Statement: Justin Trudeau takes orders… from the World Economic Forum »
Reply: Canada is a sovereign country. Even when inspired by good (or not so good) ideas from elsewhere in the world, the Canadian government is responsible for its own decisions. That is to say that he risks being dismissed from power at each electoral meeting. The real influence of the World Economic Forum (WEF), which has multiplied its positions during the COVID-19 pandemic, is regularly exaggerated by its detractors.
“In the past, the idea that the greats of this world met to decide everything, it was rather from the side of the left or the extreme left that it came, but we now see a transfer to the right or the extreme right “, explained Professor Frédéric Boily, of the University of Alberta, during the health crisis. However, it is advisable to show restraint when the time comes to embark on major debates with a loved one who has gleaned various theories on the Internet, so as not to isolate him from his social circle. “When you suspect a person of falling into an alternative or conspiratorial way of thinking, this is not the time to confront them in a party celebrations,” says Marie-Ève Carignan, professor at the University of Sherbrooke and director of the media division of the UNESCO Chair in the prevention of radicalization and violent extremism.
Statement: Pierre Poilievre will undoubtedly be the next Prime Minister of Canada. »
Reply: The new leader of the Conservative Party of Canada is indeed one of the two favorites in the next elections, which will take place by the fall of 2025. But that Justin Trudeau’s detractors are not celebrating right away! The polls do not suggest any tidal wave for its main rival, at least for now.
“You can still see that support for Poilievre is very strong in the West, but he doesn’t yet have the points he needs in Quebec and Ontario,” explains poll watcher and blogger Philippe J. Fournier. . Even though the Conservative Party of Canada came first in voting intentions in a recent Léger poll, at 33%, the voting system means that support must be geographically distributed to win enough ridings. The most recent by-election, in Mississauga–Lakeshore, showed that the Conservatives are still struggling to break into the strategic electorate of suburban Toronto. However, it is almost a necessary step for a Conservative victory in Ottawa. Myer Siemiatycki, professor emeritus of political science at Metropolitan University of Toronto, even called the results of the by-election Mr. Poilievre’s party. In short, betting on the imminent collapse of Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party remains risky.
Statement: Freedom Convoy protesters are dangerous far-right supporters [ou des héros] ! »
Reply: A public inquiry will soon provide an answer — or the closest thing to it — to this question. After hearing radically opposed points of view, the Rouleau commission must deliver a report no later than February 20 that will determine whether the Freedom Convoy did indeed constitute a threat to national security.
The police themselves were confused by this extraordinary movement: they did not know what they were dealing with! For their part, the demonstrators had the impression of being within their rights by blocking the streets of the federal capital for three weeks. No policeman directly asked them to leave before the Emergencies Act was invoked. Eight experts have stated that the right to “peaceful assembly” guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is very poorly defined. Whether you are a convinced member of the Convoi de la liberté or a proud opponent, the professor of communication at the University of Sherbrooke Marie-Ève Carignan advises us to avoid direct confrontation on this subject with our loved ones “if we wants to have a nice Christmas. “The pandemic has already been very divisive! She warns, referring to speeches for and against strict sanitary measures.
Also read in our Holiday Survival Guide
Statement: Duhaime is my man, he should have won! Strongly more proportionality! »
Reply: Prime Minister François Legault has double-locked the door to any prospect of reforming the current voting system, which has allowed his government to have 72% of the seats in the National Assembly with 41% of the votes. His supporters and those of the Liberals, who total more than 50% of the electorate, cannot complain about the results of their parties, which should militate for the maintenance of the status quo in the medium term.
Despite more obvious distortions than ever that keep the Conservative Party of Quebec out of Parliament with 13% of the vote and allow the 21 Liberals to form the Official Opposition with fewer votes than the Parti Québécois and its three MNAs, political scientist Louis Massicotte does not expect any change. “Talking about it is easy, doing it is more complicated,” he has observed since he began to take an interest in proportional voting in the 1970s. According to him, the appetite for the population and the parties are currently weak for this type of reform. “For the moment, it does not seem very encouraging to me as a context,” he notes. The professor of political science at Ahuntsic College Julien Verville also considers an improbable reform. “We absolutely do not feel listened to in Quebec,” he said, noting that citizen movements continue to exert pressure, however.
Statement: The monarchy, put it out! Take that out of the institutions. »
Reply: The place of the monarchy arouses more opposition in Quebec than in the rest of Canada. However, Quebec’s ability to rid itself of monarchical symbols, as it did last week by eliminating the obligation for deputies to take the oath to the king, could be the subject of legal challenges. In short, the answer is still not entirely clear.
Federal Justice Minister David Lametti was still unable to say on Thursday whether the National Assembly could amend the Canadian Constitution as it did by passing a law to make the oath to the king optional. The answer to this question will determine to what extent Quebec can then decide to continue on the same path and eliminate other monarchical symbols. Professor of constitutional law at the University of Montreal, Stéphane Beaulac believes that it is impossible to eliminate monarchical references within the judicial, legislative and executive powers without completely reviewing the Canadian constitutional system. “In Canada, the three are anchored, rooted in the institution of the monarch,” he says. Justice is rendered in the name of the King, the government is executed by the Governor in Council, and the legislature passes laws through Royal Assent. »
Statement: The 3e link, we need it! »
Reply: The population does not have the tools to confirm this since the government has produced no report documenting the expected impacts of the project, both economically and environmentally.
Normally, major infrastructure projects must undergo a “needs study” before moving forward. However, in this case, the government skipped this step, underlines Fannie Tremblay-Racicot, professor of municipal administration at the National School of Public Administration. “Don’t confuse want with need,” she says. “Some people have wanted it for many years, but that doesn’t mean it’s what we need. And there can be perverse effects to such an investment. In fact, the vast majority of experts in land use planning, urban planning and transportation who have expressed their opinion on the idea of a tunnel between Quebec and Lévis express serious reservations about the project. “If we add a third link, we increase road capacity and that will increase the number of trips. In the long run, travel time will increase,” summarizes Catherine Morency, holder of the Mobility Chair at Polytechnique Montréal. It’s not going to allow people “to save time,” she said. “It will just ensure that they will be able to go and live further away. From the outset, demographics do not justify the project either, since the most recent data from the Institut de la Statistique (ISQ) indicate that the population of workers on the South Shore, in the Quebec region, will have decreased during the commissioning of a possible tunnel in 10 years, note Mme Tremblay-Racicot.