麻豆影视

Politics

    • Tom Mulcair: Why should we care about the Quebec election?

    Share

    Since September 1, in Quebec for two consenting Anglo adults to have鈥ontractual relations!

    No joke. If you decide to sell your house to your friend Bob, the contract has to be drawn up in French even if you鈥檙e both English. Since Bill 101 was adopted in 1977, French was often required unless you expressly opted out. Now you can鈥檛 opt out. Costs of translation and revision could add thousands to your purchase price.

    When this new rule came into effect last week, I was reminded of a conversation I鈥檇 had with a radio colleague in Toronto a couple of days earlier. He鈥檇 let fly with a simple: 鈥渢ell me why I should care about the Quebec election.鈥

    His question鈥檚 tone did catch me a bit off guard. It was more along the lines of 鈥渨ho gives a 鈥. what happens there?鈥

    I gamely explained that I鈥檇 followed the Ontario election in great detail because I consider what happens in our sister province to be incredibly important to mine. That, taken together, Quebec and Ontario represent over 60 per cent of Canada鈥檚 population and economy鈥

    Of course that wasn鈥檛 really the question he鈥檇 been asking so that answer didn鈥檛 get us much further ahead.

    鈥淲ho cares about Quebec?鈥ou drive us nuts!鈥 was at the root of his question/statement. Anyone who鈥檚 been in public life from La Belle Province and travelled a bit is familiar with it.

    I understand the sentiment: issues of Quebec politics have so dominated the national discourse over the past 50 years - from the October crisis, to the election of the separatist Parti Qu茅b茅cois, through two referendums鈥hat a certain fatigue has set in and 鈥渢ake a hike鈥 (and earthier equivalents) are a not uncommon reaction.

    A REVEALING INTERVIEW

    Despite that, it is really important for those who do care about the future of this incredible country of ours to pay some attention to Francois Legault as he romps to a second consecutive majority. He has a sympathetic mien and an Everyman way of talking that is transparent, yet calculating all at once.

    Prior to the last campaign, he gave a . In it he simply acknowledged the obvious: separation in one fell swoop had been tried twice and failed. He鈥檇 be taking a new approach: more powers in matters of language, culture and immigration. This was what he called "getting there" step by step. "There" being a sort of de facto separation.

    Legault has been running circles around Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his hapless Attorney General David Lametti. A couple of weeks ago, Lametti and some of his colleagues met with respected senior representatives of the English-speaking community of Quebec. They were very concerned about the catatonic reaction in Ottawa to the egregiously illegal Bill 96. That was the move by Legault to reduce the equality of English and French in Qu茅bec鈥檚 judicial system and under the constitution.

    Trudeau鈥檚 proposed amendments to the Official Languages Act (Bill C-13) could actually make things worse, they feared.

    Legault had already taken aim at the constitutionally protected school boards of the English-speaking community. Ottawa could be sounding their death knell and there was real concern.

    Back in 1979, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in simultaneous decisions that English and French were equal in the courts and legislatures of Manitoba and Qu茅bec. All steps in the enactment process of legislation had to be bilingual and all proceedings and court documents could be drafted in either language. Later, post-Charter Supreme Court decisions guaranteed control and management of school boards to minority linguistic communities.

    Legault claims to have unilaterally amended the 1867 BNA Act, the founding constitutional document of our nation. He purports to have removed the equality of English and French before the courts. Trudeau鈥檚 reaction? Crickets! He鈥檚 terrified of Legault and won鈥檛 do the obvious: challenge Qu茅bec鈥檚 law.

    LIKE CHILDREN BLOCKING THEIR EARS

    The Charter clearly stipulates that both Houses of Parliament would have to pass resolutions for Legault鈥檚 changes to language rights to take effect. Trudeau and Lametti are like children blocking their ears when this is explained to them. They don鈥檛 want to hear it, even if it鈥檚 there in black and white in the 1982 constitution.

    Imagine that a similarly minded government of Manitoba were to attempt to roll back the constitutional guarantees of the francophone minority there. It wouldn鈥檛 have taken a nanosecond for Trudeau and Lametti to intervene. With good reason.

