What happened to Tom "Captain Canada" Mulcair now that the writ has dropped in Quebec?

Looks like Captain Canada is staying "neutral" in the face of a PQ government which would almost certainly call a referendum and which of course, will be running on the regressive so-called "Charter of Values" that would ban observant Jews, Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians from being a part of the civil service.

If Mulcair is "neutral" against this, what will he take a stand for?

The family tree of Quebec political parties

Taking a break from talking about Tracey Weiler and Tim Hudak putting full day kindergarten at risk for Kitchener-Waterloo families by talking about some other kind of families: the family trees of Quebec political parties.

Those who know me know I'm a big Quebecophile, so I thought I would make a rough chart showing the evolution and relationship of the different major political parties in Quebec right now. Take a look at see how the Parti Liberal, Parti Quebecois, CAQ, Quebec solidare, and Parti Vert have come into being, and how many of them have family roots with each other.

A solid line indicates a direct merger, a dotted line represents that a part was a breakaway or formed by dissidents of another party. I've used logos where appropriate, and click to enlarge the images. Enjoy!

Election rumours as the Quebec Liberal machine rolls on

Ignatieff's office denies a rumour that started in the Quebec press: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090818/ignatieff_election_090818/20090818?hub=Canada

But the LPC-Q continues to provide new nomination news almost every day, so they aren't letting any election or lack of an election deter them.

http://lejournaldequebec.canoe.ca/journaldequebec/politique/federale/archives/2009/08/20090818-115429.html

Lobbyist and former PQ ministerial advisor Johanne Brisson will be the Liberal candidate in the riding of Louis-Saint-Laurent, currently held by Harper cabinet minister Josee Verner. Verner used to be the most high profile Tory in the province, coming close to winning the Tories a seat in Quebec in 2004, and serving as Harper's Quebec lieutenent and as a member of shadow cabinet outside Parliament until 2006, when she won the seat. The riding previous had a storied Liberal history, as Quebec East, one of the precursor ridings, was represented by two Liberal Prime Ministers (Wilfred Laurier, and no points awarded for guessing who the other one was) and a Liberal Quebec lieutenant, Ernest Lapointe, who served in the position for Mackenzie King. The riding was held as recently as 2000, but felt to the BQ in 2004 before losing it to Verner. Brisson being a candidate is interesting, as it fulfills the second part of Denis Coderre saying that he was targeting "ex adéquistes and fatigued sovertigntists." Ex ADQ figures have already emerged in the figures of Claude Morin and others, but I believe Brisson is the first figure to emerge as a Liberal candidate with ties to the PQ/BQ.

http://www.lanouvelle.net/article-367521-Marc-Giroux-obtient-linvestiture-liberale.html

Marc Giroux was acclaimed as the Liberal candidate in Mégantic – L'Érable, he will challenge the current Conservative Quebec lieutenant, Christian Paradis. Interestingly, and I hadn't seen this mentioned in any other articles about Giroux, he also has ties to the sovertignst movement, according to this: http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-soleil/actualites/politique/200908/17/01-893432-megantic-lerable-un-ancien-souverainiste-sera-candidat-liberal.php he served on the executive of the regional association of the Parti Quebecois. Interesting, Coderre directly mentions Claude Morin and compares him to Giroux, with Coderre saying that (and this is my translation so francophones will excuse me if I don't get it exactly correct):

"Marc was not always Liberal, he followed a different path, which shows that we are an open and inclusive party. We need people like Marc Giroux, we need people like Claude Morin."

Using these two candidates as a yard-stick, I would say it is clear that we probably have not seen the last of Liberal candidates in Quebec with ties to either the ADQ or the PQ/BQ.

Dion stands up for Canadian identity, and a democratic Quebec

I blogged about the PQ's thinly veiled "identity" bill (http://theliberalbag.blogspot.com/2007/10/pq-and-separatist-movement-has-not.html) previously, and now, thankfully and rightfully, Dion and the federal Liberals have entered the debate, to defend the values of the Quiet Revolution and a united, multi-ethnic, democratic Quebec.

"Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion called it a sovereigntist plot to broaden the French-English split and increase the PQ's popularity. He urged Marois to withdraw the bill.
"Thankfully we have a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which prevents certain politicians from going off the rails like she has," Dion said."

When people ask, "What do Liberals stand for?" this is a good example to point them towards: Defending democratic rights, making a united Canada work within the framework of the Charter, defending the rights of individual citizens under the law, and committed to the ideals of a just society and multiculturalism.

And what of the Conservatives, who claim to be "putting Canada on the right track?"

Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn turned aside questions on the issue.

"That's their debate," Blackburn said, referring to provincial politicians.

Prime Minister Stephan Harper's office declined to comment.

Shameful. Apparently the Conservative vision for Canada is one of government apathy towards the rights of citizens. Although given the slashing of the Court Challenges Program, the stacking of the independent and trusted judiciary with socially regressive party hacks, and the desire to wantonly abandon all federal government power for the sake of vote buying, it is too be expected. Actions, statements, and views like these are another warning of what Canadians can expect from a Conservative majority.

PQ and separatist movement has not evolved since "money and the ethnic vote"

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/10/19/pq-ban.html

With hearings on "reasonable accommodation" going on, and the PQ eager to gain back nationalist voters from the regions who voted ADQ because Mario Dumont raised the Montreal Muslim boogeyman more often, it is unsuprising to see the PQ table such an offensive and less subtle motion. While Marois also discusses the need for more French learning programs for immigrants, which is a fairly uncontroversial idea that could help both the tensions of accommodation and the economy, the main thrust of this bill is simple: discourage immigrants from joining the political process. With the ADQ, the federal Conservatives, and even now the PQ looking to roll back the Quiet Revoultion and using increasingly xenophobic rhetoric in hope of picking up nationalist votes, Liberals and Liberalism in Quebec must clearly draw a position in favour of tolerance, secularism, and cultural growth as part of a framing agenda to protect the values of Quebec within Canada. Never forget the words of liberal thinker and forerunner of the Quiet Revolution, Jean-Charles Harvey: "French has a chance of survival only if it becomes the synonym of audacity, culture, civilization and liberty". Liberals must show they are the party of audacity, culture, civilization and liberty.