September Massacre in the Liberal Party of Canada (Quebec)

[capricorn]

My reading of this from my French to English...

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebe...ue-la-porte.php

is this:

Now, perhaps my French is bad but I read it as "relatives."

Now, I suppose it could mean close associates but I heard again on radio this morning, they were all considered family.

The French expression "ses proches" means those close to him, not a relative to him. If you say "Je suis un proche de monsieur x" it means "I am close to Mister x". Consider the expression "la famille Liberale", "the Liberal family", which is commonly used but not connected to being a blood relative. It's clear to me only one relative resigned and that is Coderre's cousin.

[Keepitsimple]

Now, perhaps my French is bad but I read it as "relatives."

Now, I suppose it could mean close associates but I heard again on radio this morning, they were all considered family.

That's what it means - close associates. You can bet that if they were all related, even by marriage, it would have been a big story some time ago - you know....the Liberals awarding positions to friends and relatives. This is especially so in Quebec after Adscam and the entitlement scandal.

[jdobbin]

The French expression "ses proches" means those close to him, not a relative to him. If you say "Je suis un proche de monsieur x" it means "I am close to Mister x". Consider the expression "la famille Liberale", "the Liberal family", which is commonly used but not connected to being a blood relative. It's clear to me only one relative resigned and that is Coderre's cousin.

Okay, as I said, my French only went so far to indicate relative and the political talk shows talked of family of this group that stepped down with him.

In any event, the people who stepped down seem to owe their allegiance to Coderre first and foremost.

Edited September 30, 2009 by jdobbin

[jdobbin]

That's what it means - close associates. You can bet that if they were all related, even by marriage, it would have been a big story some time ago - you know....the Liberals awarding positions to friends and relatives. This is especially so in Quebec after Adscam and the entitlement scandal.

I think that it government jobs you are speaking about.

Even the present Tories have family at various levels of party structure. That is normal.

I think it is probably better if Coderre allies resigned. Had they stayed, they could have caused some additional mischief.

[Keepitsimple]

I think it is probably better if Coderre allies resigned. Had they stayed, they could have caused some additional mischief.

Totally agree. It's just natural that they would have stepped down. Ignatieff saying he's going to fill the role of Quebec Lieutenant is almost the same as saying there's no need for one. Coderre is the umbilical cord for the 68 new candidates that he recruited. Will some of them now jump ship? If I was one of them, I'd feel somewhat deserted......and suspicious of the Ignatieff "trust" issue. There's a lot of delicate hand-holding that has to be done to ensure the 68 remain on board - and motivated.

Edited September 30, 2009 by Keepitsimple

[capricorn]

In any event, the people who stepped down seem to owe their allegiance to Coderre first and foremost.

Those people hitched their wagon to Coderre's coattails. I don't think their departure is a great loss to the party. The trick for Ignatieff is to replace them with people he can trust and who can trust him. To recruit the right people, Ignatieff will have to work the ground in Quebec. It's essential that he assure Liberals in Quebec that decisions impacting Quebec will not taken by the Toronto establishment. Not an easy task as he cannot take his eye off the national scene at this crucial time. The question is he does he have the abilities to juggle all of this?

I hope he asked Le Prohon to be candid about why she backed off running for the Liberals. He may not like the answer but at this time Ignatieff needs a dose of reality.

[jdobbin]

The question is he does he have the abilities to juggle all of this?

Ignatieff will be speaking to Coderre first.

I don't think there will be a vacuum for very long. I know if it was me, I'd be on the phone to each candidate to show them they have the support of the leader.

[capricorn]

Ignatieff will be speaking to Coderre first.

Coderre is set to appear on a Quebec talk show on Sunday. Ignatieff had better speak to him before then. Coderre is sure to be queried about the matter. Who knows what Coderre will spew out in front of such a large audience.

Mr. Coderre has not been in the House of Commons this week. But he will appear Sunday on Tout le monde en parle , a Radio-Canada television program that draws more than one million viewers in Quebec.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politi...article1307624/

Ironically, translation of the title of the show "Tout le monde en parle" is "Everyone's talking about it". That's one episode I intend to watch.

[Visionseeker]

Ignatieff shows up at a fundraiser in Laval, organized by Coderre, but Coderre is not there. Next Sunday, Ignatieff has a function in Quebec City, again organized by Coderrre, but of course Coderre won't be there either.

But here's the real problem:Le Soleil

When Coderre resigned, five others resigned with him. It is going to be difficult to replace these people because first, the Liberals are going to take a hit in Quebec polls and two, who wants to work for Ignatieff when they see how he returns loyalty?

The Liberals will keep their 10 or so seats in the West Island but I give them zero chance right now of winning anything anywhere else.

The question now is how this will affect the BQ/Tory races elsewhere.

