There was most alarming news this week.

There has been a terrible outbreak on the South Shore.

A dreadful outbreak of English.

Yes, we had confirmation this week from the deep thinkers in the Mouvement Quebec Francais.

It has come up with not 100, not 500, but 1000 complaints about public signage in the Montérégie. 

According to the guardians of language purity at the movement, English has crossed the St. Lawrence River from Montreal and is spreading in epidemic proportions on the South Shore. It is obviously a serious public health issue.

The Mouvement is calling for tougher language laws in its call to battle. More inspectors more bureaucrats and of course more money.

In the meantime, until this virus is stamped out, it might be best to stay indoors and avoid all possible signage.  For your own safety.

Lucien Bouchard has weighed in on the state of Quebec politics with a new book.

And the PQ should be thankful it came out after the election.

Basically Bouchard is telling the young generation that sovereignty is pretty much a dead horse.

And he is critical of the PQ’s position on tuition hikes saying students must pay more.

Nor does he agree with the PQ plan to limit access to English CEGEPs. He slams the PQ for its campaign of identity politics. 

And "get this" he says.

Quebecers must be able to communicate in French and English.  What a novel idea!

He finds the current version of the PQ a little too left wing for his liking.

As he says, in order to share wealth, first you have to create it. 

And I’m not sure this Parti Quebecois can create winning conditions for economic growth.

Wise words from the St Lucien. A little late but still his main message to the dreamers of the Republic of Quebec. Stop tilting at windmills. Time to move on.

With Jean Charest out, the Quebec Liberals are looking for a new leader and fast. They want to be ready to topple the government in a budget vote next spring.

The Liberals are not used to leadership contests. They prefer coronations.

But this time could be different

Outgoing finance minister Raymond Bachand is a likely candidate.  He has sound credentials if a little on the dry side.

And others will likely come forward. 

The odds on favourite at least at this point,  is Quebec’s former health minister Dr. Philippe Coulliard.  As a minister in a tough portfolio he was the Teflon man.  Nothing much stuck to him.

There are some questions about his exit and how he planned his move to the private sector when he was still a minister. He will have to come clean on that.

But he could be a good choice.

Given Quebec’s current state of affairs, a brain surgeon just might just what we need.