This has not been a good week for the Charest Liberals.

The health care crisis seems to be spiraling out of control.

People are dying on waiting lists.

Daniel Pitre, says his father who had been on a waiting list was "executed" by the province's health-care system, 7 years ago Jean Charest campaigned on health care and waiting times. "Number one priority," he said.

We are still waiting. I guess the best advice is don't get sick.

The language card

Then you have our language minister dangling that old favourite of English speaking Quebecers.

Christine St Pierre says Quebec might have to use the notwithstanding clause to plug that Bill 104 loophole. Might have to override the Canadian constitution to prevent anything positive from happening to English education in Quebec.

Remember last time. Three English cabinet ministers quit. And the Liberals surrendered four seats in Montreal in the next election.

The English speaking community is seeing its education system die a slow painful death. We need more students to survive.

Can't we find a middle ground? Something to help us out. Political consideration notwithstanding.

On top of all this, Quebec is in bigger financial trouble more than you know.

Our total public debt is an astounding $285 billion. One of the heaviest debt loads in the entire industrialized world. Quebec will table a new budget in two weeks.

Sales tax may increase, and just about all government services will cost more. So something's got to give. The cupboard is bare and the cheerleaders of our nanny state are always demanding more.

And in Quebec City they have their knickers in a knot about whether welcoming some kids into the English school system will disrupt social peace.

There are a lot more things to worry about my friends.

Smile of the week

It's not all bad. The smile of the week comes from Clotaire Rapaille…He is a marketing expert been hired by Quebec City to help la Veille Capitale redo its image.

In his view, Quebec and the rest of Canada are a perfect couple. A perfect sadomasochistic couple. Quebecers, he says, are emotional -- even neurotic …and because of this sadomasochistic relationship with the English, Quebec will never separate.

That's great stuff. Quebec City is paying this guy $300,000 for this?

I can just see the tourism posters now. We love you, we hate you. But we need you. Please visit.