babble-intro-img
babble is rabble.ca's discussion board but it's much more than that: it's an online community for folks who just won't shut up. It's a place to tell each other — and the world — what's up with our work and campaigns.

The Official Couillard Liberals Scandal/Outrage Thread

cco
Offline
Joined: Apr 25 2005

Starting with today's "bend over and get ready for cuts" inaugural speech, this thread will serve as an ongoing chronicle of the many sins of the Couillard Liberal government.


Comments

alan smithee
Offline
Joined: Jan 7 2010

This is going to be a very loooong thread.


lagatta
Offline
Joined: Apr 17 2002

We need some popcorn!

Also, a sturdy umbrella, or Tempo Shelter, for the moment when LA MARDE hits the fan...


DaveW
Offline
Joined: Dec 24 2008

see new Cabinet list:

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/politique-quebecoise/201404/...

and a factoid worth noting:

On attendait Hélène David, une vice-rectrice de l'Université de Montréal, à l'Éducation, mais elle est finalement à la tête de la Culture et des Communications. Comme secrétaire de la province dans les cabinets Gouin et Taschereau, son grand-père, Athanase David, avait joué le rôle de ministre de la Culture avant que ce poste ne soit créé officiellement et il avait écrit une politique culturelle - un prix littéraire porte son nom. M. Couillard lui a également confié le mandat de ministre responsable « de la Protection et de la Promotion de la langue française ». Elle est la soeur de Françoise David, de Québec solidaire.


cco
Offline
Joined: Apr 25 2005

On the cabinet outrage parade, let's start with Sam Hamad, former VP of Roche and famous ignorer of the Duchesneau report, as transport minister -- a back-to-business-as-usual signal to the mob if ever there were one.


cco
Offline
Joined: Apr 25 2005
Straight from the Gazette mouthpiece, here comes the pain:
Quote:

Newly minted Quebec finance minister Carlos Leitao is telling anyone who will listen a budget will be tabled in June and the watchword is austerity. This echoes what appeared to be heads up given by Premier Philippe Couillard a day earlier, when he said that the time “for marginal or cosmetic measures” is over and the time for difficult decisions had arrived. There’s already talk of a wage freeze for the public services and that any new government spending would have to come from existing budgets. All of which might take some observers back to 2003 when newly elected premier Jean Charest said it was time to re-engineer the Quebec model

And as those Liberals in the construction industry could tell you, the best "re-engineering" is done by way of demolition.

Spending cuts will lead way to balanced budget, Leitão says
Quote:
“We will question the pertinence of all the social programs,” he said. “Some programs would have to be abolished, would have to be changed, would have to be reduced and others might have to be increased.”

alan smithee
Offline
Joined: Jan 7 2010

Question is,with Montréal already swimming with a poverty problem and a homelesss epidemic ,how severe will social unrest become and will we see a sharp spike in crime?

The poor are going to really get the brunt of this.

I miss Charest.

 


cco
Offline
Joined: Apr 25 2005
Couillard's priorities are (destroying) the economy, (lack of) transparency
Quote:
Couillard said he vowed to make his agenda public when the session at the National Assembly begins May 20.

Seems to me like an election campaign would've been a great time to do that, but I guess Couillard is a firm believer in the Kim Campbell school of governance.

Quote:
"We will use all the tools at our disposal to achieve this important goal, except increase the tax burden of Quebecers and decrease critical services," Couillard said, adding that an early look at the books indicates Quebec's deficit is more than $3.1 billion — rather than $2.5 billion as was previously being reported.

For those of you who use Twitter, I suggest a new hashtag for when something deeply affecting you gets eliminated or slashed to the bone: #NotACriticalService.

Cabinet's already frozen public-sector hiring, and a wage freeze is coming. Is everybody happy we saved the province from an imaginary referendum yet?

