Conan's Canada

'David Frum's Diary' in National Review ^ | February 17, 2004 | David Frum

[quidnunc]

President’s Day weekend may be an appropriate time to note the troubles of the prime minister next door. New Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin is being buffeted by a major corruption scandal. Martin’s predecessor, Jean Chretien, appears to have directed tens of millions of dollars of public funds to supporters in Quebec who then kicked back immense contributions to Chretien’s and Martin’s Liberal Party. The main outlines of the abuse have been known for years, although the full dimensions of the story have only emerged recently.

Today’s big political question is: How much did Paul Martin know?

Lorne Gunter, the superb political columnist for the Edmonton Journal lays out the facts in a recent column (not online):

Up until Friday, Martin insisted that he had known absolutely nothing of the scandal.

Now he is insisting that he learned of it in May, or March, or maybe February of 2002.

-snip-

[quidnunc]

Quote:

…Are French Quebeckers a “minority” in the sense that African-Americans are a minority? Although French Quebeckers constitute only about 20% of the Canadian population, they number some 80% of the population in the country’s second-largest province — and within the borders of that province, they exert their power with the uninhibited enthusiasm of an untrammeled majority.

It is illegal to post an English-language sign in the province of Quebec. A Quebecker has held the prime ministership of Canada for all but 18 months of the past 36 years. And over those same 36 years, Quebec has received C$201 billion more from the federal Treasury than it has paid in. (Over those same years, the province of Alberta paid in $167 billion more than it received back.)…

This is the kind of stuff that goes on in African kleptocracies and Latin American banana republics.

A Quebecker has held the prime ministership of Canada for all but 18 months of the past 36 years. … The Quebec-based Liberals have held power in Canada for all but 31 of the past 108 years — a better record than either Mexico’s Institutional Revolution Party or the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

But according to the average Canadian man on the street the real enemy is America in general and George Bush in particular.

Under the circumstances, it is a wonder that they don’t steal even more than they do. At the same time, it’s also a wonder that Canadians have tolerated the stealing as long as they have.

I don't like to throw the term 'sheeple' around lightly, but in the case of Anglophone Canadians the term seem to be the mot juste.

[EggsAckley]

hmmmm......jacques merde.....?

[headsonpikes]

The worm just MAY be turning.

[goldstategop]

Anglophone Canadians told the Francophones to quit blackmailing them and if they wanted to leave Canada it be good riddance with the door slamming them in their butt on the way out. The Francophones had second thoughts and decided Canada turned out to be too good a deal to pass up and had buyers' remorse. Naturally, the ruling Liberals milked it for all was worth. And now the bill for keeping Quebec in the family ia showing up their doorstep and no one in (especially Anglophone) Canada believes new Prime Minister Paul Martin's claim he knew nothing about the political chicanery and kickbacks the Liberals employed to defeat the Quebec separatist movement.

[July 4th]

It is illegal to post an English-language sign in the province of Quebec.

Even their stop signs say "arret," which is interesting, because stop signs in France say it in English.

[goldstategop]

Guess what CBC language channel broadcasts in Quebec.

[george wythe]

Martin’s predecessor, Jean Chretien, appears to have directed tens of millions of dollars of public funds to supporters in Quebec who then kicked back immense contributions to Chretien’s and Martin’s Liberal Party.

Interesting news.

Apparently, Canadians feel comfortable with their present régime, so greasing the politicians' palms is probably an accepted business practice.

[quidnunc]

headsonpikes wrote: The worm just MAY be turning.

Nah, political correctness and anti-Americanism have a choke hold on Canadian society and even if the Liberals lose power it will be only temporarily.

As soon as any Conservative PM attempts to buck the opinion-makers he'll be given the bum's rush just like Brian Mulroney was.

[End Times Sentinel]

You guys had an election up there and I didn't even get a chance to opine?  Where the hell was I?

 

I'll just go on record as saying I'm in full support of the guy with the funny accent and all the bad ideas.

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”

You guys had an election up there and I didn't even get a chance to opine?  Where the hell was I?

I'll just go on record as saying I'm in full support of the guy with the funny accent and all the bad ideas.

