Conservative Support in Quebec

THE LIE
“They’ll never again be able to say that I wrote off Quebec,” Harper said. “Our party and our organization are getting stronger in all parts of Quebec, including Montreal.”
Quoted in Maclean's from Harper's address at a Conservative Montreal fundraiser in May

THE TRUTH
Léger Marketing's polling reveals a completely different story:

The Conservatives were weak at the time of the last election, and have been in freefall since December, now commanding only 11% support and trailing the Liberals, the Bloc, and NDP. There is no rally, no strength, no core of support. In their desperation, Harper's Conservatives accused Bloc MP's of being soft on pedophiles.

Quebec is an essential prize for any party wanting to form a majority government, and the Bloc has effectively obstructed Harper's attempts to do so, to his humiliation. To his horror, the Liberals have made impressive advances in Quebec.

Harper's valiant attempt to doll-up his ugly party fools noone who is paying attention. Fortunately for Harper, people who pay attention to current events do not form the Conservative base. But the Quebec electorate is sensitive and savvy, commensurate with its political clout. Harper's ham-handed repudiation of "separatists" during last December's coalition scare has surrendered half his share of the Quebec electorate and paved the way for the Liberals to pick up ground.

The Léger polls: October 2008, March 2009, May 2009, June 2009
Conservative propaganda on pedophile protection

A dream that Stephen Harper once had.

Illegal Coalition

THE LIE
"At a time like this, a coalition with the separatists cannot help Canada," Mr. Harper said. "And the opposition does not have the democratic right to impose a coalition with the separatists they promised voters would never happen."
Globe story with the quote

THE TRUTH
The proposed Liberal—NDP coalition did not include the Bloc Quebecois. The BQ could contribute no cabinet ministers and was permitted an independent vote on all matters except confidence votes for 18 months. In a parliamentary democracy, coalition formation is not only a legal and legitimate form of government, but also a desirable one, where elected representatives seek compromise rather than stagnation in the absence of a clear mandate from the electorate. Israel’s numerous recent coalition governments are probably the most prominent recent example.
The Accord Agreement
Yet another Israeli coalition