Quebec City Nights

Had a good time last evening thanks to the wonders of l'Internet, watching the Quebec Leader's Debate on Radio-Canada's website. A few thoughts:

- I really liked the colour of Andre Boisclair's suit (and tie! - was the green for the environment, or to celebrate Quebec's Irish heritage? I suspect the former). If he somehow manages to pull out an electoral win, Boisclair will leapfrog over Nova Scotia's Rodney MacDonald to become, in my books anyway, Canada's most attractive Premier by far.

- Jean Charest's hair: better than it was circa 1995, but still terrible, terrible.

- Why aren't federal leadership debates held in some classy room on Parliament Hill, instead of on some god-awful set in a Nepean soundstage? The National Assembly seems like a cool building, and indirectly managed to help all three leaders appear slightly more like statesmen, and less like sleazeballs.

- In terms of the actual debate:

-I was quite impressed with Boisclair (I admit that I'm predisposed to like him, despite his status as a flaming separatist). He came off well - quite measured (he actually became more so as the debate wore on), animated and convicing in debate, especially with Dumont. He wasn't perfect - he sometimes interrupted Charest too often - but very good.

-Charest was also good, but seemed weary - "defensive" is the word columnists are using. When Dumont challenged him on his accomplishments on behalf of Quebec at the federal level, Charest rhymed off several quite reasonable examples (the Council of the Federation, more money, etc). Dumont pressed more and more aggressively, clearly trying to bait Charest to anger. I expected Charest to turn the tables on Dumont by taking a tack similar to that of Boisclair earlier in the evening - when he repeatedly asked of Dumont, I think to Dumon's detriment, what new powers the ADQ's ludicrous "autonomy" position would actually seek of the federal government - but Charest simply repeated his answer over and over resignedly. He looked like a Premier, but not a very dynamic one.

-As for Mario Dumont, I admit that I'm inclined to dislike his party and his policies, for a number of reasons. I had no reason to feel otherwise after last night. Dumont played to the bleachers all evening - he was sharp and a little wild in his attacks, and played to his rural nationalist base in a way that struck me as more than a little xenophobic.

What's remarkable, for an anglo, is just how anti-Canadian all three leaders, not just Boisclair, seemed to be. Charest and Dumont have similar views of Quebec's place in Canada (more money, more autonomy) whereas Boisclair would settle for the latter outside of Confederation even if it meant passing on the former.

The fourth person present at the debate, though not of course in person, was Stephen Harper. His shadow (and fingerprints) are all over this election, and many are touting Monday's federal budget as one of the campaign's defining moments. I'm not sure how it's going to go down, and I am starting to have a sneaking suspicion that the budget will not be as overtly good for Quebec as many are predicting it will be. I've mentioned before the ties between the ADQ and the federal Conservatives, particularly in the area of operatives on the ground. I wonder if perhaps our Stephen will find some way to reinforce the ADQ's message, and thus its electoral fortunes, if he feels as if Jean Charest is a bit of a canard. Remember, this is the Prime Minister who suggested building a firewall around Alberta - if that's not autonomy, I don't know what is.