I suppose very few people are surprised by the fact that the negotiations between the Liberal government and the student associations failed. Neither side was willing to compromise in an effective manner. Yes, the government has made several concessions to the students, some good, and some bad. Although from an objective standpoint, their last offer was an insult to the student leaders' resolve; it seems rather naïve for the government to have thought that the student leaders would have accepted a deal that was only $1 lower than the original proposal.
Both sides unrelentingly cite overly cited facts and figures. Quebec pays the lowest tuition in Canada, and Quebec students have the lowest debt in Canada. The strike isn't about tuition; it's about a deeper social cause. Universities are underfunded and Quebec universities in particular, save for McGill and perhaps the University of Montreal, are consistently outranked by their provincial counterparts. The government is corrupt and universities bleed money. Blah, blah, blah.
None of it really matters anymore. The government and the striking students are holding their province and the city of Montreal hostage. Much like a broad-spectrum antibiotic, with the ability to kill a wide array of bacterial pathogens, Quebec is in dire need for a universal solution that will quell both sides on this issue. As the city streets become increasingly infected with discontent, towards the government and the students alike, it becomes ever more clear that if a solution is not reached soon, the entire city might just succumb to chaos.
Negotiations and proposals have failed miserably. The city is set to lose millions of dollars over CLASSE's threat to disrupt the Grand Prix in Montreal next weekend, not to mention the threat posed by Anonymous, which is compounded by the already lost millions of dollars since the protests have started, disrupting tourism and commercial activity in the city's downtown core.
The only plausible solution at this point seems to be an election. The only problem is that Jean Charest refuses to call one, most likely because he doesn't want the inquiry into his government's alleged corruption to make front-page news. Opinion polls show the PQ and the Liberals as being deadlocked in support. All of the political parties have tried to use this protest to their gain in some way or another, with the PQ taking the cake, wearing the now iconic red square on their lapels as well as figuring it onto the official masthead of their website. There is a very obvious dichotomy in the voting patterns in Quebec, with Anglophones and Allophones voting largely Liberal while Francophones predominantly vote PQ.
It is no secret that the supporters of the protest movement in Quebec are principally made up of people who are white, Francophone, and sovereigntist. There are of course exceptions to that sweeping generalization, especially amongst those who are out every night banging on their pots and pans protesting Bill 78. But there is no use in denying the overwhelming demographic supporting the strike. One needs only to attend a rally to see the copious Quebec flag waving and chants for independence to really get a taste for one of the many underpinnings of the movement. Jacques Parizeau himself came out from under a political rock, to express his joy at not seeing one Canadian flag in a sea of over 200 000 people during the protest on May 22nd.
In a similar vein, it's kind of entertainingly peculiar how CLASSE did not openly threaten to disrupt Montreal's French language music festival, Les Francopholies, which starts the very same weekend that Grand Prix does.
Charest would be wise to call an election, announce he is not running for re-election, under the guise of a return to normalcy for him and his family, and let this issue resolve itself on the ballot box. The only question now is who to vote for? A grossly incompetent government that has severely mismanaged this crisis or a government that somehow manages to take the worst aspects of the left and the right and mesh them into a political platform. Bloc Pot anyone?
Follow Supriya Dwivedi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/supriyadwivedi
I will vote for QS in the next election as I did in the last even though I will vote no in the next referendum. From the age of 18 I had always voted Liberal both provincially and federally. Not anymore. I will vote NDP federally. If there were a center left party in Quebec I would vote for them but even the PQ has turned right. As the only party on the left, QS is my only choice.
Politicians have focused on language while slowly dismantling the social justice aspects of the Quiet Revolution. The people did not intend to simply change the language the oligarchs speak. The problem was how English bosses and the wealthy treated workers. I don't think people just wanted to switch them out for equally exploitative French bosses and wealthy people. The Quiet Revolution is not over, it has just been slumbering.
Who's uninformed now...ha!
It doesn't explain my missing comment though.
Lets just start with the protection that have to be paid to the Toronto Police on every working site of the city, no matter the size, There's always at least 2 officers, paid overtime I'm sure, to just stand there, most of the time doing nothing.
