Quebec journalist decries ‘anglo’ media coverage of QC election

A Quebec journalist has taken umbrage to the political commentary coming from the rest of Canada.

Sophie Durocher of Journal De Montreal, accuses the English-media of portraying the three major candidates as "narrow-minded racists," "red-necks" and xenophobic.

Durocher singles out the National Post's Chris Selley, Andrew Coyne and Johnaton Kay, suggesting that by insulting the candidates, the trio is insulting the whole population of Quebec.

In fairness to the 'Anglo' media, Quebec politicians have given us a lot to work with.

During this campaign, one party leader — Francois Legault of the Coalition Avenir Quebec — compared Asian kids to Quebec kids.

"If you have kids they'll tell you [the Asian students] are always first in class. One of my sons was telling me, 'Yes, but they have no life,"' Legault told reporters according to The Canadian Press.

This is a political campaign where a Quebec mayor accused Algerian born Parti Québécois candidate, Djemila Benhabib, of posing a threat to "French Canadians" by trying to impose her "rules" on the culture and values of the province.

The Parti Quebecois, who seem poised to win next Tuesday's election, has been the worst culprit when it comes to stomping on minority rights. Leader Pauline Marois has proposed tougher language laws for businesses and students.

She also proposed a law requiring all political candidates to speak French — before backtracking — and a secular charter which would ban all civil servants from wearing or exposing overt religious symbols. Conveniently, the charter won't ban the crucifix at Quebec's national assembly.

And the while Jean Charest's Liberals have avoided any ill-timed minority-bashing comments or policies, they haven't explicitly denounced them either.

And, no, the anglophone media isn't just 'Quebec-bashing,' as Durocher suggests.

Media from coast to coast have jumped all over Alberta's Wildrose Party for their racist bozo-outbreaks during their election campaign this past Spring. I can also remember the term "red-necks" being liberally used in columns about that election, too.

My advice to Ms. Durocher: pay a little more attention to the racist and xenophobic comments coming from the party leaders' in your province, and less attention to the messengers from the rest of Canada.