    Now ask yourself why the English-speaking minority of Quebec (whose population, depending on definition, is close to that of all of Manitoba) are being told 鈥渟orry, folks, there鈥檚 nothing we can do for you, we鈥檙e too afraid of Legault!鈥.

    It鈥檚 the same thing that happened when Legault brought in Bill 21, that openly discriminates against religious minorities in general and Muslim women in particular. He鈥檚 never said why it鈥檚 offensive for a teacher to wear a headscarf, a police officer a turban or a Crown attorney a kippah. He did say, in a Facebook post he put out when the law was enacted, that this is the way we are in Quebec. Meaning real Quebecers are not like you, so remove those religious symbols or whole categories of jobs aren鈥檛 open to you. He鈥檚 preemptively invoked the notwithstanding clause and even if the lower Courts have declared the law discriminatory, they say so far that they can鈥檛 intervene.

    There鈥檚 only one person in Canada who can do something and his name is Justin Trudeau. He has the power to refer Bill 21 directly to the Supreme Court but, again, he is too afraid of Legault. All of his emoting on the importance of human rights for all Canadians is just more posturing because when push comes to shove with Legault, Trudeau falls on his keister.

    Do you still have a country at all, when citizens鈥 fundamental rights are different depending on where they live?

    Does beefing up the protections for the hard-pressed francophone majorities outside of Quebec necessarily have to entail throwing Quebec鈥檚 anglophone community under the bus?

    When you have a clear-eyed view of the nation, its history and its future, the answer to both of those questions has to be 鈥渘o.鈥

    THE NEXT BIG BATTLE WILL BE IMMIGRATION

    It鈥檚 coming at us like a freight train and once again the denizens of Sleepy Hollow (aka Ottawa) have no clue how to deal with it.

    Every employers鈥 group, Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade in Quebec is complaining bitterly that Legault鈥檚 anti-immigrant policies have created a labour shortage that is hurting productivity and business across the province.

    Legault鈥檚 answer is pure identity politics. Sounding the alarm about the 鈥渆xtreme鈥 levels of immigration Trudeau has supposedly been imposing,

    鈥淨uebec is a nation鈥 Legault insisted over the weekend. 鈥淭hey used to call us a distinct society. We are one of the two founding peoples. I believe we should be allowed to maintain a certain ratio of strength within the House of Commons.鈥

    Legault has two fights planned if and when he鈥檚 re-elected: a battle royale over immigration (he wants control of the family reunification category to reduce non French-speakers) and a fight to maintain the same proportion of seats in the House of Commons even if Qu茅bec鈥檚 percentage of Canada鈥檚 population drops.

    It鈥檚 not as if we didn鈥檛 know this was coming. Legault鈥檚 game plan could see Canada break apart with a whimper, not a bang. The tragedy is that we have a government in Ottawa that simply doesn鈥檛 have the wherewithal to deal with it.

    Tom Mulcair was the leader of the federal New Democratic Party of Canada between 2012 and 2017

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    NEW THIS MORNING

    NEW THIS MORNING

    New data shows the automated speed enforcement camera on King Edward Avenue, between Bolton Street and St. Patrick Street, issued 6,337 speeding tickets in August, the highest number of tickets issued by Ottawa's 40 photo radar cameras.

    The Ministry of Labour is investigating a workplace incident that claimed the lives of two people in Georgian Bluffs, south of Owen Sound.

    According to the Canadian Women & Sport's 2022 Rally Report, 76 per cent of girls who participate in sports believe it helps build confidence and enhances their mental health. While those benefits are important for all children, the organization's CEO says, right now, girls have less access.

    It鈥檚 1998. Google was just born, and dial-up was the primary way to connect to the Internet. New sites were being developed daily on any number of topics, from recipes to shopping. David Yanciw, however, was thinking big - big things, that is.

    A northeastern Ontario jury has started deliberating in Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial, we can now tell you what they weren't allowed to hear.

    Canada

    • NEW THIS MORNING

      NEW THIS MORNING

      New data shows the automated speed enforcement camera on King Edward Avenue, between Bolton Street and St. Patrick Street, issued 6,337 speeding tickets in August, the highest number of tickets issued by Ottawa's 40 photo radar cameras.

