Once again, the long arm of the nanny state is reaching into your life.

Quebec loves telling you how to act, what, and how to do. All, of course, for your own good.

The government -- in one of its more brilliant moves--- thinks it can control the price of reading. And, with an even bolder plan, it thinks it can control the internet by taking on Amazon and other online book providers. That’s essentially what’s behind this ludicrous idea.

The bill would ban book discounts of more than 10 per cent for nine months in all Quebec stores. It’s another PQ attempt at social engineering to protect and promote Quebec authors (read: French authors) and help Quebec bookstores to survive.

It won’t work.

Here’s what would happen: it would mean more expensive books which would result in Quebecers buying fewer of them. Quebecers who already don’t set any world records for reading would end up reading far less.

It’s just another misguided effort to try to artificially protect something that needs no protecting. And, in Quebec we know all about that chapter and verse.

It’s just like the increasingly troubling debate over the charter.

Here’s what we found out this week: the number of accommodation requests made to 11 Montreal hospitals in the past three years – one. The number of complaints in the City of Montreal – zero. There is no problem, and that’s the point.

The PQ is trying to divide Quebecers and even threaten social peace for a few more seats in the National Assembly. It’s a debate that is based on bigotry and lack of understanding or acceptance of difference.

And Madame Marois received a perfect 10.0 for a back flip in the “Eating Your Words Competition.”

Back in 1998 when she was the PQ’s education minister, she signed her name on a document on diversity in schools. Here’s a quote:

“Schools, school boards, CEGEPs and the Education department must concern themselves with representing the ethno cultural diversity among the staff. It is one of the grand goals of our society to aim for social equality and to battle against exclusion and discrimination in all its forms.”

We really have fallen through the looking glass in Quebec where up is down and left is right.

Well, they finally found a job for Andre Boisclair.

Our erstwhile delegate general to New York has been sitting on the shelf for a while now, collecting 172 thousand of your dollars. He has been named to oversee an environment committee in the far north and will earn about twice what the last holder of the job was getting. Boisclair left Broadway to launch a messy lawsuit involving allegations of cocaine use and granting a contract to a longtime friend. From the Great White Way to the Great White north, hope he packs a parka

Finally, our leaders could learn a thing or two from Nelson Mandela. We should all take some inspiration from his life with his lessons of justice, equality and inclusion As we approach the Christmas season, Mandela’s message is one that will resonate now and through the ages.

A message of hope always trumps hate.