Latest from Martin Patriquin
Opinion
Conservatives hoped SNC-Lavalin would sour Quebecers on Trudeau. Instead, it endeared him to them
SNC-Lavalin is a symbol of Quebec success and might on the world stage, and Trudeau stood up for it.
Opinion
Absurdity and cruelty come together in one new Quebec law
This has been a long time coming. For over a decade, Quebec's political class has been particularly adept at exploiting Quebecers' understandable fear of assimilation for electoral gain.
Opinion
Quebec slags Alberta's oil bounty, while gorging itself on it at the same time
During last year’s election campaign, François Legault was the lone provincial leader to declare himself open to the idea of pipeline development in Quebec. Yet as premier, he has called oil “dirty energy” and slammed the door on more pipelines through the province.
Opinion
Alberta's rage has rendered Jason Kenney near-bulletproof
Kenney has come to realize that, in their roiling hatred of the incumbent NDP government, most Alberta voters are willing to overlook a remarkable amount of race-, gender- and sexuality-based animus, not to mention demonstrable electoral skullduggery.
Opinion
Quebec nationalism could once claim to be colour- and country-blind. Not anymore
In a society where other language are often seen as a threat to French, recruiting immigrants from Europe outside of France is exquisitely counterproductive
Opinion
Canada's rushed rollout of legal cannabis has been a gift to the illegal market
All 12 stores in Quebec have closed Monday to Wednesday as a result of supply shortages. A rotating Canada Post strike has throttled online sales deliveries. Meanwhile private storefronts, though illegal in Quebec, are as close as a Google search away.
Opinion
Quebec's cultural milieu demonstrates its utter hypocrisy in defending SLĀV
Several French-speaking pundits frothed at the mouth, as if on cue, over the cancellation of show about slavery that featured a mostly white cast. But these are the same pundits who will scream about "Bonjour/Hi" and other perceived cultural slights.
Opinion
The identity obsession has been all-consuming for Quebec, just as the provincial Liberals like it
The pessimist might say Liberals simply lack the courage to settle a deeply divisive issue. The cynic believes just the opposite: that Liberals have purposefully allowed the debate to drag on, if only to make political hay out of it time and again.
Opinion
In the wake of the Florida school shooting, the NRA is suddenly distinctly vulnerable
By virtue of timing and circumstance, and thanks to the well-placed outrage of those who nearly died in a hail of bullets last week, the NRA no longer seems bulletproof.
Opinion
The year since the mosque shooting has made amnesiacs out of Quebec's political class
A year ago, these very politicians professed shock and sadness at a murderous hate crime perpetrated on their watch. Demonstrably, as Quebec approaches a fall election, political reality has pushed this emotion aside.