A gift for Mr. Dumont

Less than two weeks into 2007 and already we have some bona-fide issues to chew upon, not least of which is the reality of a provincial election and the distinct possibility that the Action Démocratique party will prove to be a major force to this time around—much to the chagrin of local Liberals.

Taking full advantage of the current municipal mess in Montreal would be a no-brainer for any political strategist in Quebec City, in fact one would normally expect the three major parties to be falling over themselves to curry favour with the thousands of angry taxpayers of demerged cities. But the Charest Liberals and the up-and-coming Parti Québécois both wholeheartedly support the bumbling antics and undemocratic policies that have tainted the Montreal megacity administration and have yet to indicate any concrete notions to the contrary.

This leaves the third-place ADQ leader Mario Dumont with a golden opportunity to waltz straight up the middle and seize a considerable—but by no means election-winning—portion of the vote, especially in the disillusioned suburbs of mega-Montreal. For someone whose political career so far has been seen by many as a flip-flopping masterpiece of indecision, Mr. Dumont has been handed a valuable gift by his two main rivals. Still, it remains to be seen whether he is taking a cue from the Liberals and simply using this golden opportunity to gain votes from people whom he has no intention of ever helping.

Will Mr. Dumont take full advantage of this piece of political manna? You can be sure of it—in fact don't be surprised if he has ADQ candidates lined up for Montreal-island ridings such as Westmount—St. Louis and all points west long before the Parti Québécois. The megacity mess is certainly not the only issue ADQ candidates will have to address in the election campaign, of course, in fact it might not be enough to win them a single seat—but it will certainly go a long way in raising the party's profile and reputation in the eyes of so many citizens of demerged cities who continue to be robbed at tax time as a matter of government policy.