Monday, September 24, 2007
Marie Antoinette: Let them Rezone!
Pauline Marois, leader of the separatists, will win her by-election today. However, this does not mean its all sunshine for this kingly dame of imposing proportions. Over the weekend, the Gazette caused a storm in La Belle Province with allegations surrounding how Madame Marois acquired her chateau on a quiet back river of the might St-Lawrence.
Background
Madame Marois, doyenne of separatism, becamePQ leader after scaring Gilles Duceppe away in a matter of minutes. As a minister, she is famous for implementing two hugely impractical and expensive social programs - pseudo-universal daycare and prescription drug sort-of-coverage (yes, while the rest of Quebec's infrastructure and social services were crumbling). She also installed silent flush toilets in her office. (Don't ask). In her personal time, this leader of the separatist cause speaks english in her household, with her children. She also lives in the surest part to partition from a separate Quebec: the Anglo Ghetto of the West Island. Her house is a $3 million mansion.
The Allegations
There are two issues at the heart of the Gazette piece. One, it seems Mme. Marois and her well-heeled, well-connected husband, acquired the part of her estate she actually owns by having the land re-zoned as residential when it was agricultural land. This took some craftiness and a $1,600 gift. Two, she controls large swaths of land that is government-owned. The land is slated to be a highway one day (uh-huh) but currently exists as a private tree-lined path, duck ponds and manicured lawns. Since the land is private, but not owned by her, she is not paying taxes on it. But, as with so many cases like this, she doesn't seem to be leasing the land either. In other words, what she doesn't own, she gets for free.
Mme. Marois claims this is a smear campaign and that everything she has done to slap together her own little Versailles is completely above board. However, the smell of rot lingers since she hasn't substantiated her denials with a tax bill, lease payment receipt or proof that the land she does own occurred properly. She has threatened to sue the Gazette and the paper has replied with a polite, "bring it on."
The larger problem is one of optics. One the of the most crippling aspects of the separatist movement these days is how out of touch it is with Quebeckers. Andre Boisclair and Gilles Duceppe are metrosexual dandies debating Derrida and dialectics over dandelion wine. Pauline Marois was going to return the party to its pur laine roots. But unfortunately, a logger on the Gaspe doesn't ordinairly acquire 35 acres of prime farm land on which to spread his multi-million-dollar spread. Nor does an order picker in Trois-Riviere speak english to his family and shop among "les anglais" at Fairview shopping centre.
If the Gazette's allegations prove true, then optics will be the least of Mme. Marois' worries. If false, they still paint a world completely beyond the imagination of average joes and Mme. Marois' honeymoon with Quebeckers will be over with the latter reserving its affections once more for a normal guy who knows what paycheck-to-paycheck actually means, Mario Dumont.
Background
Madame Marois, doyenne of separatism, becamePQ leader after scaring Gilles Duceppe away in a matter of minutes. As a minister, she is famous for implementing two hugely impractical and expensive social programs - pseudo-universal daycare and prescription drug sort-of-coverage (yes, while the rest of Quebec's infrastructure and social services were crumbling). She also installed silent flush toilets in her office. (Don't ask). In her personal time, this leader of the separatist cause speaks english in her household, with her children. She also lives in the surest part to partition from a separate Quebec: the Anglo Ghetto of the West Island. Her house is a $3 million mansion.
The Allegations
There are two issues at the heart of the Gazette piece. One, it seems Mme. Marois and her well-heeled, well-connected husband, acquired the part of her estate she actually owns by having the land re-zoned as residential when it was agricultural land. This took some craftiness and a $1,600 gift. Two, she controls large swaths of land that is government-owned. The land is slated to be a highway one day (uh-huh) but currently exists as a private tree-lined path, duck ponds and manicured lawns. Since the land is private, but not owned by her, she is not paying taxes on it. But, as with so many cases like this, she doesn't seem to be leasing the land either. In other words, what she doesn't own, she gets for free.
Mme. Marois claims this is a smear campaign and that everything she has done to slap together her own little Versailles is completely above board. However, the smell of rot lingers since she hasn't substantiated her denials with a tax bill, lease payment receipt or proof that the land she does own occurred properly. She has threatened to sue the Gazette and the paper has replied with a polite, "bring it on."
