Heading toward Game 3

Re: “Lisée hints at PQ sovereignty strategy” (Gazette, Jan. 24)

I’m overjoyed that our new “friend,” Jean-François Lisée, has compared the separatist option to a hockey game.

Just please remember, my Honourable Minister, that using this approach, you must win the next three referendums to claim a best of five series victory! Alex Hrycay Brossard

“We speak less and less … we are indifferent to each other … we have passed that stage …”

But we have to stay together for the sake of the children. Bob Lamarre Lorraine

I’m hardly surprised that Jean-François Lisée is spewing Pablum to students at the Université de Montréal promising a land of milk and honey for Quebecers. After all, he is simply repeating the strategies of his predecessors.

It’s important to note the critical role such misleading propaganda played in the last referendum battle, since it seems evident this is all about to repeat itself. At that time, we recall Jacques Parizeau happily admitted to a lobster pot strategy designed to entice the French population — in effect admitting that only nefarious practices would persuade a Quebec public to follow the pied piper down the road to disaster. Millions of dollars were spent on a glossy brochure sent to every household in Quebec. It was replete with false and misleading statements about the advantages of sovereignty, the continuation of the federal relationship, use of the Canadian passport and so on. Essentially, Quebecers were told they could have their cake and eat it, too.

There was absolutely no mention anywhere of the enormous negative consequences and costs of sovereignty, including the necessary repayment of Quebec’s share of the debt, the loss of thousands of federal jobs in Hull (and Montreal), the loss of transfer payments, the flight of capital, the financial impact from companies scrambling for the exits, the drying up of investment and the subsequent effects on revenues — leading inexorably to higher taxes and less money for social programs.

In fact, in the brochure and the subsequent referendum question, it was misleadingly suggested there would be “a new economic and political partnership,” when, in fact, no such partnership had ever been discussed or agreed with the federal government, not to mention the other provinces. Now we have history repeating itself. Meanwhile, Pauline Marois is off to Scotland shortly to have some photo opportunities with the leaders there, so that, in the unlikely event the Scots vote for independence in their referendum next year, the PQ will then use the result to push for Quebec sovereignty shortly after — while, of course, neglecting to mention the very different political partnership arrangement that the Scots have with Downing Street, not to mention the hugely better economic potential Scotland enjoys with its North Sea oil riches and the advantages of the European Union.

What worries me most, though, is the apparent asleep-at-the-switch attitude in Ottawa that reminds me of Jean Chrétien’s almost disastrous neglect. Once the PQ start their expensive and extensive propaganda campaign, the feds will need to act sharply to start matching it, if they don’t want to fall too far behind in the propaganda wars and lose the country. Alan Mew Baie-d’Urfé

Re: “Head offices keep on leaving” (Henry Aubin, Jan. 24)

Henry Aubin, in his column on the departure of head offices from Montreal, is bang on.

But the exodus began in 1976 with the election of René Lévesque and the Parti Québécois. Monty Berger, in his book Lament for a Province, listed the scores of head offices that fled the province. It was popular at that time to state that “René Lévesque was the best premier Ontario ever had.”

Montreal declined from being the No. 1 city in Canada to lesser and lesser status.

With the current PQ premier dashing hither and thither in an effort to attract industry, what in the world is she offering? The highest taxes in North America? Widespread corruption? Layer on layer of bureaucracy? And a province where the only official language is French.

Quebec’s most important asset is its membership in the Canadian Confederation. Blinded by nationalism, if Quebec (or any portion of it) were to become independent, its lone hope of survival would be a return to the status of being a French colony. Joe King Montreal

I truly believe the divisiveness between anglos and the Quebec government — Liberal or PQ — plays into the hands of those in power.

As long as our attention is focused on debates of linguistic matters, our attention is veered away from what matters in this province, notably, the schism between rich and poor and the fact that too many of our fellow citizens go to bed hungry each night.

The reason lotteries do so well in Quebec is a symptom of the fact that too many of us can’t achieve the American dream we are told, through the media, we must have. Brian Echenberg Montreal

Perhaps Premier Pauline Marois should remain in Scotland while she learns first hand how they are going about striving for independence. She can shout “vive le Scotland libre” from the balconies to her heart’s content and leave us in peace. Mandie Aaron Côte-St-Luc