Duceppe says Martin could lose riding
Last Updated Sat, 14 Jan 2006 16:30:53 EST
CBC News

Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe says Liberal fortunes have sunk so low that Paul Martin faces possible defeat in his own Montreal riding.

Martin won the riding by a margin of 25,806 to 14,001 votes.

Duceppe was campaigning on Saturday in the riding of Jeanne Le Bar, right next door to Martin's LaSalle-Émard riding in southwest Montreal, where Bloc candidate May Chiu is focusing on the anger over the Liberal government's refusal to offer an official apology for the Chinese Head Tax.

Speaking to members of Montreal's Chinese community, the Bloc leader said Martin's personal apology last month wasn't enough. Duceppe is demanding the next government issue an official apology and compensation for the Chinese Head Tax.

Walter Chi-Yan Tom, who belongs to the Chinese Canadian Redress Alliance, said he is voting for the Bloc Québécois, even though he doesn't support Quebec independence.

He said the Liberal government has shown serious disrespect over the head tax his ancestors were forced to pay when they immigrated at the beginning of the 20th century.

Chiu said she hopes to draw votes from some 5,000 Chinese Canadians in LaSalle Émard who have traditionally voted Liberal.

"I think people are very, very cynical toward the Liberal party, and if people want a real choice, and a real change, you just have to compare my profile with Paul Martin's," she said.

Rapaying them for things that happened years ago to their ancestors is kind of stupid. i'd rather see the money be invested for a chinese cultural centers or community programs for new chinese immigrants to show that we are not the same government as the ones that imposed the head tax.

I'd like to see us stop tearing ourselves up over every historical injustice real or percieved that the big, bad white man perpetrated on everyone else in this country.

The head tax is part of history where it belongs, but there's no reason why Canadians today should be paying for things our ancestor's did. That's stupid.

And I hope Martin doesn't lose his seat. I'm planning to sit down with a big bowl of popcorn and a couple of beers to watch the Liberal party tear itself apart after they lose the election. If Martin loses his seat, that'll clear the decks for someone new and will minimize the chance of the civil war that is going to break out on the 24th when the Libs realize they've been relagated to the opposition benches where they so richly deserve to be!

the greatest irony would be if the liberals won but martin lost his seat

I think it's sad that things have gotten so bad that a sect of the population would rather than vote for another Federalist option, would vote for the Bloq, who can't do anything as far as getting them compensation.