    • It鈥檚 1998. Google was just born, and dial-up was the primary way to connect to the Internet. New sites were being developed daily on any number of topics, from recipes to shopping. David Yanciw, however, was thinking big - big things, that is.

    • After a decade of volunteering for one of North America鈥檚 most punishing ultra marathons, an Ontario man decided to challenge himself by stepping up from the sidelines to become a participant.

    • The owner of a Gatineau, Que. caf茅 says it's 'silly' that Quebec's language watchdog is telling the business to write its Instagram posts in French.

    • The Ministry of Labour is investigating a workplace incident that claimed the lives of two people in Georgian Bluffs, south of Owen Sound.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • A five-seat sushi counter located inside another restaurant is the latest Vancouver eatery to receive a Michelin star.

    • What does New Westminster's t蓹m蓹sew虛tx史 Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.

    Sports

    • According to the Canadian Women & Sport's 2022 Rally Report, 76 per cent of girls who participate in sports believe it helps build confidence and enhances their mental health. While those benefits are important for all children, the organization's CEO says, right now, girls have less access.

    Autos

    • A Pickering, Ont., student going to college to be a mechanic is shocked the engine in his two-year-old car will not be repaired under warranty after the dealership claimed he had been 'over-revving' the engine.

    • A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.

    Local Spotlight

    Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.

    From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.

    A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.

    The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.

    A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.

    Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north

    What does New Westminster's t蓹m蓹sew虛tx史 Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.

    The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.

    New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.

    • Chayton Point loved to dance. Just ask his mom.

    • As the provincial election campaign reaches the halfway mark, the party leaders made pitches to voters on bread-and-butter issues: housing, child care and jobs.

    • Vancouver police have deployed extra resources in anticipation of multiple protests planned for Oct. 7.

    • Two pedestrians have been taken to hospital with unknown injuries after an early-morning collision in Vaughan.

    • A Toronto city councillor is calling for a public inquiry into the construction of the delayed and over-budget Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

    • NEW THIS MORNING

      NEW THIS MORNING

      New data shows the automated speed enforcement camera on King Edward Avenue, between Bolton Street and St. Patrick Street, issued 6,337 speeding tickets in August, the highest number of tickets issued by Ottawa's 40 photo radar cameras.

    • The owner of a Gatineau, Que. caf茅 says it's 'silly' that Quebec's language watchdog is telling the business to write its Instagram posts in French.

    • Gas prices in Ottawa are set to rise this weekend after a slight uptick overnight.

    • Quebec's public security minister will visit Old Montreal on Saturday to visit the scene of what police described as a "suspicious" fire that killed at least two people and injured two others.

    • Montreal police say they are increasing their presence across the city ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 start of the Israel-Hamas war.

    • The owner of a Gatineau, Que. caf茅 says it's 'silly' that Quebec's language watchdog is telling the business to write its Instagram posts in French.

    • A 79-year-old woman is dead after the vehicle she was driving crashed into an east Edmonton building late Friday afternoon.

    • A letter from Edmonton's mayor to the Alberta government detailing the city's fiscal wishlist ahead of next year's budget calls for fair treatment for the capital city, something several city councillors say isn't already happening.

    • A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.

    • The federal Fisheries Department says it is concerned about a "pattern" of violence and threats toward its enforcement officers after two tense incidents off southwestern Nova Scotia last month.

    • According to the Canadian Women & Sport's 2022 Rally Report, 76 per cent of girls who participate in sports believe it helps build confidence and enhances their mental health. While those benefits are important for all children, the organization's CEO says, right now, girls have less access.

    • It鈥檚 1998. Google was just born, and dial-up was the primary way to connect to the Internet. New sites were being developed daily on any number of topics, from recipes to shopping. David Yanciw, however, was thinking big - big things, that is.

    • Brady Oliveira and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers continue to roll along. Oliveira ran for a season-high 147 yards and a touchdown to power Winnipeg past the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 31-10 on Friday night.

    • A new report from Doctors Manitoba is calling for major changes to the way sick notes are issued in Manitoba, saying they are a waste of time for doctors and employers.

    • A Saskatchewan man living in the United States has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after he unknowingly provided disturbing videos to an FBI agent he thought was a pedophile.

