Conference kaosws::canada

    
    Lucien just announced his candidacy for the PQ leadership.
    I listened to his speech , and he emphatically states that there
    will be a next referendum in the year 1997.
    
    This being because of two reasons:
    
    Wants to give Canada an opportunity to make one last offer, but he
     cannot foresee any offers which haven't been made already,
    and in his words, he wants English-Canada to prepare for the
    inevitable " separation". According to him, this will happen, as
    Quebec has never been as close as it has recently in public
    support for Separation.
    
    Secondly, he wants to place Quebec's financial house in order.
    He realizes the need for cutbacks , and not tax increases,
    while still maintaining a social safety net which is better than
    other jurisdictions.
    
    He spoke with conviction and authority, and appeared to almost
    concede the fact that he will be premier, and his timetable to 
    separation is drawn.
    The next year, he states, will give Quebeckers and English-Canada
    some breathing room , and an opportunity to begin dealing with
    Quebec as an equal. I think we can safely quash the "distinct society"
    label, it doesn't even come close to what this man wants.
    
     I was surprised to hear his wife, amusingly introduced as
    " Mrs. Best-Bouchard". spoke French with fluency......
    
    
    I guess we're in for another year of offers and counter-offers,
    and then another referendum, finally Quebec separation....
    
    Sort of anti-climactic..........
    
    
    
    
    
    All for now,
    Norman
    

    and the BQ lacks a strong figure to step into Lucien's shoes (notice
    I'm not going for any kind of low joke here). Preston Manning will make
    every attempt to fill that vacuum and in all likelyhood it won't be
    long before reform becomes the official opposition, without Lucien the
    BQ will fold up and blow away. Although Bouchard would probably
    personally prefer association within the consitution, just make sure
    Quebec comes out on top, the closeness of the last result and the power
    of the separatists in the PQ makes that political suicide for him.
    Preston "Larry Fine" (OK there's you're low joke) Manning will make a
    fine target everytime some pequist wants to look for an enemy of Quebec
    in Ottawa and he's gonna walk right into it. 
    
    Bouchard will go on a program of controlled cuts, slashing only where
    it hurts anglos or ethics or can be blamed on Ottawa, the civil service
    which is loaded with pequists will be spared but Montreal and the
    Outouais (not even close I know) will be made to pay. Big business is
    federalist so they'll make life hard for business so that when they give 
    up and move out they can point at it and call it "big business
    interference". 
    
    All in all it ain't gonna be pretty.
    

    Regarding Quebec how to you tame a spoiled brat or black sheep. And
    what can you do when they ask for a foot and its given to them then
    they say no no we wanted a yard ect. ect. and on and on. I like 99% of
    the country including about 90% of Quebecers who are very tired of
    hearing all this B.S. Oops I meen the spoiled brat or black sheep is
    intended for the loud 10% of ???? that live in Quebec and fawllow Mr.
    Bouchard (the person who changes is mind abount once or twise a week)
    to the bottom of a black hole.
    
    Mon $0.02.
    
    	Bonjour

    Although I don't agree with his politics I got a kick out of Jean
    Charest's comments on the CBC last night. 1996 is a new year so LB
    needs a new political party (his 4th in 10 years, provincial Liberal,
    Federal Tory, Bloc, PQ). He feels that LB will not actually do what he
    said yesterday (govern that is) but will take power in February, wait
    for the federal budget, pronounce it an attack on Quebec and say that
    he must accelerate changes to respond, he'll call a provincial election
    to get a mandate for another referendum before the bloom is off the
    rose and the whole thing starts over again.
    

    Well when he blames his problems on Ottawa he is walking on thin ice. 
    (If anyone in Quebec would pay attention that is) He'll "blame" the
    cutbacks on reduced transfer payments.
    
    It is like a teenager who wants to leave home because his allowence is not
    enough. You don't know what you got till it's gone.
    
    							Derek.
    
    (PS. Is there no one in Quebec that thinks the use of the pension fund
    to prop up the dollar was a misuse of power? Where would YOUR pension
    be today if the PQ won the vote, and the dollar dropped through the
    floor taking the value of YOUR pension with it ?)

    re .4  Good hypothesizing!  (unfortunately)
    let's come back to this note in  a year's time...

when someone from northern North America wins it will be

"No Canada", of course.

Chuck ;-)

    You barf in a yellow toilet?