Pauline Marois | Political Insider

UDATED:Quebec Election 2014, A Liberal Blowout and a Marois Resignation! #qc2014 #bcpoli #canpoli #goodbyepauline

The final numbers aren’t in ( Lib 70,PQ 30,CAQ 22,QS 3) but make no mistake about it, this is a Liberal blowout of herculean proportions!

The Quebec voters have handed Philippe Couillard and his Liberal Party a majority and by doing so have put the boots to Pauline Marios and her separatist crew for some time to come. ( More on that later)

In his victory/concession speech lucky new PQ MNA Karl Pierre Peladeau sounded more like a man who was giving Marois the Royal shove off the stage as he paid homage to the victory of Philippe Couillard.

For what it’s worth local politicians never congratulate leaders of winning parties. They usually leave that to their leader, unless of course that MNA already thinks he is the leader.

His speech sounded like the groundwork for that campaign and lets face it, who in the PQ would take him on right now.

Of course victory for him won’t be easy especially if you are a PQ member who blames Peladeau for the loss and lets face it his entrance into this contest and his sovereignty proclamation turned this election on its ear and handed it to Couillard and the Liberals.

Since Peladeau gave his speech he has already been telling reporters not to be blamed on him.

Personally I don’t think Peladeau will stick around and he will quit soon. A by-election will be called and the CAQ will pick up another seat.

The debates played a role and showcased the leadership of Francois Legault. His superb performance propelled the CAQ to upwards of 20 seats a new high for the party. They no doubt peeled off disenchanted PQ votes because of that and likely because a vote for them as well as Quebec Solidaire was ” safe’ in this election.

What about Marois? She will likely lose her seat by the hair of her chinny chin chin and either give herself the hook on a speech expected shortly or be given the boot by the party aka Peladeau.

She called an election a mere 18 months into her mandate ( David Peterson could have taught you a thing or two Pauline) and she lead what could be classed as one of the worst campaigns in history.

In her speech she resigned? Why wouldn’t she, she left the party in shambles.

What of Separation?

The separatists have a number of problems to deal with.

1) The current old generation of separatists probably just saw the last of their elections.

2) There are 3 parties in the house , 2 of which grew in size and who also troll for separatist votes.

3) Once the aforementioned old guard retires they will have rely on the young vote to help their cause and we all know the young folks don’t vote.

To be sure, Philippe Couillard has been given a big mandate not only to grow the economy but also to keep his foot on the throat of the separatists.

Will he do it?

Will Francois Legault be able to grow the CAQ as a viable alternative to the PQ?

Will the PQ go the way of the dodo bird? Who will be their new leader.

Will Peladeau quit soon and go back to private life?

What do you think?

Quebec Election: Monday’s Fun #canpoli #qcpoli #bcpoli

What a difference a month makes!

It wasn’t long ago the pollsters had the PQ up 22% and ready to form a majority government and wreak havoc on the rest of Canada.

Then Pierre Karl Peledeau turned the election upside down with his entry as a PQ candidate and his one fisted ( some would say ham handed ) declaration that he was a candidate for one reason and one reason only: Separation.

The election was turned upside down!

With 2 days to go it appears that the Liberals are going to win.

The latest Ekos poll shows them somewhere around 40% and the PQ support is still crumbling while the CAQ support is on the rise.

Anything can still happen ans we have seen from election polls turning on a dime recently.

Lots of questions still to be answered: Who will win? Majority or Minority? What will it mean?

Lost in the discussion it seems is the question “What will the voter turn out be?”

A large turnout will surely mean a PQ wipe-out and perhaps a surprise with a large number of CAQ seats.

Today, Premier Marois is threatening the Quebec voter with the resumption of the corruption hearings and how the Liberals will cover that up if they win.

Marois would do well to remember that ” she who lives in glass houses should throw stones” given the PQ has a lot to lose with the resumption of those hearings as well. I think this strategy will also backfire and drive even more of their traditional support into the waiting arms of the CAQ.

The PQ could finish as low as third!

I think the big questions that will be answered quickly after the election are : How long will it take Pauline to retire and will we have to wait until the polls close before the knives come out to get her. ( Maybe Pierre Karl Peladeau will shove her off the stage )
Should be a fun night!

What do you think will happen?

Quebec Election: Time for Liberal Couillard to Grow a Set! #canpoli #qcpoli #bcpoli

Time for Couillard to Step Up To The Plate!

Should Lieutenant-Governor Pierre Duchesne disolve the house in Quebec today ( As requested by Premier Pauline Marois) Quebeckers will begin the walk down the slippery slope to the next referendum.

