They don't call Jean Charest the Mad Emperor of Quebec for nothing eh?
For this is madness.
Four days of negotiations ended in an impasse on Thursday when Premier Jean Charest’s government refused to budge on its plan to increase tuition fees.
It was likely the last chance for an immediate resolution to the social crisis that has gripped the province for almost four months.
This is delusional.
“We made important efforts. And we now see that we are at an impasse. So what happens now? We hope that in the coming weeks it will be a period of calm,” Mr. Charest said, ruling out calling a snap election to settle the conflict.
His crazed so-called compromise was designed to fail.
At the bargaining table, the government made a final offer to reduce the tuition hike by a little more than $150 for the first year of the seven-year plan, which would mean an overall increase of $1,624, or $1 less than proposed in March, 2011.
“We certainly couldn’t accept being on strike for almost 16 weeks for a $1 decrease in the amount of tuition fees the government had originally proposed,” Ms. Desjardins said.
And in his desperate delirium, he is clearly hoping that social tensions will increase and lead to violence, so he can call a snap election, before the other parties are ready. And before a big inquiry into corruption in the construction industry makes his Liberals look like criminals.
The Charbonneau commission will look closely at shady deals that have been the focus of investigative journalism for the past four years. It could lead to new and damaging revelations about the political class in general and Mr. Charest’s Liberals specifically.
And of course now anything could happen.
For the protests can only get bigger and more urgent.
And tonight as the protesters marched through the streets of Montreal even the casseroles sounded angry...
But don't blame the students and their supporters for what might happen next eh?
Blame the Mad Emperor of Quebec, who would pour oil on the flames.
Put his corrupt party before his province.
And fiddle as it BURNS...
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4 comments:
The students had serious proposals that were revenue neutral.
But Charest is a capitalist stooge and no matter how counter-productive they are, tax-cuts for the wealth and the corporations are the only things that he truly regards as "sacred."
Charest is a disgrace. That was not a negotiation. The little reduction that he offered was to be offset by a reduced education tax credit.
Meanwhile, did you catch this from of all places, the Globe and Mail:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/celebrity-photos/celebrity-photos-of-the-week-may-30/article2446691/
hi Thwap....yes indeed the students worked hard to come up with four revenue neutral proposals. But it's clear that Charest feels he has more to gain from conflict than compromise. Once a Con always a Con. And as I said in the post now ANYTHING can happen...
hi Beijing...yes it was a disgrace, especially since the whole charade was so obvious. But as for that Globe and Mail celebrity photo collection, I'm still staring it with my mouth open, for I can't believe my eyes. Is that cutting edge or degeneracy I can't make up my mind... ;)
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