Bay St lobbies are so powerful , you never hear of them. It's all 'gentlemen ' agreements behind the curtains. At least, some Quebecers are standing up and saying enough is enough. They're showing more back bones then most of the ROC.
And for the bad press it gives Québec, well, it's just part of the narrative that the corporate media is shoving down our throats. The Quebec government as been manipulating the conflict with their help since the beginning, for political gain.
It was never clearer then at the news conference just after the last talks broke down. The first question was for a 'scribe' from the media empire that owns Sun News and, oh what a surprise, he asked if it was true that a member of la CLASSE said that they were going to 'organise' the Grand Prix. Go figure. The government pushed them for three days until they got the quote.
Then, they ran away with it, like it was a blank check, to the bank.
They've all ready cancelled the free open doors festivities, shutting off Jo Blow from the first day celebration. He'll be happy and a real fan of the movement I'm sure.
So to come back to your Isn't Quebec charming ? I'm listening to news reports of the Eaton Center shooting as I'm writing this, and if I was as obtuse as you, I could say right back at you.
But I lived more then 15 years in Toronto and I would never think that.
Back in Mtl now, still like Ontario, but man, the growth bigotry is sickening.
They should move to Greece.
Tuition hikes and a clear attack on democracy and contempt for the people of Quebec - Bill 78
then you equate the protesters with terrorists saying "they are holding the city hostage". wow your a brave person you are really standing up for your fellow students and the cheap tuition you jsut enjoyed. hypocryte at its finest. then you use infected as if to imply they are a disease.. wow your legitmacy and integrity was jsut thrown out the window with this article ehh supriya?
one point we do agree on. hold an election and watch the pro-corporate anti future party be crushed. any viable alternative will be voted in with overwhelming support. people are tired of the government and corporate excuse makers and collaborators (two can play the word implication game), and you as a new graduate are the biggest traitor of all. congratulations selling out your dignity, how does it feel?
THis article overall was an insult to any readers intelligence. using words to associate the protesters with terrorism and disease as if we wouldn't notice..
then using the "both sides disagree but each are unwilling as the other to compromise and just different ideological sides". essentially this is what is called US journalism. Don't answer or ask the hard hitting questions. present everything as just one side vs another, one side is not right they are both unreasonable. all is equal and in the end this is just a different.
This style neutralizes any argument and dissident. THis writer makes me feel physically ill. i thought someone who enjoyed cheap tuition (it should be cheap for every canadian in every province) would not be so quick to stab her fellow student in the back. I guess especially in journalism you have to lack morals and character (im not talking about and judeo-christian morals, i mean things like honour, friendship, dignity and respect) to succeed
I am studying and hope to one day get into politics. i only want a middle class wage though, my first action will be lowering every single Mp's salary greatly and returning dignity to our parliament
Furthermore, as an anglophone in Quebec, I feel as if there is no party that will actually benefit the province as a whole. I want to vote for the PQ, but I'm then helping to alienate the Anglophone community farther and drive the province farther into debt. Personally, I feel that Quebec Solidaire is much more welcoming of the Anglophone minority, even if they are, in the end, separatists.
The last five years of John James Charest governement has doubled the debt.
The last five years of the PQ governement had ZERO deficit.
The details matter very much. The students have offered to pay the increase over the next two years through reducing the tax credits they get instead of increasing tuition. That would be revenue neutral to the government. There would be no increased cost to taxpayers.
Why won't Charest take "yes" for an answer?
I suspect that Charest is falling prey to advice that says if he gives in (and takes a student proposal seriously - as if they actually were thinking beings!) he will appear 'weak'.
This is the kind of thinking that comes with the territory of 'politics is a game'. Most elected persons come to this version of politics, sooner or later
Because this crisis is the only possible chance he has to get reelected.
- There were no threat from the students to target the Grand Prix more than anything else.
Please get your facts straight instead of conveying the governement propaganda.
Also : - Separation is largely supported in Québec. Except for the Liberals, it gets a large majority. Did anyone ignore that ??
disrupting Les Francopholies would not cause economic havoc in Quebec as disrupting Grand Prix, not to mention that a villain like Bernie Ecclestone is the man in charge of Grand Prix..