Quebec: Ethnic Controversy?

Ok so these new suggestions by PQ leader (btw look up what PQ means in France) Pauline Marois that limits should be put on immigrants vying for public office based on the French language ability is a bit stirring: it's undemocratic, unconstitutional, and downright unreal.

This is a desperate party of yesteryear trying to stab in the dark with hopes of gaining popular support in Quebec. Unfortunately those stabs are putting wounds into immigrants and Canada's image, if nothing else, of ethnic diversity. This, my friends, is over the line. Civil liberties and personal freedoms are not topics of political debate, this is why we have stable constitutions and legal traditions that protect these tenets of our society.

As for our central government -- well, Canada's formerly new perhaps now becoming stale government has ducked the issue saying it's a Quebec issue. Wrong! It's a Canada issue. Last time I checked and much to the despair of M. Duceppe and Mme. Marois, Quebec is still a part of Canada. The Tory government needs to "stand up for Canada." For a government that's been courting minorities with Rosh Hashanah cards and the like, why not show your real and sincere interest by standing up when it matters. Or perhaps that interest is not sincere, it's only in place when it doesn't alter their hopes of gaining a majority.

Shame!