You can rest assured if the PQ gets a majority they will venture down that path simply because most of the Separatist antagonists are old enough that this will be their last kick at the Canadian cat! ( I know it’s a beaver ).

The latest poll shows Marois and crew up some 22% where it matters in the French Hinterland.

The only good thing about this poll is that it’s a poll and lately the pollsters have been wrong more than they have been right.

What will it take to get the Liberals back in the game?

Firstly, Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard will have to grow a set of balls and dispense with the wishy washiness hes displayed when the PQ introduced the secular charter.

That in itself is a major reason why the polls are so high in Marois favor.

Secondly the old separatist guard, many who came out against the secular charter ( which is expected to be the centerpiece of Marois election plan) will have to come out of the closet and re state their position on it.

I am sure people like Jacques Parizeau will and that will cause Marois problems.

It’s ironic when you think about it that if you are hoping that the PQ loses and that Canada stays together, Parizeau, after all his seperatist bluster, might inadvertently turn out to be your hero :)!

Lastly, there is enough potential for sordid detals to come out of the Quebec Curruption hearings that may cause Quebecers to show enough disgust for the two regular parties and vote CDQ in protest.

Should the house be dissolved today, what do you think will happen? PQ majority? Another minority?

Do you care?

Justin Trudeau and Pauline Marois in a Race for the Political Insider Bonehead of the Month! #bcpoli #canpoli #qcpoli #bonehead

Trudeau and Marois the day after they lose their respective elections!

I am half tempted to change this to the bonehead of the day award given how many stupid things come out of the mouths of Justin Trudeau and fellow province mate Pauline Marois.

Which one is the dumbest; the one who wants to be Prime Minister or the bonehead who wants to be Premier with a majority in her province.

Marois slight,not mentioning the word Canada in the hockey teams gold medal winning performance was no doubt am attempt to get ROC and the government riled up and provoke the so-called “winning Conditions”for a referendum should she not blow her mandate the polls say she will win.

Trudeau on the other hand is a natural-born bonehead with all the stupid things he said, with the latest being his crack that the Russia will become more involved in the situation in the Ukraine because of their hockey loss in the Olympics.

Can you imagine this tool on the national stage? How do you spell World War III.

He is obviously in over his head and not ready to govern.

Which one do you think is more deserving of the Bonehead or is it a tie?

Bernard Landry: The Return Of Dr.Evil? #canpoli #qcpoli #bcpoli

More Christmas Humor, This time from the Bloc!

When Jean Charest was running for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party I remember a line in his speech that went like this : The Bloc is a Crock!

Charest was ahead of his time as today, Bernard Landry left the door open for his return to politics to lead the party into the next election.

Today he is 76 and when the election happens he will be 78!

Compared to him, my friend John Cummins was a veritable teenager.

In BC We have an expression that goes like this:only in BC Politics would something as crazy as this happen. Well not so fast.

The next Quebec provincial election will happen before the federal election and should Landry lead the Bloc he could actually campaign against Marios given that he has come out against the secular charter she intends to use as the corner stone of her election platform.

What next, will he bring Jaques Parizeau along as his citizenship and immagration critic?

Who is the Worst Premier in Canada? #bcpoli #canpoli

As we head into a new week in this the silly season ( two days ago I was in shorts, today I looked for a parka, right now an ark) I thought it a good time to ask just who is the worst premier in Canada?

Could it be Christy Who? You know the premier who in her heart has vanished, shut down the legislature until spring?

Could it be Pauline, let’s have a secular treaty and see what that does for our economy and for our chances of re-election?

Could it be *Kathleen Wynne whose policies are killing the Ontario economy and who threatened the two other parties propping up her minority government with an election she would surely lose.

Tough choices to be sure.

For the time being I give the nod to Marios and Wynne two premiers who are turning Canada’s largest provinces and the supposed economic drivers into have-nots.

How about you?

* Wynne had help from a man named McGuinty but she is continuing his tradition.

Is a Constitutional Scrap on the Horizon? #bcpoli #canpoli

Everybody’s favorite rich Socialist Pauline Marois is cruising for a scrap with the federal government and yes by extension the Rest Of Canada.

The doors are opened in three different areas:

1) senate reform or abolition

2) the secular bill

3) the use of the word banque or bank by the Quebec government to create their new institution.

On their own each would be no big deal,but grouped together is a different story.

The PQ could attempt to created “winning Conditions” as they have so often promised so that they can stage another referendum.

