Francophobia New Brunswick

A person can learn a lot about political parties and their supporters by reading through a party newsletter, sitting in on a rally, or reading messages on the party’s message board. Progressive Conservatives worry about government interference and taxes, Liberals worry about equality and healthcare, but it would appear that supporters of the People’s Alliance are very concerned about the French.

The party is crippled with francophobia (or more commonly gallophobia). Party supporters are currently debating the amount of French speaking citizens, allowing French immigrants into the province, playgrounds at French schools, and bilingualism in the healthcare system. While few members have noted there are more pressing issues facing the province, the debate has waged on. It’s not even a debate really; more and more members are just adding reasons to allow the Acadien population to shrink and permit the culture to dissipate.

Wait times for cancer patients has been linked by one PANB supporter to bilingualism in the healthcare system. This is the type of wild association or hysteria that saw the southern United States enact Jim Crow laws. The rampant racism against the Acadien community on the PANB message boards should be a red flag for anybody considering the People’s Alliance as a viable option. One brave member of the party’s Facebook group stated that the discussion sounds like, “ethnic cleansing” and he might not be far off the mark.

Another thread taking place on the PANB Facebook page centers on a letter to the Moncton Times-Transcript from a “concerned citizen” about the francophone press. The letter is a clear example of a privileged majority not understanding a minority counterpart. The writer was deeply upset and even threatened by the francophone bias for francophone politicians and suggests the newspaper should not have superimposed an Acadien flag over the legislature. The writer found this photo of the legislature with a minority banner threatening just as many white Louisianans found black students in their schools threatening. Naturally, a newspaper that caters to a specific subsect of society is going to focus on members of that group in positions of power; it is no different than gays and lesbians wanting to follow Scott Brison and Libby Davies in the federal parliament.

Of course this unjustified fear of our francophone neighbours is not new to the People’s Alliance. Kris Austin and his compatriots whipped up a small level of support for his anti-French statements during the campaign. Austin promised to cut government waste; that is French correspondence and French civil servants among other things.

Saint John East candidate Arthur Watson has yet to state his position on the matter.

Late to the Party

As was the case throughout the general election; People’s Alliance are late to the party. They named their candidate for the Saint John East by-election a few days after everyone else; Arthur Watson. Watson is the owner of Errands R Us, a delivery service in Saint John. He also ran for the seat in Saint John Harbour in the general election, but came in last place with only 115 votes.

The People’s Alliance seem to be suffering from a severe identity problem. Who are they? What is their message? Nearly every candidate had a different vision for New Brunswick. Some party members seem libertarian, while others take on a neo-conservative position, and others are just following orders. During the election, the PANB attacked the French language and offered to end several practices that protect the bilingual status of the province, but they did this while running French candidates. The PANB offered a very detailed and point-specific platform but promised no PANB MLA would be compelled to vote along party lines.

The Progressive Conservatives are not worried about Watson joining the race in Saint John East. They are more confident than ever, in fact. The PC believe that Dominic Cardy joining the race as a strong left wing candidate for the NDP will split the left vote in the riding (which was more than 60% of the vote on Sept 22nd). A strong NDP contender and an angry Liberal electorate might be the magic mix that Savoie needs to take back the riding for the leaderless PC. Meanwhile, the People’s Alliance have such a minute share of the right ring vote that it shouldn’t tip the scales against the PC.