Bill 14 tries to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.

The Liberals are clear: they are voting against the bill. Point finale.

So it is left to Francois Legault and his band of Caquistes to determine the fate of this reprehensible legislation in a minority legislature.

It has always been hard to figure out the CAQ.

They are neither fish nor fowl, neither separatist nor resolutely federalist.

They extend one hand to anglophones but you aren’t sure what they are doing with the other.

Some of Bill 14 they cannot support, which is a good thing.

New rules for the workplace and restrictions on bilingual municipalities seem doomed.

On other parts they don’t seem so clear, so we must be vigilant.

The bill packs a passel of new powers for language inspectors.

If you liked Pastagate, just wait. It will get sillier and sillier, especially with the Language Minister calling on Quebecers to be “sentries” in the battle to safeguard French.

Moreover Bill 14 says the right to live and work in French must be compatible with the Charter of Human Rights.

In other words, it is legislation that could create two classes of citizens.

Let’s hope the CAQ is not trying to have it both ways.

Either you stand for something or you don’t. It’s sort of like being a little pregnant, it just doesn’t play,

 

On the eve of the Bill 14 hearings, you also have the Education Minister saying non merci to teaching intensive English in grade six.

Marie Malavoy once called English a foreign language so I guess it’s no big surprise, but what these people don’t understand that in a world that is changing so rapidly, kids need every break they can get. Their parents should demand it.

This isn’t about politics, it is about common sense.

 

While she was still in opposition Pauline Marois promised an education summit was the only way to achieve an end to student unrest.

Not long ago she told us social peace had been achieved

Really? Was she watching what happened in our city on Tuesday night?

She is reaping what she sowed. She fed the students a diet of higher expectations.

Are we headed into another springtime of disruption?

If these marches are illegal, then police should treat them as such and the students must realize that actions have consequences.

 

Finally, what kind of person could put a bullet into the head of a dog and then leave him to die in country ditch?

What I really think should happen to someone who does something like this is probably not suitable for family television, but the story of Orville is truly remarkable.

He survived the attack, with bullet fragments remaining in his head, likely forever, but he is thriving.

We see far too much animal cruelty in Quebec and our laws are not nearly adequate.

But sometimes we meet a dog like Orville, and sometimes we can smile knowing that at least one story has a happy ending.