Pierre-Karl, known as PKP, scion of the Péladeau family wants to be leader of Quebec’s Parti Québécois. That is an absolutely excellent idea. It is an idea that will help ensure the destruction of the failing Parti Québécois and grind it into the dust of history in Quebec.
In contemplating the ‘Je ne sais quoi’ (I have no idea what) of this, you have to admit that the Parti Québécois belongs in the sleaze of Quebecor’s Journal de Montrèal. It would seem that the very touch of a Péladeau will degrade and lower any respect for anything that the PQ has accomplished for the province over the years. It will tear away the false elitism of the Parizeau and Bouchard regimes that tried to tell Quebecers that they knew what was best for them.
PKP’s total lack of understanding of what is involved in leading a political party might be the least of Quebecers worries. Not that we think he will lead the PQ anywhere. We have never been particularly impressed with his business acumen either. The merger that created Quebecor World—one of the largest printing companies in the world—led to its falling into Chapter 11 restructuring in the U.S. because of its inability to keep up with changing technology. Since his father’s death gave him control of Quebecor, it has been obvious that PKP is a most prominent person in his own mind.
As a péquiste, PKP is in the ‘pur et dur’ category which merely means that he is pure separatist and hardened in his attitude. The term goes back to the days of the Rassemblement pour l’indépendance nationale when the group joined with René Lévesque to form the PQ. These are the hard-liners who have little patience for negotiations or any other delay in declaring independence.
It does seem strange that a novice politician such as PKP could be a leadership front runner in a party that was originally conceived as centre-left and socially progressive. PKP is detested by many union people and left-wingers in Quebec and his reputation for union bashing is well earned.
As we saw in the recent Quebec election, PKP is poison to Quebec voters. Maybe they voted for him in Saint-Jerome because he likes to ski but the rest of Quebec reacted strongly against him. As leader of the PQ, he would certainly not do much for tourism, business or the people of Quebec.
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Copyright 2014 © Peter Lowry
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