    • A group of climate activists is challenging SaskPower's move towards natural gas, arguing it violates their Charter rights.

    • Regina kids facing mobility issues were gifted toy cars through the Go Baby Go program.

    • Police have laid charges after a car crashed into the side of a Kitchener home early Friday morning.

    • The K-W Symphony may have played their last concert but the musicians who made up the ensemble aren鈥檛 ready for their curtain call.

    • Melissa Duff-Shore, a Cambridge, Ont. woman who killed her daughter in 2020, has been ordered to a forensic hospital in St. Thomas.

    • The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation hosted a virtual election forum on education Thursday evening, giving candidates in the provincial election a chance to share their thoughts and answer questions on issues teachers find most important.

    • A Saskatchewan man living in the United States has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after he unknowingly provided disturbing videos to an FBI agent he thought was a pedophile.

    • Saskatoon police arrested a homeless person at the scene of an encampment underneath the University Bridge on Friday morning.

    • Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.

    • Two police officers in Greater Sudbury required medical attention for injuries they received arresting a man for the second time in just two days.

    • Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'

    • As of 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, The West Region OPP Tactics and Rescue Unit (TRU), Emergency Response Team (TEAM) and OPP K9 Unit were operating in the area but have since cleared.

    • Bruzzese came down with COVID-19 in February 2023, and received her injection at the end of March. 鈥淏eing able to recognize smells is something we take for granted, until you can鈥檛.鈥

    • In case you missed it, 麻豆影视 London has gathered all of the top local stories from this week into one video for your convenience.

    • A woman whose son died last month while at a Penetanguishene, Ont. beach with another family member wants to see safety increased at the beach.

    • The Ministry of Labour is investigating a workplace incident that claimed the lives of two people in Georgian Bluffs, south of Owen Sound.

    • Provincial police are investigating a collision along Highway 400 in Tay Township Friday afternoon.

    • After a decade of volunteering for one of North America鈥檚 most punishing ultra marathons, an Ontario man decided to challenge himself by stepping up from the sidelines to become a participant.

    • A motor vehicle collision at Wyandotte Street East and George Avenue has Windsor police on the scene this morning.

    • In case you missed it, 麻豆影视 Windsor has compiled all of the top local stories from this week into one video.

    • We haven't heard the candidates talk much about education during B.C.'s 2024 election campaign, but the teachers' union is trying to put the spotlight on that issue.

    • The body of a British Columbia mountain climber has been located and recovered after the 39-year-old man was reported missing during a solo climb on Washington state's Mount Baker earlier this week.

    • Many British Columbians were shaken awake early Friday morning when an earthquake struck in the Strait of Georgia, about 18 kilometres southwest of Tsawwassen.

    • Three young suspects have been arrested in connection with a swarming attack on a teenager in B.C.'s Okanagan last week 鈥 and authorities have asked the public to stop circulating disturbing videos of the incident.

    • A father in Kelowna is furious after his 13-year-old daughter was brutally beaten on Gyro Beach. He is calling for criminal charges in the devastating attack, which was caught on video by multiple bystanders.

    • The officer who shot and killed a forcible confinement suspect in Kamloops two years ago was justified in doing so, according to the Independent Investigations Office of B.C.

    • A person was airlifted to hospital following a serious crash in Taber, Alta., on Friday morning. Taber RCMP responded to the scene on Highway 864 around 10:30 a.m., for a crash involving an SUV and a semi-truck.

    • To enhance inclusivity at Lethbridge Polytechnic, the institution has launched a new accessibility micro-credential.

    • WestJet has changed its operations at the Lethbridge Airport, and it means there's now only a single daily flight from Lethbridge to Calgary, down from three flights a day, as offered previously.

    • Two teens, ages 14 and 19, have been charged with arson in connection with a July 14 fire in Cat Lake First Nation that destroyed $500,000 in construction materials.

    • A northeastern Ontario jury has started deliberating in Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial, we can now tell you what they weren't allowed to hear.

    • A suspect who accused Thunder Bay police of being responsible for his throat injury actually hurt himself when he swallowed a large amount of drugs.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 麻豆影视