And while we're at it: I know the #1 tool in every newly elected government's toolbox is to claim the previous government lied about finances, so you'll have to break all of your promises. But does it seem a little suspicious to anyone else that Couillard is claiming one PQ budget singlehandedly wrecked the finely balanced books that Charest left behind, thereby justifying bleeding the civil service white?


alan smithee
Offline
Joined: Jan 7 2010

He didn't make his agenda clear during the election campaign because he knew he wouldn't have won the election..or at least get a majority.

He's a fuckin' weasel...Come to think of it,he actually looks like a ferret. 


alan smithee
Offline
Joined: Jan 7 2010

This Barry Wilson guy is a real treat.

http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/postscript-welcome-to-the-return-of-sanity-in...

What exactly does this man think are 'entitlements'?

Nevermind,I know what he's refering to.


lagatta
Offline
Joined: Apr 17 2002

"TRIBAL" nationalism? Racist prick (against both francophones and Indigenous peoples).

I sent the following comment, but doubt it will be printed, although I specifically did not call Mr Wilson a racist or redneck.

"Tribal" nationalism? Managing to be offensive both to francophone Québécois and to Indigenous peoples?  WASPs, of course, are never "tribal".

I suppose that for Mr Wilson, entitlements are measures such as CPEs, which have contributed to women's equality in the labour force, and actually paid off for the economy?

The entitlements the "friends" of the Liberal party collects are safe, I guess. Business as usual. "Les vraies affaires".

Guess we can agree on the hockey playoffs.

Note that the website says that racist comments will not be printed. I guess that doesn't include those of their staff. Someone should complain about "tribal nationalism" on the basis of the policy stated at their site.

Perhaps here? newsonline@ctv.ca


DaveW
Offline
Joined: Dec 24 2008

Barry Wilson has a week's wrapup on CTV every Friday at 6.30, usually awful....


cco
Offline
Joined: Apr 25 2005
Here are the first trial balloons...
Quote:

[b)Drastic spending cuts and a freeze on the current payroll[/b] are required, they conclude, and Couillard should reconsider his election promise not to increase the $7 daily charge parents now pay for subsidized daycare to $8 this year and $9 next year.

The Quebec treasury board has identified $1.7 billion in possible cuts, which have not yet been reviewed by the government, and the province needs to find another $1.9 billion, through a combination of more cuts and additional revenues,” Godbout said.

The pair even suggested the government should consider selling off 10-per-cent stakes in Loto Québec and Hydro-Québec “to give itself some oxygen,” buying back the shares when the province’s finances improve.

Montmarquette said Quebecers do not pay the full cost of the services they get, citing daycare, university tuition and Quebec’s pharmacare plan, which alone covers 60 per cent of the cost of drugs.

He said Quebec has European-style social programs with an American-style tax regime and that makes no sense.

But recalling the reaction to the decision by the previous Liberal government of Jean Charest to impose a major university tuition hike, Montmarquette said the Couillard government should take care in reining in government spending that its plan enjoys “social acceptance,” saying protests in the streets could create new problems.

Goddamn right. Now let's all get out there and make sure Couillard knows this shit isn't socially acceptable.


alan smithee
Offline
Joined: Jan 7 2010

These damn poor people and their entitlements.

What happens to the mentally ill,people who cannot work because they are unemployable via mental or physical health?

It's going to be a joy walking in the city passed people no longer on their meds without any money.

I guess it's 'socially acceptable' to rape and pillage those who have nothing to begin with.

Let me correct myself. Those with nothing but 'entitlements'


cco
Offline
Joined: Apr 25 2005
Tony Tomassi will plead guilty to fraud
Quote:
Former Quebec Liberal MNA Tony Tomassi, who was ousted from cabinet in 2010 after corruption allegations surfaced, will plead guilty to fraud rather than stand trial.

One down, 70 to go. Too bad he'll likely never spend a day in jail.


Unionist
Offline
Joined: Dec 11 2005

I'm rooting for Julie Boulet. Even though they're cut her loose, can you imagine how many she can pull down with her? All she needs is something to shall we say encourage her memory to start working again.

