Prime Minister Stephen Harper's policies on crime, the environment and democratic reform are creating "winning conditions" for Quebecers to elect a Parti Québécois government that will plunge the country into a new referendum campaign and national unity crisis, say several prominent federal Conservatives in Quebec.
The warnings are widely shared among the province's federalists as they gear up for a provincial election anticipated in the coming months.
"All the policies that Harper adopts or has done since the election seem to offend Quebecers and the media jump all over it," said Peter White, an outspoken veteran Conservative who heads a party riding association in Quebec's Eastern Townships.
"Every time (PQ leader) Pauline Marois attacks Harper, she goes up in the polls and that's why she's doing so well because Harper is giving her all these targets to attack and she can just say: 'What are we Quebecers doing in this weird country of Harper's?' "
Some of those targets include recent policies and decisions including the nomination of unilingual anglophones to key positions such as the auditor general's office, dismantling the long-gun registry, the decision to pull out of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, proposed criminal justice legislation, as well as Senate reform and plans to weaken Quebec's representation in the House of Commons.
White said he supports the government's policies but deplores the absence of Harper and other Conservatives who are failing to adequately explain their decisions and defend their record in the province.
"Normally I wouldn't go public with this kind of thing, but more and more people are telling me that what is happening right now is we're gradually preparing 'les conditions gagnantes' (winning conditions) for Quebec, because of the general distaste of Quebecers, uninformed though it may be, for the federal government," White said.
While many Quebec Tories in Ottawa have declined to speak publicly about their concerns, White said he's hearing the warnings from a lot of federalists in business and political circles who believe Harper needs to improve his image to save Canada. "That is not an exaggeration," White said. "A lot of people tell me that."
Maxime Bernier, a junior federal minister for small businesses and tourism, disputed the concerns, explaining that the Conservative government has many accomplishments that Quebecers support, such as providing $2.2 billion in compensation to the province for sales-tax harmonization.
He also said the province's population supports federal policies that protect jobs, lower taxes and respect the division of powers under the Constitution.
But he explained it's now harder to spread the message in Quebec with only five elected MPs, instead of the 11 Conservatives from Quebec who were elected in the last Parliament.
"This summer, when Parliament isn't sitting in Ottawa, we will be in our ridings and we will be close to the population, and we will explain our policies and it's a challenge every day to be present," Bernier said in an interview.
While some critics have suggested that Conservatives outside of Quebec don't want the province getting special treatment to protect its language and culture, Bernier said Harper demonstrated that he is sensitive to concerns through decisions such as his recent appointment of a bilingual director of communications for the prime minister's office, Andrew MacDougall.
The small contingent of Quebec Conservatives in Ottawa also faces an army of New Democrats elected in the May 2 vote and a popular new leader in Quebec, Thomas Mulcair, who once sat as environment minister in Premier Jean Charest's cabinet.
White said many wind up with the impression that Harper is punishing Quebecers after they rejected him, believing he doesn't need their support to stay in power.
Rene Bellerose, a retired lawyer and lifelong Conservative party supporter, agreed that Harper must accelerate efforts to defend his policies and the country.
"He's creating this (winning conditions atmosphere) by his absence," said Bellerose.
Original Article
Source: edmonton journal
Author: Mike De Souza
The warnings are widely shared among the province's federalists as they gear up for a provincial election anticipated in the coming months.
"All the policies that Harper adopts or has done since the election seem to offend Quebecers and the media jump all over it," said Peter White, an outspoken veteran Conservative who heads a party riding association in Quebec's Eastern Townships.
"Every time (PQ leader) Pauline Marois attacks Harper, she goes up in the polls and that's why she's doing so well because Harper is giving her all these targets to attack and she can just say: 'What are we Quebecers doing in this weird country of Harper's?' "
Some of those targets include recent policies and decisions including the nomination of unilingual anglophones to key positions such as the auditor general's office, dismantling the long-gun registry, the decision to pull out of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, proposed criminal justice legislation, as well as Senate reform and plans to weaken Quebec's representation in the House of Commons.
White said he supports the government's policies but deplores the absence of Harper and other Conservatives who are failing to adequately explain their decisions and defend their record in the province.
"Normally I wouldn't go public with this kind of thing, but more and more people are telling me that what is happening right now is we're gradually preparing 'les conditions gagnantes' (winning conditions) for Quebec, because of the general distaste of Quebecers, uninformed though it may be, for the federal government," White said.
While many Quebec Tories in Ottawa have declined to speak publicly about their concerns, White said he's hearing the warnings from a lot of federalists in business and political circles who believe Harper needs to improve his image to save Canada. "That is not an exaggeration," White said. "A lot of people tell me that."
Maxime Bernier, a junior federal minister for small businesses and tourism, disputed the concerns, explaining that the Conservative government has many accomplishments that Quebecers support, such as providing $2.2 billion in compensation to the province for sales-tax harmonization.
He also said the province's population supports federal policies that protect jobs, lower taxes and respect the division of powers under the Constitution.
But he explained it's now harder to spread the message in Quebec with only five elected MPs, instead of the 11 Conservatives from Quebec who were elected in the last Parliament.
"This summer, when Parliament isn't sitting in Ottawa, we will be in our ridings and we will be close to the population, and we will explain our policies and it's a challenge every day to be present," Bernier said in an interview.
While some critics have suggested that Conservatives outside of Quebec don't want the province getting special treatment to protect its language and culture, Bernier said Harper demonstrated that he is sensitive to concerns through decisions such as his recent appointment of a bilingual director of communications for the prime minister's office, Andrew MacDougall.
The small contingent of Quebec Conservatives in Ottawa also faces an army of New Democrats elected in the May 2 vote and a popular new leader in Quebec, Thomas Mulcair, who once sat as environment minister in Premier Jean Charest's cabinet.
White said many wind up with the impression that Harper is punishing Quebecers after they rejected him, believing he doesn't need their support to stay in power.
Rene Bellerose, a retired lawyer and lifelong Conservative party supporter, agreed that Harper must accelerate efforts to defend his policies and the country.
"He's creating this (winning conditions atmosphere) by his absence," said Bellerose.
Original Article
Source: edmonton journal
Author: Mike De Souza
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