Downhill for Stevie and the Harpercons in Quebec without the A.D.Q.?

I can only hope? The party was on life support and now, Gilles Taillon, may well be the one to pull the plug once and for all after just 23 days leading the party. I ordinarily wouldn't give something like this a second thought, let alone write about  it. Taillon is undergoing treatments for prostate cancer and he didn't even have a seat in the National Assembly. Two of its' MNAs have resigned to sit as independents as of Friday. At last count, It no longer seems the A.D.Q. has enough seats in the National Assembly for official party status. Its' brain child has long since left politics, or has he?


Since Super Mario's departure from politics, we don't hear from him anymore, except for maybe his new career as a TV star. We hadn't seen him really crawling out of the wood work to even comment about Monday's bi-election in Montmagny-L'Islet-Kamouraska-Riviere du Loup, let alone to campaign for Genereux of the Harpercons. 


Yet, according to Taillon, the ghost of Super Mario is still very much around. Taillon blames him as well as other party members and the Harpercons for the internal fighting inside the A.D.Q. 


It was no secret that Mario Dumont was one of Steve's best buddies here in Quebec. Steve had a neo-con to help him make in-roads. According to the CBC, the party was funded largely in part by Conservative Senator, Leo Housakos up until last December, right at the time the ADQ was decimated and Mario ran away. Well, certainly explains that weird relationship between an on again/off again separatist and  Stevie doesn't it?


Gilles Taillon, on the other hand, wanted to break ties with the Harpercons. He basically no longer wanted any ties with any political party; provincial or federal. Ok, sounds ambitious, even admirable.


"I understand today from the public comments made by the former 'owners' of the party, Mario Dumont first among them, that my election as leader of the ADQ signified for these people, the end of an untouchable alliance,"


Untouchable Alliance? It was almost incestuous, if you ask me. Steve and Mario were so joined at the hip, it sent Premier Jean Charest, a former Tory MP and Federalist to campaign for the Bloc Quebecois during the last Federal election. There were, of course other reasons for Charest to have done that, but I digress.


Super Mario appeared yesterday on his TV show, V calling for MNA Gerard Deltell to be leader. Wow! Whatever happened to remaining out of the political arena, Mario? TV show not having hot ratings lately?


It would also seem that co-founder of the A.D.Q., Jean Allaire is also backing Deltell for leader. 


Trouble is, does Deltell even want it? 

"I take note of the fact that many people want a leader who has consensus, and I see that many people think that I am the man for the job," said Deltell.

"[There is] a lot of pressure. But you know, that is part of the job. You don't do politics for the fun of it — you do politics because you are involved."

At this time, Eric Caire, a former contender for A.D.Q. leadership who resigned on Friday to sit as an independent no longer has any interest to lead this party.

Next question, should we even care? Whether Deltell takes it or not certainly won't help his career. This political experiment of reviving Day's past of the Maurice Duplessis era is done.

I wonder if Stevie still cares? After all, he gained a seat in the lower St-Lawrence in Monday's bi-election without the A.D.Q. However, he probably wouldn't have without Genereux or that 242 M bribe last Friday.


The trouble with that is, Stevie can't realistically bribe all or even half of Quebec ridings. Where would the money come from, for starters?


Also, how many Native Quebecois 'stars' can Steve recruit for Quebec ridings?


Some suggest that Stevie try to make nice with Jean Charest, but it may not even be in Charest's own political interests to entertain the idea of making nice with Stevie. As mentioned in a previous post, Charest could well be eye-balling Stevie's job. Unlike Stevie, Charest could potentially lead the Tories to a majority with greater ease.


Taillon is also alleging financial irregularities within the party for several years now and has already notified the Surete de Quebec. That too, more than likely  would be a reason for Gerard Deltell to be on the fence regarding the party's leadership and for those like Eric Caire to no longer be interested.


Whatever the case, I venture to guess that the life support of the A.D.Q. has just had its' plug pulled. 


Perhaps this is wishful thinking on my part. Although, the A.D.Q. will never have enough clout to help Steve make further inroads in Quebec.


I also venture to guess that Super Mario may get an invite from Steve to the senate should his TV show flop.