Two Commentaries On Louise Harel's Decision To Run For Mayor

Louise Harel walks to a news conference on June 3, 2009, with Vision Montreal party leader Benoit Labonté. Premier Jean Charest suggests Montrealers take a look at Harel's record: "They will judge the track record of Madame Harel and then they will make their decision." Photograph by: Allen McInnis, The Gazette

Louise Harel As Mayor? We Earnestly Hope Not -- Montreal Gazette editorial

The dreadful prospect that Louise Harel could become mayor of Montreal is the true price of Gérald Tremblay's casual attitude toward city business.

We and others have more than once faulted the mayor for failing to keep a closer eye on the city housing agency and on that record water-works contract, both of which now reek of scandal. Without those problems, Tremblay would today surely be cruising almost unopposed toward a third term as mayor.

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Harel Will Have A Polarizing Effect On City Politics -- Montreal Gazette

Unilingual sovereignist wants to be mayor of bilingual, federalist Montreal.

This November's municipal race in Montreal was shaping up as the usual soapbox derby among jerry-rigged vehicles named Fill-in-the-blank Montréal that might qualify as cults of personality if only their leaders had any.

Then along came Louise Harel to make things interesting.

Such is the political vacuum in Quebec's metropolis that all it took was a single poll to make a controversial, unilingual sovereignist a potential candidate for mayor of a bilingual, predominantly federalist city in an election only five months off.

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