Latest news with #TheCornerBooth
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Montreal Gazette
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Pablo Rodriguez can't treat anglos ‘as the party wallet'
The Corner Booth Pablo Rodriguez is the new leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, but is he the right man for the job? As pointed out by The Gazette's Philip Authier, Rodriguez 'has his work cut out for him.' Political strategist Jennifer Crane, founder of Connexion Quebec Public Affairs, and political analyst Raphaël Melançon, founder of Trafalgar Stratégies, join hosts Bill Brownstein and Aaron Rand on this week's episode of The Corner Booth at Snowdon Deli to break down Rodriguez's closer-than-expected leadership win, and whether he can bring Quebecers back to the party in time for the 2026 election. 'I was surprised he didn't win as solidly as he thought he was going to win,' Crane said. 'Most people I know who are anglos voted for (second-place finisher) Charles Milliard.' A new Pallas Data poll shows the provincial Liberals sit in second place under their new leader, only five points back of the Parti Québécois. With Paul St-Pierre Plamondon's party ahead and François Legault's CAQ a distant third, Melançon says sovereignty is back on the table, meaning Rodriguez can position the Liberals as a refuge for voters who don't want a referendum. But Rodriguez will have to make inroads in the regions of Quebec, where his resumé as a Montreal-area federal cabinet minister under Justin Trudeau could complicate matters. 'He is an easy target to attack. He's an easy target for the PQ,' Melançon said. 'One thing I hope he doesn't import from the federal Liberals is to treat the English-speaking community as the party wallet,' Crane said. 'And then we're expected to turn around and say 'oh, we didn't notice you're putting a knife in our back.'' In the episode, they also discussed Marwah Rizqy leading the Liberals in the legislature, as well as this fall's municipal election, which will see a new mayor get elected with Valérie Plante choosing to not run again. Projet Montréal's Luc Rabouin and Ensemble Montréal's Soraya Martinez Ferrada are in the running, but could we see a last-minute candidate emerge?
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Montreal Gazette
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Karl Blackburn on how Quebec Liberals can beat the CAQ
The Corner Booth Before the Quebec Liberals can have any hope of unseating the CAQ government in the 2026 provincial election, first they need to elect a new leader. Party members will choose one on June 14 in Quebec City. A late entry into the contest is Karl Blackburn, former MNA for Roberval from 2003 to 2007, and a chief organizer for the party. Blackburn also served as the president and CEO of the Conseil du patronat du Québec (CPQ), the province's largest employers' group. The Quebec Liberal leadership candidate joined hosts Bill Brownstein and Aaron Rand on this week's episode of The Corner Booth at Snowdon Deli to lay out his vision for uniting the Liberal base in Montreal with the vote-rich regions of the province. Blackburn feels his Lac-St-Jean bonafides will serve the party well outside of the 514-416. 'Mr. Legault in 2022 showed to everybody that he can form a government without Montreal, but we can't form a government without the regions,' Blackburn said. He added appealing to the regions doesn't have to come at the expense of alienating the province's English-speakers. 'It's interesting to see the guy from Saguenay–Lac-St-Jean defend the anglophone community,' Blackburn said. 'This is exactly what I'm doing. I don't want the closed leadership of Mr. Legault, dividing francophones against anglophones.' Blackburn talked about his opposition to the CAQ government's language, education and health-care bills. He also commented on the 'anyone but Rodriguez' sentiment brewing in the race against the early front-runner, former Montreal-area federal minister Pablo Rodriguez. 'The PLQ are not going to be a government anymore if we're not able to reconnect with the regions, and this is my strength,' Blackburn said in response to what would make him a more attractive candidate than Rodriguez. The trio also paid tribute to astronaut and politician Marc Garneau, who passed away this week at the age of 76. Garneau most recently appeared on The Corner Booth in January.
Montreal Gazette
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
From the archives: Marc Garneau on The Corner Booth
The Corner Booth Back in early 2025, former astronaut-turned-politician Marc Garneau said what many in the Liberal camp appeared to be thinking at the time: '(Justin Trudeau) waited too long. I think that he had trouble recognizing that his moment had passed and held on, and unfortunately put himself ahead of both the party and the country.' Garneau, who died on Wednesday at age 76, was featured in a January episode of The Corner Booth alongside former Liberal MP David Lametti. The two former ministers discussed Trudeau's momentous — and perhaps overdue — decision to resign as Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. In light of Garneau's passing, here's a look back at that conversation.
Montreal Gazette
24-05-2025
- Health
- Montreal Gazette
Quebec doctors react to Bill 106: ‘We can't meet those demands'
The Corner Booth Doctors in Quebec say they're already stretched beyond their limits. Now, as Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé is tabling Bill 106, our province's physicians are once again sounding the alarm over the disconnect between the CAQ government and those on the front lines on how to improve access to health care. The bill would give the government authority to decide how health professionals are compensated. In theory, this could incentivize doctors to take on more patients, but according to family physicians Laura Sang and Christina Bianchini, this week's guests on The Corner Booth with hosts Bill Brownstein and Aaron Rand, this plan isn't pinpointing the root causes plaguing our system. 'I worry about the way that we're targeting physicians specifically, with a lot of undertones that we're not working hard enough, that this is only going to exacerbate the problem by having more physicians burn out, potentially leave the province, or even leave medicine altogether,' said Sang, who practises in St-Jerome. 'I'm already doing as much as I can,' said Bianchini, who practises in N.D.G. 'If I were to have another 1,000 patients rostered under me, the wait time to see me is 3-4 weeks, that'll grow to 3-4 months. Nothing is lining up for us with this solution.' The pair concluded by sharing their concerns for the future, while also saying there are ways to improve access to health care from their perspective, but doctors don't feel included in the process. Sang's message to the health minister: 'Please consult us.'
Montreal Gazette
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
Michelin Guide comes to Montreal: ‘We feel snubbed'
The Corner Booth The Michelin Guide has finally arrived in Quebec and Montrealers reacted with shock to see only three restaurants get stars. Even Quebec City received more stars, with six in total, including the only two-star restaurant in the province. Who better to react to the controversial Michelin list than Dustin Gilman, the man known on the internet as Food Guy Montreal? 'We feel snubbed,' Gilman said on this week's spicy episode of The Corner Booth with hosts Bill Brownstein and Aaron Rand at the Snowdon Deli. 'When I first read the list, I thought, 'this is a real head scratcher.' ' Brownstein is also no stranger to the culinary scene. He, too, defended Montreal's dining reputation internationally, despite the few accolades the city received from Michelin compared with Toronto and Vancouver. 'We're the Paris of North America,' Brownstein said. The trio listed a few notable omissions, including the very deli where the episode was filmed, and even discussed their favourite local rotisserie chicken option. Spoiler: one host is Team Chalet Bar-B-Q and the other is Team Côte St-Luc BBQ. You'll have to watch the episode to find out who.
