Life is all about making choices and Pierre Karl Peladeau has got a whopper to make.
The most powerful media baron Quebec has ever seen thinks he can have it both ways.
But that’s normal for someone always used to getting what he wants.
He is not known as a guy who knows much about compromise.
16 lockouts of his Quebecor employees must be some sort of record.
PKP wants to lead the PQ, thinks he can continue to control the largest media empire in Quebec and run the province.
I don’t think so.
Neither do many others including the Quebec federation of journalists which thinks PKP has to make the choice between the boardroom and the backroom.
Can PKP spell “conflict of interest?”
He has already been dipping his corporate pen where it doesn’t belong.
La Presse reports PKP as a member of the National Assembly intervened more than once to try to persuade the government to favour the sale of a movie studio to Quebecor.
Peladeau promises to put his shares into a blind trust.
They say "a nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse," but I’m not sure this horse would be blind, at least it could pick up winks and nods.
Elderly Anglos need assistance
A rather sobering report came out this week on the reality affecting our community.
The Quebec Community Groups Network released a census on our aging English-speaking population.
One in four of our community is over the age of 55.
Many who grew up in pre-Bill 101 Quebec struggle in French and that closes so many doors.
Too many feel isolated from society and as we age, we depend more and more on public services in which language skills are required.
We are underrepresented at every level of public service in Quebec.
At least anecdotally I often hear how difficult it is for an Anglophone Quebecer to find a decent job here no matter how bilingual they might be.
Do you know how many Anglo groups have been invited to speak at the national assembly hearings on health reform?
One. Just one.
To speak to legislation that, among other things, would abolish English health boards.
This is our home and governments from city hall to Quebec City to Ottawa must ensure that we are never treated like second class citizens.
Although I sometimes fear that too many think we should be seen and not heard.
Canada is going to a just war
Our government did the right thing this week with its decision to join the coalition to fight the extremists in Iraq.
It is our moral duty.
ISIS represents the absolute worst of humanity.
They are fanatics with their brand of Islamic terrorism.
CSIS knows of up to 145 Canadians involved with terror groups in Arab countries and that 80 Canadians are estimated to have returned home after fighting with terror groups.
Will it take beheadings of Canadians on Canadian soil for some to realize that we are at war?
The Liberals and the NDP voted against the government.
It was a mistake for Justin Trudeau not to take a firm moral stand here. It was a leadership moment and he failed.
The NDP naively prefers humanitarian aid, but that sounds like appeasement to me and as Churchill said “an appeaser is one who feeds the crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”
