculing him, saying he hadn't come here to have "moral judgments" passed on him. The smug PQ chair of the committee sided with Bouchard and tried to interrupt and stop Khadir, who was following all the rules. When Bouchard used up his time, the Liberal resource minister graciously gave him some of her own speaking time to continue his neo-liberal rant.
It's been all over the media - along with the William and Kate stuff. I wish I could summarize it all or point to some decent English-language stories (nothing but crap in Maclean's and the Gazette etc. and some business papers).
What it comes down to is right vs. left - the interests of the people vs. the interests of the exploiters and the wealthy. And it has cut a right-left swath through the "sovereignist" ranks. Tonnes of favourable commentary has (rather surprisingly to my view) come forward for Khadir. Even PQ sympathizers have commented on media websites, saying they're tired of the PQ being indistinguishable from the Liberals.
Here's a fine piece by Josée Legault, which pulls both incidents together nicely - and ridicules those who consider Lucien Bouchard, and the royals, to be "untouchable":
[url=http://www.voir.ca/blogs/jose_legault/archive/2011/06/01/les-nouveaux-in... nouveaux intouchables[/url]
Of course, those who think politics is all about fitting right in with bankers' cocktail parties will find fault with Khadir's style - and that's just great. Ordinary folks are speaking out and saying - "It's high time!"
[url=http://www.assnat.qc.ca/fr/video-audio/AudioVideo-36451.html]Here's the video[/url] of the full confrontation, and [url=http://www.assnat.qc.ca/fr/travaux-parlementaires/commissions/capern-39-...'s a transcript[/url].
Go Amir! Go QS!!
Thu, 2011-06-02 11:10
#18
Boom Boom
One would hope QS will take votes from both the Quebec Liberals and the PQ. I'd love to see QS hold the balance of power in a minority govt.
Thu, 2011-06-02 18:27
#19
I would not cry if either the Greens or QS ate the other parties' lunch in the next election.
Thu, 2011-06-02 18:42
#20
Just watched the video, way to go Amir Khadir! What disappointing behaviour by the others.
Thu, 2011-06-02 19:30
#21
Boom Boom
Bouchard exploded. He attacked Khadir, ridiculing him, saying he hadn't come here to have "moral judgments" passed on him. The smug PQ chair of the committee sided with Bouchard and tried to interrupt and stop Khadir, who was following all the rules. When Bouchard used up his time, the Liberal resource minister graciously gave him some of her own speaking time to continue his neo-liberal rant.
If there was any doubt before, it's erased now - Bouchard is a right wing prick.
Thu, 2011-06-02 19:32
#22
Boom Boom
This time, Bouchard is "demanding" compensation for the oil and gas barons - for lost profits!
I hope someone told that prick to take a hike.