[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[viper37]

Pablo Rodriguez is out.  Official announcement is to come tomorrow.
Seen here, garden party, summer 2025.  That was the last straw.
Even for Portuguese, a limit was reached: corruption may be excused, but that 1980s style clothing could not be forgiven.
(far left in the picture: Francine Grimaldi a former culture reporter for Radio-Canada, mostly active in the 70s-80s, her style has not change since then).


Emmanuel Cabral, the party host, is a Portuguese wine importer and long time Federal Liberal donor.  In French, one way to describe corruption is to distrubute pots de vins (literally, "pots of wine")

This summer, according to video interviews of both politicians, he was also a long time friend of Pablo Rodriguez and future Montreal mayor (former Federal Liberal Minister) Soraya Martinez Ferrada who were both deeply honored to have been invited by their friend to the party and funding event to the QLP.

We now know that Mr Cabral gave 500$ cash to many of his employees who agreed to give this sum to the Liberal financing campaign (maximum allowed by law).  Former political attache, Geneviève Hinse, fired for her unethical behavior and insubordination, rehired by Rodriguez, signed on all donations.  This is what began the current crisis at the Liberal Party.  All of this was done while Rodriguez was guest of honor at this party, since this was his funding event.  He knew nothing of it, he saw nothing of it, like everything else going on.

Refunding political donations in Quebec has been illegal at least since René Lévesque became Prime Minister in 1976 when a i.

Federal Liberals still believe Quebec laws are optional for them.


Anyway.


This week, neither Rodriguez nor Ferrada really know who Mr Cabral is.  Barely know the guy.  Met him once or twice at public events.



From Montreal's mayor:  [Note: Rodriguez said about the same thing]
Journalist: Are you friends of Mr. Cabral?

Soraya Martinez: Yes, I've known him for several years. He is an entrepreneur, a lover of Montreal, and someone who has always been open to his community. And I think it is very generous of him to invite people—his friends and the business people he works with.

VS
From le Journal de Montréal:

"I do not have a personal relationship with [Emanuel Cabral]," stated Soraya Martinez Ferrada, following an event organized by the Chamber of Commerce of East Montreal on Wednesday.

[viper37]

I don't have a lot of insight into the Canadian conservative heartlands, so I wonder to what degree they think Poilievre is doing a good job. He's certainly not making much of an impression as the leader of the opposition from what I can see.

No one has a lot of insight into the Canadian conservative heartlands anymore.  Lips are sealed tight.

The only thing I could tell you is that my Facebook is unusually quiet about pro-Poilièvre or pro-Conservative (Federal) messages.  Lots of pro Provincial Conservative (Duhaime) surfacing with his talking points making ways, but silence for the Federal communications.

I don't get the feeling that constructive criticism is welcome at the moment.

At the prior defection, journalists obviously wanted to ask questions to the remaining MPs from Quebec, but no one would talk, positively or negatively.  Stark contrast with the Liberal situation where the MNAs were real chatbox.

[HVC]

Hey viper, looks like Pablo Rodriguez resigned a day early.

PS he's Argentinian, not Portuguese last name is a dead give away (Portuguese version ends in s). Well, that and his first name

[viper37]

Hey viper, looks like Pablo Rodriguez resigned a day early.

PS he's Argentinian, not Portuguese last name is a dead give away (Portuguese version ends in s). Well, that and his first name

It was in reference to the fund collecting event (Portuguese fund collector apparently very active in Montreal Portuguese community, from the politician's interviews) and some cultural communities tendencies to mostly always vote Liberal (Italians, Greeks, Jews and apparently Portuguese).  I don't remember the historical reasons though.  Well, except for the Jews.

I'll take due note of the spelling though!

here is the interview with the (future) mayor.  You can tell me the accent of the interviewer:

 
It does not sound Spanish to me, but I could be wrong.  She seesm Portuguese to ,e.

From this show, I think:
https://open.spotify.com/show/2lekE51wizVBG8h0xoQxok?uri=spotify%3Aepisode%3A6CC6fYgSIkPf06UhTLOZSs