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norman spector

Editorial cartoon by Brian Gable/The Globe and MailBrian Gable/The Globe and Mail

Bob Rae has denied ever having spoken to Sun Media about the proposed arena in Quebec City. Knowing Mr. Rae, I know this must be an honest mistake. The mistake is likely due to the fact that "Sun Media" is not a name used in Quebec.

In Quebec (and increasingly in the rest of Canada), Sun Media now goes by the name of QMI. And here's what Mr. Rae said to that news agency's reporter, Laurent Dionne, according to a report in Le Journal de Quebec on Sept. 10:

"I'm a hockey fan, so naturally I would love to see a team in Quebec City…The federal government must first establish a policy for the whole country…It can't do something for Quebec City which it is not prepared to do for other cities."

Which, as far as I can figure out, is pretty much what Stephen Harper said yesterday about the proposed arena.

Update It appears that Gilles Duceppe disagrees with both the Prime Minister and Mr. Rae.

During a press conference after meeting his caucus in preparation for the resumption of Parliament, M. Duceppe said that Ottawa should help finance the new arena in Quebec City, and that $170 million would appear to a reasonable share:

"When Ottawa spent elsewhere, I didn't hear any protests…At the G20 summit, for the Olympics, the pan-American games….Then it was okay, but in Quebec, it's a problem? I don't understand."







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