There鈥檚 no doubt that Pierre Karl P茅ladeau could be a game-changer in the Quebec election, but perhaps not in the sense Pauline Marois was hoping for when she recruited him as a star candidate for the Parti Qu茅b茅cois.
One thing is certain: It will be all about him. It already has been since Sunday鈥檚 announcement of his candidacy in St-Jerome. Making a clenched fist as he looked into the cameras, P茅ladeau declared his goal 鈥渢o make Quebec a country.鈥�
Well, if sovereignty and the prospect of another referendum weren鈥檛 on the ballot last week, they certainly are this week. Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard now has the perfect pretext to campaign flat out against another referendum.
Speaking of which, P茅ladeau told Radio-Canada on Monday that the 1995 referendum 鈥渨as stolen, pure and simple,鈥� by the No side.
That would be the referendum won by the No by a margin of 50.6 to 49.4 per cent.
There are people voting in this election who weren鈥檛 born in 1995, but the memories linger of broken friendships and divided families. Thanks for reminding us of that, Pierre.
Campaigning with Marois on Monday, P茅ladeau was asked if he would sell his controlling shares in Quebecor, if ordered to do so by Quebec鈥檚 ethics commissioner.
鈥淚 have no intention of selling my shares,鈥� said P茅ladeau, who has said he鈥檒l place his shares in a blind trust. So he鈥檇 still be the controlling shareholder, with 28 per cent of Quebecor shares and 74 per cent of the voting rights. This position is firm, he said, 鈥渁nd won鈥檛 change.鈥� He said he wanted to make sure Quebecor鈥檚 head office remained in Quebec. As if it鈥檚 moving to Toronto anytime soon.
But Marois later said at a news conference with P茅ladeau that he鈥檇 have to abide by whatever the ethics commissioner decides. P茅ladeau later put out a statement saying he would respect 鈥渢he law, and the code of ethics and conduct of the National Assembly.鈥�
So there wouldn鈥檛 be two laws, one for P茅ladeau, and one for everyone else.
P茅ladeau鈥檚 day wasn鈥檛 over. He gave a Q&A to La Presse, whose reporter asked very leading questions about whether he 鈥渕ight play a role similar (to that of Lucien Bouchard) if there were another referendum.鈥�
P茅ladeau allowed how 鈥渋t might be interesting to note what my CV can offer鈥� but it would be up to the premier to determine his role. The headline over the story: 鈥淧茅ladeau, negotiator for Quebec?鈥� The front-page headline Tuesday was even more startling: 鈥淎 CV to negotiate with Ottawa.鈥�
As for the economy: 鈥淚t will be advantageous in the sense that we could have all the powers and attributes of a state, that power wouldn鈥檛 be shared between two orders of government, between the federal government and Quebec.鈥�
Speaking to other reporters about the strong pro-91原创 bias of his Sun newspaper and TV properties, P茅ladeau allowed: 鈥淚鈥檝e always been a sovereigntist and I will remain one. But business is business.鈥�
The fact is that P茅ladeau, as head of Quebecor, has been very good at playing both sides of the street.
At the launch of Sun TV in 2010, he said in Toronto: 鈥淭his is a great day for Canada.鈥� Dubbed Fox News North, Sun has struggled in remote channels on the TV spectrum, while P茅ladeau campaigned for must-carry status with the CRTC.
But otherwise, Quebecor has done very well in federal jurisdiction. Its Videotron cable and Internet unit is a licence to print money. And through Videotron, Quebecor emerged last month as the fourth player 鈥� after the Big Three of Rogers, Bell and Telus 鈥� in the federal wireless spectrum auction. In the event of Quebec independence, would Quebecor still be a 91原创 company?
It鈥檚 too soon to measure P茅ladeau鈥檚 impact on the campaign. But this much is sure: He鈥檚 certain to drive some trade-union votes from the PQ to Qu茅b茅c solidaire. He ran lockouts, hired scabs and broke the unions at his Quebec tabloids. Qu茅b茅c solidaire co-leader Fran莽oise David called his candidacy 鈥渁 gift.鈥�
The race is now as unpredictable as P茅ladeau himself.
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L. Ian MacDonald is editor of Policy magazine.