The larger problem is one of optics. One the of the most crippling aspects of the separatist movement these days is how out of touch it is with Quebeckers. Andre Boisclair and Gilles Duceppe are metrosexual dandies debating Derrida and dialectics over dandelion wine. Pauline Marois was going to return the party to its pur laine roots. But unfortunately, a logger on the Gaspe doesn't ordinairly acquire 35 acres of prime farm land on which to spread his multi-million-dollar spread. Nor does an order picker in Trois-Riviere speak english to his family and shop among "les anglais" at Fairview shopping centre.
If the Gazette's allegations prove true, then optics will be the least of Mme. Marois' worries. If false, they still paint a world completely beyond the imagination of average joes and Mme. Marois' honeymoon with Quebeckers will be over with the latter reserving its affections once more for a normal guy who knows what paycheck-to-paycheck actually means, Mario Dumont.
Labels: And now back to the implosion of the Liberal party
Comments:
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apparently, Marois's husband's business partner bought the land and had it re-zoned, then sold the house to Marois...
What is really funny is that the zoning official recalls Claude Blanchet (marois husband) still paying the 1600$ bribe...
intriguing indeed...pre-emptive bribing?
What is really funny is that the zoning official recalls Claude Blanchet (marois husband) still paying the 1600$ bribe...
intriguing indeed...pre-emptive bribing?
"Sarkozy defended his decision to summer in America, and not somewhere in France, saying, "I don't see why I should have given up going to the United States because a small part of the French elite professes an anti-Americanism that in no way corresponds to what the French people think — in no way at all.] "
Sounds like Canada. Bring back the guillotine.
Sounds like Canada. Bring back the guillotine.
# posted by 
: Monday, September 24, 2007 2:21:00 PM
: Monday, September 24, 2007 2:21:00 PM
I'm watching this with a great deal of interest, though outside of the internet, I don't think it's really gone very far outside of Quebec - it ought to, it's important news about a potential-Premier. I think you're right on all counts here.
"If the Gazette's allegations prove true, then optics will be the least of Mme. Marois' worries."
This was not a Gazette scoop.
I don't know if you're familiar with Radio-Canada's program "Info-man" a satirical show re: current events.
The host, Jean-René Dufort, showed an aerial view of Mme Marois' mansion on Thursday Sept. 13. Why? Because she had shown journalists around a little "cabane" she owns in Charlevoix, where she's a candidate in today's by-election.
Here’s what Dufort had to say:
http://www.radio-canada.ca/television/infoman/emission/emission_2007-09-20.shtml
« Plusieurs m'ont parlé de notre reportage sur la « cabane » de Pauline Marois. Certains nous ont cependant reproché d'envahir sa vie privée. Il faut comprendre que Pauline Marois a décidé elle-même d'utiliser sa vie privée à des fins politiques lorsqu'elle a présenté son chalet de Charlevoix afin de répondre à la rumeur voulant qu'elle vive dans un château. Dans le reportage elle dit au journaliste de TVA : « Vous pouvez témoigner que c'est pas un château? Hein? ». Ce reportage nous est apparu quelque peu manipulateur, à la limite de la fausse représentation. Pauline Marois vit dans un château. C'est un fait. Et il y a une différence entre ne pas l'afficher (ce qui est tout à son honneur) et tenter de nous dire le contraire. Nous pensons donc qu'il est d'intérêt public de rétablir les faits. Nous n'aurions jamais présenté la « cabane de l'île Bizard » si Pauline n'avait pas présenté sa « cabane de l'Anse-au-sac ».
Literal Translation:
Many people spoke to me about our report on Pauline Marois’ “little shack”. Some however reproached me for having invaded her private life. One must understand that Pauline Marois herself decided to use her private life for political purposes when she presented her Charlevoix cottage in order to answer the rumours about her living in a chateau. In a report she said to a TVA [another Quebec TV network] journalist: “You can see that it’s not a chateau, eh?” That report seemed to us somewhat manipulative, perhaps even misrepresentation. Pauline Maurois lives in a chateau. It’s a fact. There’s quite a difference between not boasting about it (to her credit) and to try to tell us the opposite. So we think that it’s in the public interest to reestablish the facts. We would never have presented the “Ile Bizard shack” if Pauline had not presented her “L’Anse-au-sac shack.”»
