Welcome to a highly charged political combat on the streets of Montreal.
What is extremely disappointing, but expected, is the total lack of honesty or transparency in this debate.
After month of protests on the streets of Montreal, shameful violence, destruction of public and private property, interruption of thousands of businesses, loss of thousands of hours of work, tens of millions of dollars of policing, ostensibly over increased tuition, the Quebec Government passed Bill 78 limiting the protestors to be obliged to give notice of public protests, and forcing them to expose their faces.
The absolute hue and cry internationally has been frankly outrageous, with the UN decrying the loss of human rights, yet the true reason for the protests is being quietly covered up.
If you didn’t read my previous blog, then I will repeat myself, this is POLITICALLY motivated, and has absolutely nothing to do with tuition, the cost of higher education in Quebec being the lowest in Canada. Tens of thousands of students and citizens are being blinded by rhetoric.
So my question to you, my reader is this, what happened to the rights of the other 95% of students who wanted to complete their school year?
What about the business owners who have suffered huge financial losses due to this protest?
What about the loss of time and revenue of the tens of thousands of citizens (myself included) who have been inconvenienced by this, and are in fact totally against it?
What about OUR rights to safe streets, metro, without fear of being in the middle of a violent mob?
What about all the businesses and public property which has been damaged and defaced?
What about the tens of millions of TAXPAYER dollars being spent on policing and damage to public property?
Oh, I guess the 95% of the population who are trying to run companies, go to school, and live our lives peacefully don’t count. Our rights are being TRAMPLED by a group of radical selfish youth …
This was always and continues to be a purely political manoeuvre by the PQ and the unions to oust incumbent Jean Charest and his Liberal Party, and has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with tuition.
The problem is that the zealots are killing the city in which we all live by destroying the economy and our reputation internationally. They are driving tourists and business people out of the province, and once they have gone, they won’t come back, one only has to visit downtown Toronto to get a sense of just exactly what has been lost in Quebec. Toronto is absolutely thriving, with incredible new Hotel complexes, restaurants, theatres, and a booming financial market. Walk on Bloor, Queen West, the Theatre District, the Waterfront, and you will see endless new construction and tourists from all over the world.
Why would anyone in their right mind want to visit or invest in a zenophobic racist violent city, when Toronto is a few hundred miles away, with better weather, and the right to do business in the language of your choice. Go to the Indian part of town, Chinatown, Korea town, and see the multitude of signs in every language possible, customers all over the street with numerous shopping bags in their hands.
The Grand Prix, usually a major drawing card for wealthy tourists from around the world, was decimated this year due to the violence. Hotels, which normally are over-booked, had availability, the best restaurants had tables available, and shops on Sherbrooke Street were empty the Friday Night of Grand Prix weekend.
This is politically motivated, by both the unions and the PQ. Make no mistake. Listen to the interviews with the student leaders and the protestors, they are ranting about everything EXCEPT tuition.
The PQ is seeking new members and new future leaders, what better way than to create huge civil unrest and watch them?
The unions have taken a beating over the last few years, and the Liberals are speaking of cutting the bureaucracy, which is outrageously bloated, and needs to be cut by 30%, which, was Jean Charest’s platform for re-election…. Pauline Marois already lives in a castle, and wants to be ‘Queen of Quebec’ it should be obvious, but the rhetoric is so loud that no one can hear.
Do NOT be blinded by politics.