Had we not experienced the very damaging fire at our home I might be using smoke, fire and hot air metaphors to describe what is going on in Quebec as creaky old politicians attempt to win the right to govern Canada’s most talked about and arguably challenging province.
Jean Charest, the incumbent Liberal Premier, or Prime Minister as is claimed hereabouts, is facing a serious challenge as far as retaining his own seat in Sherbrooke is concerned. Several pundits are predicting he won’t do so.
Pauline Marois has been leading the Parti Quebecois long enough that there’s nothing new about either Ms. Marois or her “French language first (only?)” prioritizing. Marois has made no secret of the fact that she cares little about the issues or complaints of Anglophones in the province. A dangerous strategy given Anglos account for about a million residents here. However, much as I’d expect Quebec Anglos to be solidly supporting any effort to elect the PQ, they appear to me to be a largely docile group as I’ve mentioned on air and written about in this space and elsewhere.
The wild card in the election is the new CAQ Party headed by former PQ cabinet minister and sovereignist Francois Legault. Sometimes the CAQ appears to be throwing ideas around like dart competitors at a dimly lit pub, hoping they’ll stick and scorfe points. Legault though has promised no referendum on sovereignty for at least 10 years and the newness of the party ‘may’ just allow CAQ to form the opposition for a PQ minority government. At least that’s what many pundits are suggesting will happen.
My sense is that if the PQ were to win a majority, or even a significant minority win Quebecers and the Rest of Canada will again be on the wild ride to another referendum on Quebec leaving confederation.
As far as our lives are concerned, we’re finding out daily that damage to our home may ultimately more extensive than we had believed and my wife and I are increasingly aware just how much of significance and personal importance is gone for good.
I won’t be doing the show this weekend, but will be back at the microphone the following Saturday and Sunday.
Again, “thank your for your continuing emails and other messages of support. I’ve heard from a few people who suffered the devastation of a complete loss of their homes due to fire. Can’t even begin to imagine the reality of such a nightmare.
If you do have a fire related experience, please send either an email with the details you’re comfortable sharing to Roy@RoyGreenShow.com, or post it here in the ‘comments’ section below. I plan to air a segment on the issue when I’m back on the show. Compared to those who lost all, or who suffered fire related injury, or know someone who has, what happened to my wife, our dogs and me as much of a nightmare as it turned out to be, we are lucky, very very lucky indeed.