Bha-Ha-Ha-Ha! August. Thanks for the laugh. This story is already losing its wheels in la belle province and the latest chatter is actually starting to suggest that Iggy might have made the right move.

Cauchon is extremely articulate and camera friendly. He's a Mulclair killer and that's the point. The Liberals can't afford to let the NDP start to piss in their back yard. Le Prohon had an outside chance of beating Mulclair, Cauchon switches those odds and that's what they'll be talking about in Quebec at Thanksgiving.

[Visionseeker]

Okay, as I said, my French only went so far to indicate relative and the political talk shows talked of family of this group that stepped down with him.

In any event, the people who stepped down seem to owe their allegiance to Coderre first and foremost.

Yes, and one has the unfortunate name of Rizutto. I'm just saying...

[jdobbin]

Coderre is set to appear on a Quebec talk show on Sunday. Ignatieff had better speak to him before then. Coderre is sure to be queried about the matter. Who knows what Coderre will spew out in front of such a large audience.

Ignatieff will reach out and will be quick to act if Coderre wishes to continue.

Ironically, translation of the title of the show "Tout le monde en parle" is "Everyone's talking about it". That's one episode I intend to watch.

Let me know what you think. The media might decide to pile on him.

Edited October 1, 2009 by jdobbin

[Jerry J. Fortin]

I think that the spin is keeping this alive more than the story.

[jdobbin]

I think that the spin is keeping this alive more than the story.

Coderre this morning seemed to be offering an olive branch:

souhaite que les libéraux se rendent nombreux au Congrès du PLC(Q) dimanche à Québec. Ma démission doit être interprété comme une incapacité à faire mon travail de lieutenant point. Il n'y a jamais eu de problèmes au Québec ou avec le Québec . ...J'ai toujours confiance en Michael Ignatieff et suis heureux qu'il a dit que maintenant ce qui touche le Québec sera réglé entre lui et les autorités québécoises.

Essentially saying that he couldn't do his job anymore but that he trusts Michale Ignatieff to do well by Quebec.

[August1991]

I think that the spin is keeping this alive more than the story.

I disagree.

Quebec is an island, like Newfoundland, Japan or England. Such island people are open but suspicious of foreigners.

Ignatieff had a chance, but like Harper, he threw the chance away. Now the two are suspect.

[jdobbin]

Ignatieff had a chance, but like Harper, he threw the chance away. Now the two are suspect.

I don't know that Ignatieff offended Quebec sensibilities though, do you?

The feeling is that Coderre probably overplayed his hand. Let's see if Ignatieff now uses Fournier, Fox and others to gather a group to give him sound advice in the province.

[capricorn]

Let me know what you think. The media might decide to pile on him.

The cat's out of the bag, dobbin. Coderre's performance on the popular Quebec talk show, taped on Thursday, was leaked before Sunday's airing and no bombshell was lobbed.

Liberals waiting for the next bombshell from Mr. Coderre might be able to exhale slightly. Party members had feared the worst when Mr. Coderre agreed to appear on Tout le monde en parle , a wildly popular French-language talk show on Radio-Canada.

The show will only air Sunday but, if a snippet that ran Friday afternoon is any indication, they needn't worry.

“I think it's an opportunity to say that we are a great party,” Mr. Coderre said in the clip.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politi...article1310516/

Good, I won't have to watch Tout le monde en parle. I really don't like the show and find the hosts petulant.

[capricorn]

dobbin, I watched Coderre on Tout le monde en parle tonight. He was grilled pretty good but spoke glowingly of his party and leader. Three comments he made I found interesting.

"The problem is not in Quebec." He failed to put a finger on the problem and did not allude to Toronto. We can conclude through Coderre's comments at his press conference he meant the problem is with Ignatieff's TO entourage.

"I had a message to relay." This statement can be interpreted in so many ways, I won't get into it.

"We wrapped them on the knuckles." He did not say "I" but "we". Who this "we" is, he did not elaborate and the hosts did not press him on it.

I think his performance was just good enough not to make matters worse. Yet, it certainly did nothing to smooth relations between the Ontario and Quebec Liberal establishments.

[jdobbin]

I think his performance was just good enough not to make matters worse. Yet, it certainly did nothing to smooth relations between the Ontario and Quebec Liberal establishments.

The Quebec convention seems to go off okay and lots of money was raised at the fundraiser.

Coderre most likely knew that any further comments he made might just be the end of his career.

I suspect that Francis Fox may be asked to helm the Quebec wing. Has to be someone that many people respect.

[punked]

The Quebec convention seems to go off okay and lots of money was raised at the fundraiser.

Coderre most likely knew that any further comments he made might just be the end of his career.

I suspect that Francis Fox may be asked to helm the Quebec wing. Has to be someone that many people respect.

Wait? What happened to Iggy doing it himself? Did I miss something?