With just over a week to go, many people are waiting to see more polls before deciding who to vote for.
Author of the article:
Josh Freed • Special to Montreal GazetteThere are nine days left before Quebec votes, but it seems less an election than a coronation.
With five major parties splitting votes, Premier François Legault could get less than 40 per cent of the popular vote, but 90 per cent of the seats. The only upside is that Legault-worshippers can then join anglo monarchists in singing “God Save The King.”
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They’d just mean different ones.
In fairness, many francophones favour Legault simply because they like him. He’s “Mon Oncle François” and also the latest natural Quebec communicator in a long line, including Trudeau the First, René Lévesque, Lucien Bouchard and Jean Charest.
But sadly, the premier’s communication skills are aimed largely at his francophone base, with seeming indifference toward the rest of us — including francophones who disagree with him.
If you don’t like Bill 21, Bill 96 or Quebec City’s controversial proposed tunnel, you’re not a Truly Good Quebecer.
Unfortunately for non-francophones, it’s hard to love the competition. Until recently, the Liberals flip-flopped on Bill 96 so often even their most enthusiastic supporters lack enthusiasm.
Charming Québec solidaire Leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois wants to spend $568 million on a Festival of Referendums, culminating in a “constitution for an independent Quebec.” Oy!
Conservative Party of Quebec Leader Éric Duhaime, is a lite, polite, bright Canadian version of a U.S. Republican — and a proud anti-vaxxer.
You could sense a lot about the leading candidates in the first French TV debate, which sounded like this:
Moderator: “Bonjour les candidats! Quebec has almost 240,000 unfilled jobs that immigration could help fill. But how many annual immigrants are a danger to French: 80,000, 50,000, 5,000 or 5? Premier Legault?”
François Legault (CAQ): “I love immigrants. They are a rich addition to Quebec’s tapestry, but like calories, too many can be too rich for our blood. They can also increase crime, solar flares and add to the decline of French, French, French, French and French.
“In fact, even with my own government’s strict 50,000-immigrants-a-year limit, I notice my own French is declining. Recently, I am losing my futur antérieur and my plus-que-parfait tenses. Of course, this is not only because of immigrants, but they certainly don’t help.”
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon (PQ): “I think immigrants are nice people and I wish them well, ideally somewhere else. But Mr. Legault’s ridiculously high 50,000 annual immigrants are a menace to the French language, French cuisine, french doors and french kissing.”
Éric Duhaime (Conservatives): “I love French, but I love English. In fact I am going to say eight words about Bill 96 in English right now, in this French debate … Ready Monsieur Legault?: You betrayed English Quebecers, actually, on that bill.
“There — I said it! HAH!”
Plamondon: “Omigod! … Sorry, I mean Oh-mon-dieu! I object to hearing English in a French debate. At this rate, someday one Quebec debate could be entirely in English!”
Legault: “I, too, am upset by this English incident. In fact, since Mr. Duhaime spoke those words I have … I were … I am losing my imparfait and passé composé too, and, um …
“Ouf! Now I have only my present tense left!”
Dominique Anglade (Liberals): “I completely agree with the right to speak English in a French debate, because we Liberals desperately need anglophone voters. But I would never do that myself because we desperately need francophone voters.
“Which is why I’ve officially changed my name to Dominique Anglade-Francade.”
Legault: “So Madame Anglais, you would sacrifice our nation for immigration? That would have were been very unQuébecois … I mean … that will have was been … or would have will were … Mon Dieu! My French is declining again!”
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois (Québec solidaire): “Pardon, Mr. Legault, I cannot understand anything you say.”
Legault: “I said … I meant … I … Blimey! I’m speaking English!”
***
Given the lack of excitement for the leading candidates, some voters are studying others among the authorized 27 parties, from the Greens and NDP to small English rights parties led by Standish, Holness and Nebish.
There’s also the Bloc Pot party, still fighting the same battle even after pot became legal in 2018. Personally, I lean toward the Parti culinaire du Québec. If they can help me cook better, I’m in.
But with just over a week to go, many people are waiting to see more polls before voting. In the old days, francophones often strategically switched parties en masse just before the vote, to support the leader with the strongest mandate. That’s how Robert Bourassa once unexpectedly won 108 seats.
Since there was no internet back then, I always figured an aunt Matilde in Saguenay phoned cousin Maurice in Quebec City and second-nephew Lucie in Montreal and said: “Tell everyone the decision’s made: We all vote for Monsieur Bourassa!”
Now it’s non-francophones waiting to see who has a good chance of forming the strongest opposition, before Aunt Matilda in Beaconsfield sends out the message. I worry the day before the election we will all be getting her robocall, telling us:
OK, the decision’s made. We all vote Bloc Pot.
joshfreed49@gmail.com
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