Nutik helps launch a new party

"The Charest Liberals made it clear that they neither care for the interests of 'grand Montreal,' nor the concerns of minority interests in our province," says Redfern Avenue resident Allen Nutik, who is a founding member.

A mission statement published on the Affiliation Quebec website says the party's purpose is "to actively pursue the full rights and interests of staunch Canadians living in the greater metropolitan region of Montreal, the economic motor of Quebec."

Nutik, who has run unsuccessfully for Westmount city council several times and who has also been active in the anglo-rights movement, takes exception to a declaration made by the Liberals last week, that the province's Office québécois de la langue française plans to be more vigilant enforcing Quebec's Bill 101.

"The new Liberal assertion to exact 'zero tolerance' for any violations of Quebec's offensive language law is sure to inflame a significant portion of Montreal region voters, many of whom were reluctant to wholeheartedly support the Quebec Liberal Party in the last election," he said.

Nutik is personally disenchanted with the Liberals. "I don't want to be lied to anymore about hospitals, I don't want to be lied to about demerging, I don't want to be lied to about taxes and I don't want to be undervalued anymore," he said.

He also complains that successive governments have systematically manipulated the province's electoral riding system, so that the influence of many voters has been reduced. "The whole island of Montreal has been gerrymandered to make it a difficult situation," he said.

"But worse than that, rural votes count two for one. "Why is it that in an outlying district of Quebec, half the electors elect someone, but you need twice as many electors in a city, a core riding, to elect someone? We're completely undervalued."

While describing himself as the party's "founding member," Nutik would not reveal who else is on board. "It's not a one-person party," he said. "It's a small group and I'm fronting at the moment."

Nutik and the others will hold their first meeting this Sunday, May 13, at 2 p.m. at Hotel Ruby Foo's on Decarie Boulevard.