Boisclair on Harper

[August1991]

Duceppe has refused a debate with Harper but it seems Boisclair wants to have a debate through journalists. I have never seen so much discussion of Harper in Quebec.

La première salve a été tirée mardi soir à Gatineau, au lendemain de l'annonce conservatrice, alors que M. Boisclair était de passage pour appuyer le candidat bloquiste. Le chef péquiste a alors qualifié les propositions de Stephen Harper «d'effets de cap improvisés», puisque ce dernier n'aurait pas véritablement engagé une discussion de fond avec les Québécois.

Hier matin, à Québec, André Boisclair est revenu longuement à la charge. Il a critiqué le premier ministre Jean Charest pour «le clin d'oeil» qu'il a fait à M. Harper. «Ce serait un très mauvais signal à envoyer aux Québécois que, pour régler la question du déséquilibre fiscal, il faudrait mettre un X sur tout ce qu'est le Québec sur le plan social», a dit le chef péquiste au cours d'une conférence de presse. Le PC est à des lieues des positions québécoises sur les jeunes contrevenants, l'environnement et le contrôle des armes à feu, a énuméré M. Boisclair, ajoutant même l'avortement à sa liste, même si le Parti conservateur soutient depuis des mois que cette question n'est pas sur la table. «M. Harper avait mis une croix sur le Québec avant l'élection, alors sa conversion tient surtout de l'improvisation», a-t-il dit.

Le Devoir

(Here's a translation.)

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The BQ line, which Boisclair uses above, is that Harper's proposals are just words and they have no substance. That's a weak argument, in my view.

In Le Devoir's article (picked up by Paul Wells), the argument is made that the BQ/PQ sudden desire to debate Harper is because the Tories may draw some votes away from the BQ and help some Liberal candidates. I think there's more than that here.

Quebecers are like Israelis and Lebanese - they love to be the centre of attention. Heaven help Canada if Quebec comes to dominate the rest of the campaign.

[Argus]

Duceppe has refused a debate with Harper but it seems Boisclair wants to have a debate through journalists.  I have never seen so much discussion of Harper in Quebec.

I'm not sure I undestand this. I would expect the BQ to want the Tories to improve their vote in Quebec, as virtually all of them would come at the expense of the Liberals - wouldn't they?

[Riverwind]

I'm not sure I undestand this. I would expect the BQ to want the Tories to improve their vote in Quebec, as virtually all of them would come at the expense of the Liberals - wouldn't they?

The BQ quite two faced in this campaign. On one side they are aggressively pursuing federalist voters who don't want to vote Liberal by assuring them a vote for the BQ is not a vote for sovereignty. On the other hand, they fully intended to talk about the BQ votes received in this election as if they are votes for sovereignty.

The BQ could lose a lot of these anti-liberal federalist votes if the Tories show up on the radar in Quebec. Also the BQ/PQ desperately want the Liberals to be be re-elected because it will much easier to win a referendum with Martin as PM than Harper as PM.

[hiti]

The BQ could lose a lot of these anti-liberal federalist votes if the Tories show up on the radar in Quebec. Also the BQ/PQ desperately want the Liberals to be be re-elected because it will much easier to win a referendum with Martin as PM than Harper as PM.

That statement is false since it is Harper who is trying to dismantle Canada into ten or more separate governments. Just as Mulroney appeased Quebecers with Meech and Charlotton Accords, so too Harper is saying he will give Quebec special privilages which, if elected, he would have to extend these to all provinces and the federal government would have no role as each province went it's own way and did what they wanted. Canada would be a mess of governments with no international voice and no standards.

Martin vowes to fight to keep a strong federal government in partnership with the provinces and to stop separatism in Quebec and to speak with one international voice.