Celebrating Halloween with Pauline and the Péquistes

By Bernard Mendelman, October 24th, 2012

Lit up Jack-o-lanterns with carved out eerie faces, scarecrows on broomsticks, skeletons, coffins and tombstones scattered on lawns, ghosts, aliens, ghouls, witches, goblins, zombies, mummies, werewolves, spiders, bats, owls, crows, vultures,  black cats, braying dogs, Draculas, Frankensteins, Jason and Freddy Krugers. All of the afore mentioned, on Halloween night may frighten us a bit, but none will scare the daylights out of most Quebeckers as some of the proposals expected from Premier Pauline Marois during her reign.
The Quebec National Assembly reconvenes on Oct. 30, and then on the following day, Halloween, the Parti Quebecois government will table its inaugural speech to the assembly. We can anticipate there will be more tricks than treats announced in this speech. Expect the accommodation crisis to heighten. Minorities, even though born in Quebec, are rarely considered real Québecoise, by most Péquistes. Many of them also resent immigrants, even though they speak French. One of its high ranking members, Jean-François Lisée, the cabinet minister responsible for liaison with the anglophone community, has said the following about new immigrants. “An immigrant who speaks French from Shanghai is worth less than an immigrant from Bordeaux because the language he speaks at home is not French.” Someone should remind Lisée that the immigrant from Bordeaux speaks more eloquent French than his Péquistes members do. Let him ponder that while his members eat their poutine with their chien chaud!
Why not join Pauline and the Péquistes at the National Assembly for Halloween? I can offer you some costume suggestions. You could come dressed as an orange and white cone, with money tucked in your socks to send a message to political members of all parties about accepting bribes from the construction industry. If you want to only zero in on Péquiste members wear a Jean Chrétien mask with a Canadian flag wrapped around your shoulders to remind them of the last Quebec Referendum. Another costume that will make a statement to them could be a combined Muslim headscarf, a Sikh turban, a Jewish kippah and a large crucifix chain. For something less subtle you can dress in one of this year's most popular Halloween costumes - a Big Bird outfit. Mitt Romney used the 8-foot, 2-inch yellow bird as an example of a needless government expense. Romney is out to cut all unnecessary government spending if he becomes President. He claims PBS gets an exorbitant amount of funding from the government each year. In his first debate with President Barack Obama, Romney made it known that he loves Big Bird, but funding for television stations is one of those unnecessary expenses, especially when TV stations are able to generate their own funds. Since Sesame Street premiered in 1969 on PBS, Big Bird has entertained millions of pre-school children and their parents with his wide-eyed wondering of what the world has to offer. Big Bird makes friends easily, but he's prone to frequent misunderstandings. Big Bird helps children and their parents feel all right about not knowing everything because he himself does not know everything, and encourages them to always inquire about what makes things work. Perhaps Marois can learn a thing or two from Big Bird.  In any event, I'll feel terrible if Big Bird is put out of a job after all these years.  If you decide to go as Big Bird, try to get Youppi to accompany you. Youppi lost his job as mascot when the Expos folded, but then luckily was hired by the Canadiens.  The National Hockey League is yet to start this year's schedule, so Youppi is out of work again. Even when they resume, the Canadiens may decide they can no longer afford his services. If some of Marois' intended taxation on corporations gets passed, a lot of Quebeckers may also find themselves skating on thin ice when it comes to keeping their jobs.
By showing up as Big Bird at the National Assembly on Halloween and giving Pauline and her Péquistes the bird it seems like a great way to celebrate the holiday.
riben@videotron.ca