If the PQ wins the next election, they will overturn any municipal demergers that citizens vote for this June, Landry said today:
The Parti Québécois leader said that it is the Quebec government that is responsible for municipal borders and not the citizens. Landry’s comments provoked murmurs in the audience.
Landry said that to demolish the megacities would be one of the worst things to ever occur in the political history of Quebec.
I lost track of how many double-negatives there are in that one.
Not that this surprises me too much, of course. It was the PQ that merged the municipalities in the first place, without consulting the people and while steamrolling over democracy. They’ve done it once; they can do it again. It wouldn’t shock me.
And the Liberals are allowing demerger referendums as promised, but they’re not exactly making it easy. Today is the last day to revise the electoral list, in a procedure that’s so unclear that 9 out of 10 staunch demerger activists have no idea what they’re supposed to do. Then, 10% of the people in each sector have to sign a register calling for a referendum, in order to have one. Most people don’t know how to go about that, or even what the steps involved are.
No, Mr. Landry, the demolishing of the megacity wouldn’t be one of the worst things to ever occur. That honour goes to the creation of the megacity in the first place.
The whole thing drives me nuts. Why is 50%+1 enough to take Quebec out of Canada, according to the PQ, but not enough to win back our cities that were stolen from us in the first place? I’d love to see Landry’s reaction if the Federal government were to tell him that the Federal government is responsible for provincial borders and not the citizens.
Nobody ever said Quebec politics make sense. But the blatant disregard for the will of the people is just getting worse. And with Charest’s approval rating in the toilet, Landry can pretty much say whatever he wants and still get elected next time around.
“Then, 10% of the people in each sector have to sign a register calling for a referendum, in order to have one.”
” Why is 50%+1 enough to take Quebec out of Canada, according to the PQ, but not enough to win back our cities that were stolen from us in the first place?”
What percentage does it take the win the demerger referendum?
35% of all the people on the list, regardless of how many vote.
And they’re padding the lists like crazy. Dead people, owners of empty lots, people who moved away 10 years ago… unless they request to have their names taken off this week, they count. And there was only 4 days in which to do it and only 3 days’ notice, and you have to go in person with ID. So, for example, if the 3 tenants before me are listed as living in my apartment, I can’t take their names off the list – I can only add mine. Cause they have to take their own names off, and some aren’t even living in the country anymore so they CAN’T go in person to take their names off.
Sounds kinda like Concordia politics, doesn’t it?