[bobjam]

It looks like Canada is paying Quebec with money and power to stay in the Dominion. The only reason Quebec doesn't leave is that it would loose the money it snatches from the other provinces as well as the world influence it wields by dominating the Canadian government. As for the rest of Canada- the loss of Quebec would split the nation in half and jeaopardize its survival. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and perhaps the Yukon could very well seek to join the United States (we should welcome them). That leaves British Columbia, Ontario, the Maritimes and the semi-autonomous Nunavit. Such spread out territories would hardly make an effective nation. The result is that Ontario and British Columbia would be under presure to join the USA, thus leaving the Maritimes as all that's left of Canada (they could join the EU). The three nations that are left Canada, Quebec and the United States would agree to share duties overseeing the Northwest Territories and Nunavit.

[headsonpikes]

Lyin' Brian was given the bum's rush because he had turned the Tories into just another Quebec political cabal.

As you ought to know, there is a very resolute conservative base in Western Canada, particularly.

Sneering at us Canuckleheads might feel good to you, but it won't keep your own politically-correct, anti-American Liberals out of power in the USA.

[dfwgator]

Wouldn't a good compromise be to cede a part of Quebec to Canada so that essentially East and West could still be connected?

[Cicero]

I don't think anyone's sneering. It's a sad business. Given the historical record, which I knew was bad but had no idea was as bad as this, it's unlikely that the western Canadians will be able to take effective political action to amend the situation. There are too many white anglophone Canadians who will continue to say to Quebec: "Please, screw me again! I feel guilty, and mistreatment makes me feel better about it!"

[quidnunc]

headsonpikes wrote: Lyin' Brian was given the bum's rush because he had turned the Tories into just another Quebec political cabal. As you ought to know, there is a very resolute conservative base in Western Canada, particularly. Sneering at us Canuckleheads might feel good to you, but it won't keep your own politically-correct, anti-American Liberals out of power in the USA.

How many provinces are there in Canada?

In how many of those provinces is there a conservative provincial government?

There are conservatives — as we here in the US understand the term 'conservative' — in Canada, but not enough to make any appreciable difference.

To my eye, most Canadian 'conservatives' are what we here in the US would call moderates.

As for sneering at Canadians, y'all are not exactly shy about exercising every opportunity to point out us Americans where we've gone wrong here in our country.

I'm just returning the favor.

[Guvmint_Cheese]

I don't see why not. Just shave off a two mile strip right along the U.S. border between Ontario and New Brunswick and build a freeway. You wouldn't be cutting through the middle of Quebec, and you wouldn't be incorporating any significant Quebecois cities. Although border crossings would become a pain...

[quidnunc]

Cicero wrote: I don't think anyone's sneering. It's a sad business. Given the historical record, which I knew was bad but had no idea was as bad as this, it's unlikely that the western Canadians will be able to take effective political action to amend the situation. There are too many white anglophone Canadians who will continue to say to Quebec: "Please, screw me again! I feel guilty, and mistreatment makes me feel better about it!"

The recent Maclean's Magazine poll which showed that only 15% of Canadians would vote for Bush is a good indication of just how many Canadian conservatives (as we understand the term) there really are.

The Canadians here on Free Republic deny the validity of this poll, but it is consistant with most of the other polls which I have seen in the last few years.

When poll after poll after poll report that Canadians espouse liberal values then I think it's time to start calling a spade a spade — Canadians on the whole are very liberal, and that's the reason they keep voting the Liberal party into power.

[longtermmemmory]

When the vote happened way back, there was an "issue" as to who would get the hydro electric plants. (as in the Canadian mimitary was on alert) The quebec-ers were not definitly going to get those money makers.

Of courts the comments about "damn foreigners" the day after the election did not help the separatists.

[albertabound]

One step at a time Quid, step one... turf the libs step two... rebuild America's trust and confidence in Canada and Canadians Step three... re-join our traditional allies. Step four... buy Quid a drink for his dogged determination to constructvely expose liberal hypocracy in Canada without apology or hostility. A true American Patriot and a friend of Canada.

[headsonpikes]

Yup, we're just another Communist barrack-state...like North Korea.

[quidnunc]

headsonpikes wrote: Yup, we're just another Communist barrack-state...like North Korea.

No, a Euro-style nanny state … like Sweden.