I think this is only the first stage of mayhem in Quebec and that the winning conditions that Marois and company want are the winning conditions for a provincial election.

They want to go to the people of Quebec and say that the minority government is not working and use these arguments to get a majority.

Then and only then will they be able to get tough with the government and yes by extension with the ROC.

In addition they have also helped their Federal friends because they have flushed out Trudeau and Mulcair thereby drawing a line in the sand between those two and the Bloc for the 2015 federal election.

So to call Pauline Marois ignorant of the rest of Canada as the Toronto Star did is wrong.

She knows exactly which buttons to push.

There is never a dull moment in Quebec is there?

It’s September and Silly Season Is Here! #bcpoli #canpoli

It’s Fall and all is calm but not for long. Silly season is here!

The kids are back at school and the columnists are back at work. So are the bloggers.

News and opinion goes to the forefront as the summer bids us adieu!

Political Insider will be there to follow all the breaking stories and provide opinion as to what is BS and what is not.

We will stay on top of Obama’s ( The US Mr.Dithers) and the war on Syria.

We will cover Pauline Marois as she tries to drive Prime Minister Harper and the Conservative government nuts(banquing anyone?).

Political insider will provide analysis from the BC Conservative AGM and what it means to BC.

We will discuss the fall sitting of the BC Legislature ( if there is one)

We will report from on the implosion of the Ontario Liberal Party.

You want analysis on the Federal Throne speech and what it means to the country? You will find it here.

The new riding boundaries? Look no further than Political Insider as we go inside the campaigns.

The impact of Adrian Dix flying the BCNDP coop and the search for a new leader; it will be here too! ( Christy Clark will have the house all to herself I can hardly wait; for in her heart she will be a ? stay tuned)

Silly season is here.

So kick off your shoes, roll up a joint ( we’ll cover that too) and chill. ( Imagine the boy who would be PM might not be allowed into the US now that he has admitted blunting!)

Political Insider will have all this and more as we speed our way to Christmas and the New Year.

Thanks for reading and have a great fall!

Quebec Election: It’s a Minority for the PQ

So the results are in and the PQ under Pauline Marois has won. ( Currently PQ-56 LIB-48 CAV-19 QS-2

Sure they have replaced Jean Charest and his government but only by the slimmest of margins ( Charest himself lost his seat)

Marois becomes the first female Premier of Quebec.

However the numbers of tonight are no resounding endorsement of the PQ, nor are they a mandate for a referendum.

That idea is pretty much dead.

With the CAQ winning 18 seats and pledging not to discuss referendums or federalism for 10 years coupled with the Liberal Party snapping at her heels, Marois’s wings have been clipped.

Tonight’s result is simply a statement by the people of Quebec that it’s time for a change.

With the two opposition parties in a position to topple the new government, Marois will have to stay in line.

I think the CAQ are the big winners and actually hold the balance of power with their 18-20 seats depending upon final numbers.

They have the most to gain from any Marois shenanigans if the folks in Quebec choose to dial-up real change the next time. They will have to be at the top of their game to look like a government in waiting.

By my count ( I have history watching over me) the PQ government should last about 2.5 years giving the Liberal Party a short time to find a new leader. Given Charest’s loss of his seat and the hunt for his replacement, I would expect no BS from them either. ( This is a tough assignment for the Liberals given that there seems to be no heir apparent waiting in the wings.

Unless..is this where the savior Trudeau will step up to the plate?

Rumors are that he will run federally but will this give him cause for thought and a graceful way to bow out of federal politics?

What do you think of the results out of Quebec tonight?

Quebec: Polls Close in a little over 2 Hours!

The summer election that nobody wanted except maybe for Jean Charest will come to an end when the polls close around 8pm Eastern time.

It should be an interesting evening. Last minute polling shows either a PQ minority or a PQ majority.

Keep in mind that lat minute Alberta polling showed a Wild Rose Victory and we all know how that turned out.

Things to watch tonight:

How will the leaders do, especially Jean Charest.

Will the federalist vote split allow the PQ to win ridings they shouldn’t.

How will the Francophone people vote?

If the PQ wins, will the margin of victory be close enough so that Marois will not talk about a referendum in her Victory speech?

Who will be the official opposition?

If the Liberals get throttled will this be the continuation of a country-wide trend sending the party the way of the Dodo bird?

What about the CAQ, are they for real?

If a PQ majority will the markets crater tomorrow?

We know already that the voter turnout is higher than the last provincial election,what does this mean? Traditional in Canada it means that change is in the air, however maybe not in Quebec.

It should be an interesting night. What do you think the answers to those questions will be?