Quebec's Hockey Dreams May Give Harper His Majority

Quebec Colisee

From The National Post:

This week's federal byelections, in which the Conservatives grabbed a seat away from the Bloc Quebecois, will be analyzed for what portent they may hold in a future general election. But such tea leaf reading is an uncertain endeavour for a variety of reasons -- not the least of which is the ridiculously low voter turnout. It's hard to predict what most people think when most people didn't vote.

In any case, those gazing into the electoral crystal ball should probably focus more on a part of la belle province where people weren't voting this week: Quebec City. With Quebec being one of the keys to a Tory majority, the government is on the cusp of a winning plan in the province's capital.

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My Comment: For an outsider .... the common remark is .... "you got to be kidding". But for people in the region .... this is a very important issue. Will support from Ottawa for an NHL team have an impact .... definitely. For Conservatives in the region, this will be a feel good issue, one in which they cannot lose.

Looking at it from an economics point of view, supporting an NHL team does not make sense. The market is not big enough to accommodate a new team. But hey .... when did politicians care about economics.

Quebec's ADQ Leader Blames Other For His Misfortunes

Photo: ADQ Leader Gilles Taillon, left, announced his resignation Tuesday. (CBC)

ADQ Leader Blames Tories For His Undoing -- CBC

MNA Gérard Deltell still thinking about a run for party leadership.

One day after announcing his resignation, Action Démocratique du Québec Leader Gilles Taillon says he was the victim of a putsch organized by the former "owners" of the party.

Taillon settled his accounts in an open letter distributed to the media Wednesday, accusing former leader Mario Dumont, other influential members of the ADQ, and the federal Conservative Party.

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Update: Outgoing ADQ boss blames federal Tories for his party's internal shenanigans -- Canadian Press

My Comment: What a mess .... and Action Démocratique du Québec Leader Gilles Taillon has no one to blame but himself. But what is going to happen is that this mess is going to smear others .... including other members in the ADQ and the Conservative Party In Ottawa.

Quebec's ADQ Party Is Imploding

Gilles Taillon. Photograph by: Mathieu Bélanger, Reuters

ADQ Leader Wants Police Investigation, New Leadership Race -- CTV News

QUEBEC — Action democratique du Quebec Leader Gilles Taillon wants provincial police to investigate what he calls "troubling aspects" in the party's finances.

Taillon also told a news conference in Quebec City today he wants the beleaguered party to hold another leadership race after less than a month on the job.

Taillon's comments on the ADQ financing come a few weeks after the party announced it would cut off ties with members of the Conservative party, including Senator Leo Housakos.

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More News On The Demise Of The ADQ

ADQ leader Gilles Taillon calls for new leadership race -- Montreal Gazette
ADQ leader resigns -- CBC News
Quebec political scandals rock ADQ & Liberals, federal Tories refuse comment -- Canadian Press
ADQ RIP SVP -- Macleans Magazine
Show us the money, say ADQ defectors -- Montreal Gazette
Beleaguered ADQ chief wants out -- Globe And Mail

My Comment: This situation provides an opportunity for the Federalists in Quebec, and the Conservatives in particular. The ADQ have always split a good portion of the Federalist and soft nationalist vote to their cause .... thereby permitting the PQ to come into the middle to win elections.

The demise of the ADQ will now end this. The key now is how will the Federalists take advantage of this situation. The Conservative win in yesterdays byelection in the rural riding of Quebec may give an indication on where this may be going.

What Is Happening In Quebec

Back In The Quebec Game -- National Post

There are two Quebecs represented in the House of Commons, Montreal and the Rest of Quebec (RoQ). The math of Quebec's 75 seats is very simple. There are 25 seats in Montreal, and 50 in RoQ.

The Liberals are currently a Montreal party, with all 14 of their seats in the city and the bedroom community of Laval. The Conservatives are an RoQ party, with eight of their 10 seats in the 418 area around Quebec City. And the Bloc is two mints in one, with nearly a dozen seats in Montreal and Laval, but most of its current 48 seats in RoQ. Oh, and the NDP has one member, Tom Mulcair in Outremont.

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My Comment: If the Conservatives want to delay an election, one reason will be because of Quebec.