Why all this background? Simply because English talk radio stations were all-a-twitter this morning about this, and their parting shots were that the French media was NOT paying any attention to it.
This was not a Gazette scoop.
I don't know if you're familiar with Radio-Canada's program "Info-man" a satirical show re: current events.
The host, Jean-René Dufort, showed an aerial view of Mme Marois' mansion on Thursday Sept. 13. Why? Because she had shown journalists around a little "cabane" she owns in Charlevoix, where she's a candidate in today's by-election.
Here’s what Dufort had to say:
http://www.radio-canada.ca/television/infoman/emission/emission_2007-09-20.shtml
« Plusieurs m'ont parlé de notre reportage sur la « cabane » de Pauline Marois. Certains nous ont cependant reproché d'envahir sa vie privée. Il faut comprendre que Pauline Marois a décidé elle-même d'utiliser sa vie privée à des fins politiques lorsqu'elle a présenté son chalet de Charlevoix afin de répondre à la rumeur voulant qu'elle vive dans un château. Dans le reportage elle dit au journaliste de TVA : « Vous pouvez témoigner que c'est pas un château? Hein? ». Ce reportage nous est apparu quelque peu manipulateur, à la limite de la fausse représentation. Pauline Marois vit dans un château. C'est un fait. Et il y a une différence entre ne pas l'afficher (ce qui est tout à son honneur) et tenter de nous dire le contraire. Nous pensons donc qu'il est d'intérêt public de rétablir les faits. Nous n'aurions jamais présenté la « cabane de l'île Bizard » si Pauline n'avait pas présenté sa « cabane de l'Anse-au-sac ».
Literal Translation:
Many people spoke to me about our report on Pauline Marois’ “little shack”. Some however reproached me for having invaded her private life. One must understand that Pauline Marois herself decided to use her private life for political purposes when she presented her Charlevoix cottage in order to answer the rumours about her living in a chateau. In a report she said to a TVA [another Quebec TV network] journalist: “You can see that it’s not a chateau, eh?” That report seemed to us somewhat manipulative, perhaps even misrepresentation. Pauline Maurois lives in a chateau. It’s a fact. There’s quite a difference between not boasting about it (to her credit) and to try to tell us the opposite. So we think that it’s in the public interest to reestablish the facts. We would never have presented the “Ile Bizard shack” if Pauline had not presented her “L’Anse-au-sac shack.”»
Why all this background? Simply because English talk radio stations were all-a-twitter this morning about this, and their parting shots were that the French media was NOT paying any attention to it.
# posted by : Monday, September 24, 2007 3:15:00 PM
: Monday, September 24, 2007 3:15:00 PM
well, Gabby, that's some excellent scoop gathering and disseminating.
The Gazette's allegations are fairly serious and hopefully, Mme. Marois can dispell them rather quickly.....
The Gazette's allegations are fairly serious and hopefully, Mme. Marois can dispell them rather quickly.....
Oh, no, I'm not trying to out-scoop The Gazoo! It's just that I get tired of hearing some radio talk show hosts drone on and on against the French side (I'm not anglo nor franco), when they appear not to have the SLIGHTEST notion of what's going on in the other solitude.
Leaving for a concert soon - to listen, not play - so I'll check back later.
Leaving for a concert soon - to listen, not play - so I'll check back later.
# posted by : Monday, September 24, 2007 4:00:00 PM
: Monday, September 24, 2007 4:00:00 PM
gabby,
Quebec's anglos are the most ignorant louts in Canada.
I could puke everytime the CBC mornign guys talk about Denys Arcand's laterst film playing in Grand Prairie, Alberta.
They laugh and laugh and laugh about how "in the middle of nowhere" it is (which, of course it is, but so what you condescending jerks). And, they snicker when Grand Prairie pedestrians admit to the inquiring journalist that they don't know Denys Arcand.
