Quebecers angered by Harper’s hiring of “anti-French” communications director

Many Quebecers are outraged at Stephen Harper's appointment of journalist Angelo Persichilli as his new director of communications.

On Wednesday, Sun Media's David Akin dug up a Toronto Star column in which the non-French speaking Persichilli decries the number of francophone bureaucrats in Ottawa, and condemns former Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe's "selfish cultural aspiration."

"Many are tired of the annoying lament from a province that keeps yelling at those who pay part of its bills and are concerned by the over-representation of francophones in our bureaucracy, our Parliament and our institutions," Persichilli wrote in April 2010.

"The special treatment given to Quebec is balkanizing this country."

Quebec MP Guy Caron told La Presse the decision to hire Persichilli implies the Harper Conservatives have given up on Quebec.

"People who have decided to hire him — and I assume that Mr. Harper was in (on) the process — cannot ignore what (Persichilli) wrote in the past," said Caron.

"If they did know, this demonstrates that the process is not very rigorous. If they did, it says a lot about the attitude and perception of Mr. Harper to Quebec."

As you might expect, Quebec's francophone media and those who absorb it aren't happy with Harper's new spin doctor either.

In the comments section of La Presse, Vitriolla wrote the hiring of Persichilli was "a political gesture" that confirms what Harper really thinks about Quebec.

Gaston Bourdages wrote that Persichilli's April 2010 column only "strengthens" his "Quebecois nationalism."

Gabrielle Racle said the role of communications director is a key position and the fact Harper chose an "anti-French fanatic" for the job says a lot about Harper and how he intends to govern Canada. He adds Harper is promoting "division rather than unification."

In defence of the Tories, MacLean's Paul Wells says the appointment of Persichilli represents "a significant reallocation of Conservative attention and energy toward . . . the great big ethnic stew pot of Persichilli's Toronto stomping ground," rather than a snub to francophones.

"Persichilli will apparently spend little time talking to Ottawa reporters in any language," Wells wrote in his blog.

"That task will fall, on most days, to Andrew MacDougall, a well-liked and very bilingual PMO staffer."

(CBC Photo)