 


alan smithee
Offline
Joined: Jan 7 2010

Are you ready for the summer?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnx68ZxUZzg


cco
Offline
Joined: Apr 25 2005
alan smithee
Offline
Joined: Jan 7 2010

and the poor will get the real belt beating...he said 'no one will be spared'..no one but his criminal friends.

in case you missed it,the whole thing was a spectacle with his minions shaking their heads in agreement and applauding every sentence that came out of his mouth like a pack of monkeys.

Am I wrong to think Couillard is the most right wing Premier since Bouchard?...In fact he's looking even further (Tea Bag country)


cco
Offline
Joined: Apr 25 2005
More like the most right-wing (and most federalist) since Duplessis.

alan smithee
Offline
Joined: Jan 7 2010

cco wrote:
More like the most right-wing (and most federalist) since Duplessis.

 

And to think I feared Legault Embarassed


lagatta
Offline
Joined: Apr 17 2002

Fucking Couillard never had to tighten his belt - I'm sure he eats in the finest restaurants every night, or has a trained chef at home.

I want people to learn as many languages as they can, but the idea that "everyone" should learn English is absurd.


cco
Offline
Joined: Apr 25 2005

The Gazette continues hammering home the Liberal message: "It’s going to hurt in the short term but will be worth it in the end." (Note how we never actually get to that "long term".) Québec is "open for business again" and ready for a "long crossing of the desert" of pain.

Don't worry, though. Couillard thinks the word "austerity" is too negative, so he won't use it. The policies will remain unchanged.


alan smithee
Offline
Joined: Jan 7 2010

It's easy for those with money to dismiss austerity as 'short term pain'

The Gazette and CTV Montreal are the PLQ's biggest cheerleaders...I wonder if that 'long crossing of the desert' would be worth the pain if the government increased tax on the weathiest and closed all tax loopholes.

That's the alternative but it's much easier to kick someone in the teeth while they're down.

'Courage'....Yeah,the courage to fuck the poor and the ill.

ETA: This is why I hate the English media.

http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/postscript-maxime-bernier-s-common-sense-for-...


Unionist
Offline
Joined: Dec 11 2005

Couillard is the offspring of the PQ's neoliberal betrayal. Québec needs a Quiet Revolution, only maybe not so quiet this time.

Which reminds me, look who's speaking at the International Economic Forum of the Americas June 9-12 in Montréal... Time for some street entertainment, hmmm?

À qui la rue? À nous la rue!


alan smithee
Offline
Joined: Jan 7 2010

Unionist wrote:

Couillard is the offspring of the PQ's neoliberal betrayal. Québec needs a Quiet Revolution, only maybe not so quiet this time.

Which reminds me, look who's speaking at the International Economic Forum of the Americas June 9-12 in Montréal... Time for some street entertainment, hmmm?

À qui la rue? À nous la rue!

Trouble is the mere act of assembly is now illegal.

Protest and descent will now cost you over $300....I'm sure the riot police will be ready.


Unionist
Offline
Joined: Dec 11 2005

$637 actually.


cco
Offline
Joined: Apr 25 2005
Boulet flips PQ the bird

Feeling the heat, there?


alan smithee
Offline
Joined: Jan 7 2010

It's all about the mythical middle class

Trudeau and Couillard had a meeting of the 'minds' today coming up with 'good ideas' to help the middle class.

All on the shoulders of the poor.


lagatta
Offline
Joined: Apr 17 2002

Trudeau "represents" one of the poorest ridings in Canada. The people in Park Extension, mostly recent immigrants, work in the harshest jobs. The slight gentrification aka increased housing costs in Villeray should not negate its working-class, francophone, Italian, Lebanese and Portuguese roots or the more recent newcomers.

I'm so sick of the shit about the middle class, when even many educated workers (including myself) are reduced to precarity. I lived in his riding for years, and it is by chance that I'm a couple of blocks south of there, in Boulerice's riding...


alan smithee
Offline
Joined: Jan 7 2010

Funny that cutting tax loopholes,collecting corporate taxes and increasing tax on the wealthiest is not an option.

http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/video?playlistId=1.1844003


Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
Login or register to post comments