You know, as if Denys Arcand should be the first thing everyone knows. Get a grip! Just another left-wing artiste, my boys, not exactly Kant or Chopin.
Quebec's anglos are the most ignorant louts in Canada.
I could puke everytime the CBC mornign guys talk about Denys Arcand's laterst film playing in Grand Prairie, Alberta.
They laugh and laugh and laugh about how "in the middle of nowhere" it is (which, of course it is, but so what you condescending jerks). And, they snicker when Grand Prairie pedestrians admit to the inquiring journalist that they don't know Denys Arcand.
You know, as if Denys Arcand should be the first thing everyone knows. Get a grip! Just another left-wing artiste, my boys, not exactly Kant or Chopin.
Hey Chucker,
Heading up for two days to go to the President's Cup, Course must be close to Versailles, no?
Grithater, who can't be bothered with this blogger password I forget thing.
Heading up for two days to go to the President's Cup, Course must be close to Versailles, no?
Grithater, who can't be bothered with this blogger password I forget thing.
# posted by : Monday, September 24, 2007 4:29:00 PM
: Monday, September 24, 2007 4:29:00 PM
grithater:
your mulligans might whack her ducks.... please be careful as they don't taste as yummy when brain damaged.
your mulligans might whack her ducks.... please be careful as they don't taste as yummy when brain damaged.
" ... Quebec's anglos are the most ignorant louts in Canada...."
Now, now, let's not get carried away. i've always maintained and continue to believe that ALL groups - be they ethnic, religious, racial, whatever - have their share of sages and idiots.
"I could puke everytime the CBC mornign guys talk about Denys Arcand's laterst film playing in Grand Prairie, Alberta."
Yeah, Alberta has become the new pariah, judging by all the pen ... er... oil envy going around.
If you think CBC morning guys are condescending, you should hear the aptly named Joel Le Bigot on Rad-Can. See? Anglo or Franco - it's individuals, not the entire group that can be complete jerks
P.S. Two of Denys Arcand's - Le Déclin ... and Les Invasions ... - were pretty good. I'm looking forward to his latest, although I don't care much for the lead actor Marc Labrèche.
Now, now, let's not get carried away. i've always maintained and continue to believe that ALL groups - be they ethnic, religious, racial, whatever - have their share of sages and idiots.
"I could puke everytime the CBC mornign guys talk about Denys Arcand's laterst film playing in Grand Prairie, Alberta."
Yeah, Alberta has become the new pariah, judging by all the pen ... er... oil envy going around.
If you think CBC morning guys are condescending, you should hear the aptly named Joel Le Bigot on Rad-Can. See? Anglo or Franco - it's individuals, not the entire group that can be complete jerks
P.S. Two of Denys Arcand's - Le Déclin ... and Les Invasions ... - were pretty good. I'm looking forward to his latest, although I don't care much for the lead actor Marc Labrèche.
# posted by : Monday, September 24, 2007 11:37:00 PM
: Monday, September 24, 2007 11:37:00 PM
Yes, Alberta has indeed become the new punching bag for making fun of people. It's really silly. I mean, it's not like they're Catholics or anything.
Kidding - but yes, Gabby and Chucker are right, you hear that kind of stuff outside of anglo Montreal, too, believe me.
Kidding - but yes, Gabby and Chucker are right, you hear that kind of stuff outside of anglo Montreal, too, believe me.
That's okay, I noticed in the Gazetter that they were saying "yes" to an increased royalty payment to the province from the Oil Producers... More for Albertans and more Canadians they shout from the editorial.
Too bad no one told the Gazette that the more we take in royalties, the less the Oil companies pay in Federal Tax's.
It's more for us, and less for the rest of the nation...
So kick us around, use us as a punching bag, treat us like Lepers... we still have the money, and anyone who ever told you money can't buy happiness... never had any money.
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Too bad no one told the Gazette that the more we take in royalties, the less the Oil companies pay in Federal Tax's.
It's more for us, and less for the rest of the nation...
So kick us around, use us as a punching bag, treat us like Lepers... we still have the money, and anyone who ever told you money can't buy happiness... never had any money.
# posted by : Tuesday, September 25, 2007 1:47:00 PM
: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 1:47:00 PM << Home
