It couldn't be a more horrible sight. For me it is the ultimate nightmare. The grubby Stephen Harper, the political porn peddler, in my own province of Quebec.
The province that adopted me, and that I love so much.
Preparing for tonight's French-language TV debate, and a last desperate effort to claw his way to another bloody majority.
By playing the bigot card.
For this latest French-only Con video leaves no doubt about that...
It's ghastly title is "Quebec is more conservative than we think." And in it Stephen Harper raises the niqab issue again.
By saying as the caption "Nos valeurs" (Our values) flashes on the screen.
"Quebecers want new citizens to swear their oaths with their faces uncovered"
And if he beats this hollow drum at tonight's debate, as he almost certainly will, it could not only poison the campaign, it could conceivably change the election result.
Because Harper knows that 87% of Quebecers support a niqab ban, as do an overwhelming majority of other Canadians.
And his Australian attack dingo Lynton Crosby knows a juicy wedge issue when he sees one...
And so does the once decent but now very much degraded Gilles Duceppe.
Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe says he'd be in favour of invoking the notwithstanding clause in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to buttress legislation banning niqabs at citizenship ceremonies.
Who is now so desperate to revive his moribund party he's even prepared to undermine the Charter of Rights.
But then the issue has given Duceppe and Harper a boost in the polls, the NDP has lost some support.
This is what somebody did to one of their female candidate's sign in Montreal...
There are demons loose in the streets, howling for blood. Those who inadvertently fanned the flames will have to live with the consequences.
And as Chantal Hébert writes, Tom Mulcair goes into tonight's debate with a giant target on his back.
With his party’s competitive position in national voting intentions hanging by a Quebec thread, NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair has more to lose than to gain in Thursday’s French-language debate.
Support for a veil ban runs high in Quebec. In the national assembly, a Liberal move to ban face coverings for public servants and for anyone using provincial government services enjoys multi-party support.
The NDP is not alone in opposing a niqab ban. So do the Liberals. But because the Bloc and the New Democrats fish in the same nationalist pool of francophone voters, Duceppe’s attacks have focused on Mulcair.
Some Liberals I know are hoping that Duceppe and Harper will damage Mulcair, and give Justin Trudeau a boost, as it might.
But as I told them, if that does happen they shouldn't celebrate too wildly.
Because once the demons of intolerance are loose in the land, who knows to what hellish place they might lead us...
Or whether Stephen Harper could emerge the big winner. And for a piece of cloth on a woman's face a country could be lost.
And the good news?
I know I'm biased, but I still don't think my beloved Quebec is or ever will be Harper Country...
For years Quebecers have shown their contempt for him and his Con regime, more than any other province. They have shunned them and mocked them. They they have reduced them to a mere five seats.
And I doubt they will change their minds now that they finally have a chance to get rid of them.
I like to believe that a Stop Harper sign is still the same in English and French...
But we shall see, we live in dangerous and crazy times. With just twenty-five days to go the end game has begun. And nobody can predict what might happen.
But one thing should be blindingly obvious, to any decent Canadian.
We really need to get rid of that ghastly leader, that political porn peddler, that scummy bottom feeder, that bigot monster.
Before he degrades us further.
And sets this country on fire....
P.S. You can watch tonight's Radio Canada debate with an English translation on the CBC News Network, the CTV News Channel, and CPAC between 8 and 10pm
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Simon: "Preparing for tonight's French-language TV debate, and a last desperate effort to claw his way to another bloody majority."
ReplyDeleteI think the "last desperate effort for Harper to to claw his way to another bloody majority" will possibly be some form of black ops/ false flag operation in which he works with the RCMP and/or CSIS in an arrest of "jihadists" or "jihiadist sympathizers" a few days before the election and then Harper will boast that if it wasn't for Bill C-51, these arrests could not have been made. New campaign slogan: "Fear all Muslims in our country as they are all potential jihadist terrorists! Only I can save you!"
Who agrees with me that it's a possibility, as I think Harper is capable of doing anything to remain in power.
hi anon....I agree with you that Stephen Harper is so desperate and so morally depraved that he will do anything to try to cling to power. And I don't doubt that he would love some kind of terrorist incident real or contrived. But it is a dangerous game, and one false move and he could end up out of office, and behind bars....
DeleteIn my opinion, debates are a waste of time and money! Any 'decent Canadian' should see this as being ' blindingly obvious' !
ReplyDeleteWhat is Obvious is that people believe what they want to believe!
hi Kathleen...no we need debates if only because they are the only places where Harper can be properly questioned. He has no serious news conferences, and he gets away with absurd talking points all the time, so debates do have some value. But you're right most people just see what they want to see, and their chosen leaders only reinforce what they already believed...
DeleteJust found an interesting wrinkle in the voting process for those who wish to keep their face covered, despite have all the required documents the same as those who do not have photo ID and are permitted to vote right away those with face covering must swear an oath before they may vote. This does not seem logical or fair.
ReplyDeletehi Rural....the whole thing is not logical, and is an invented issue to stir up anti-Muslim feeling. What complicates matters is that many people dislike niqabs for all the right reasons. But as long as someone can verify who the person taking the oath really is, I can't see what the problem is. We want a diverse country well that's diversity, like it or not...
DeleteHarper's problem is with the Liberal vote in Ontario although tying the NDP to the niqab might help him in BC and strengthen the Bloc in Quebec. If enough went to the Bloc this might help his minority government survive a bit longer and eventually frame the rise of Marxism under PKP and the Bloc as a bigger threat than the Jihadists. Bigotry brings more bigotry and enslaves people in chains of their own making. Hopefully Mulcair can avoid the trap and hit Harper on real issues such as his refusal to work with the premier of Quebec, the mayor of Montreal, bridge tolls, health care transfers, affordable housing, the Porter scandal .... the list goes on.
ReplyDeleteRt
hi RT....I don't think that standing up for the rule of law and the Charter of Rights will do Mulcair much damage. I think Mulcair's biggest problem is that his cautious boring style is making Justin trudeau look like the agent of change. For it is he who now has some momentum....
Deleteif Canadians prefer to vote to ban niqabs instead of dealing with the criminal cons, then that is their choice. they can return to office a government with all those senators being charged with fraud, investigated for fraud, having sex with minors, passing leg. which was over turned 8 times by the Supreme Court of Canada, etc.
ReplyDeleteThis is a democracy and if people feel niqabs are more important than religious freedom and health care, than that will be their decision and their undoing. They will have 4/5 yrs to think about it as more freedoms are taken away and they loose their health care as they have known it. You can not save those who can not be saved. yes a lot of "innocents" will suffer, but that is a democracy. the majority wins. I will have no sympathy for those who loose their health care or their freedoms. they voted for Steve and now they can live with it or die as the result of it. the choice is theirs.
hi e.a.f....I can't believe that Canadians will make the election a referendum on niqabs. There are many other far more important issues. I think the refugee issue accounts for his small bump in the polls. It's subsiding, and if the opposition can hit Harper hard with all those other issues I still think this election is going to be a close one. And Harper will not get the majority he craves so much....
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