Who is Philippe Couillard?

[August1991]

At present, Quebec nationalists/separatists/leftists/feminists/badguys accuse Couillard of 3 things:

1) He is associated with Arthur Porter.

2) He worked in Saudi Arabia.

3) He was part of the corrupt "John James" Charest regime.

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For a man who could possibly be the next PM of Quebec, people in Quebec (and even more Canada) know remarkably little.

I recall one anecdote. Several years ago, in the midst of a debate about building two "super-hospitals" in Montreal, Couillard was quick to correct the journalist (and I paraphrase): "There is not a French hospital and an English hospital. That is not how I see Montreal, or Quebec. There are simply two hospitals."

IOW, Couillard is a true federalist - who wants "super-hospitals".

Edited March 23, 2014 by August1991

[August1991]

In the first debate, when posed the "integrity question", Couillard responded that he answers first to his parents/wife (if I recall correctly). Then, he said that he was a man of ordinary means, without an inherited/independent source of income. IOW, he's no Pierre or Justin Trudeau.

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For some ambitious people, politics is a drug. And rich drug addicts can quickly spend an inheritance on their addiction. (eg. John Kerry and Mitt Romney). Poor drug addicts must do "other things". (eg. Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton).

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Couillard is clinical. Like Nixon in the mid-1960s as a bond lawyer in New York at Mudge, Rose, I reckon Couillard went off to Saudi Arabia to make money to prepare an independent lifestyle. Barack Obama had it easier. He wrote a book - and enjoyed the financing of Oprah Winfrey. Jean Charest had to rely on party handouts. Marois made her husband rich.

As Jean Lapierre said, a politician cannot worry about stopping in the grocery store on the way home to buy milk.

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IAV (in another view), Couillard is comparable to John Turner, Paul Martin or Gordon Brown: Number Twos who wanted to be Number One: Some walk away until the time comes; Others hang around until they get a chance.

Couillard, like Turner, walked away.

Edited March 25, 2014 by August1991

[August1991]

English Canada's Globe & Mail uses L'Actualité to answer the question of my OP.

Globe & Mail

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In general, I have no problem with a society/country where many people disagree, or do not share the same religion or accent, or cannot even speak to one another in a single language.

But I object to journalists who plagiarize.

Edited March 31, 2014 by August1991

[August1991]

Talk about acceptance, VLB (a novelist) is ahead of the game.

I can't find the quote/link now but Victor-Lévy Beaulieu (French Canada's Margaret Atwood - more ego than talent) recently wrote about seeing/meeting Couillard years ago at a Montreal book fair. According to VLB, Couillard sent over a comment about VLB's Melville whale book.

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Нашел.

Une petite anecdote à ce sujet : il y a déjà un certain nombre d’années, durant un Salon du livre de Montréal, je prenais le café au restaurant de l’hôtel Bonaventure. À plusieurs tables de la mienne, Philippe Couillard, fin seul, faisait de même. Il m’a envoyé un petit mot sur Monsieur Melville qu’il avait lu et me demandait si je connaissais sur le sujet un ouvrage très rare qu’il avait consulté — références à l’appui. Je peux vous assurer que dans ce domaine-là des choses, ce n’est guère courant chez un politicien. En fait, le geste de Philippe Couillard m’a tellement sidéré que je ne crois pas l’en avoir remercié.

Le Devoir

(I must admit that VLB, unlike Atwood, writes at least with a belated elegance: "... fin seul... tellement sidéré... ")

Edited April 18, 2014 by August1991

[August1991]

Couillard's mother is from France (like Dion's mother), and Couillard is registered to vote (like Mulcair) in elections of the République française.

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As in Newfoundland, family names matter in Quebec. Couillard, Dion and Trudeau are traditonal Québécois (male) family names. Couillard is a noteworthy family name in Québec, like Noseworthy in Newfoundland (& Labrador).

It is not striking that these political men have such family names - rather, it is striking the family names of their mothers.

Thinking of Pauline Marois, would Philippe Pardé been as successful as Philippe Couillard?

Edited April 20, 2014 by August1991

[August1991]

Bump.

PKP (I hate this term, btw, because it's so colonial-minded so I prefer Peladeau Jnr) vs Couillard.

Only 57.6%.

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Selon JFL: Quel moment...

Edited May 17, 2015 by August1991

[August1991]

The PLQ has the correct response: it is now le Parti Québecor.

Unlike the unexpected death of the BQ, this is a Jonesville collective suicide.

Edited May 17, 2015 by August1991