CATS AND dogs have become the new weapons in France’s image-politics wars. Things began to heat up late last year when Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally (formerly the National Front), revealed that she had passed an exam to become an accredited cat-breeder. Her feline fervour was already well known. Ms Le Pen considers cats to be “part of the family” and once accused a Doberman belonging to her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, of killing one of her treasured mogs. But this latest twist looked suspiciously like part of a bid to soften the image of a leader who has sought to distance herself from her father’s inflammatory far-right politics.
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Just as Ms Le Pen has tried to tone down her strident style ahead of next year’s French presidential election, so have cuddly pictures of her six cats appeared with persistent regularity on her Instagram account. She has even set up a separate anonymous account, dedicated to her Bengal and Somali breeds. “I’m not interested in the money,” purred Ms Le Pen; “I just want cats to be better treated.” If I care for my cats, she seems to say, I would care for the country too.
Ms Le Pen’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. After his election Emmanuel Macron adopted a mongrel, Nemo, from a rescue shelter. Photos of the president, better known for his “Jupiterian” governing style, petting his black mutt periodically feature on the Instagram account of the official presidential photographer, Soazig de la Moissonnière. In December Mr Macron posted on social media a video of Nemo, with a message urging the French to adopt a rescue pet, and to do so responsibly. It got over half a million views on Instagram alone.
During the Fifth Republic, a menagerie of pets has come and gone at the Elysée palace. As well as his rescue dog, Mr Macron keeps two hens (a present). Nicolas Sarkozy brought in a handful of canines. Charles de Gaulle had a Welsh Corgi, reportedly given to him by the queen, as well as a cat, although neither lived at the official residence. Before Mr Macron, no fewer than six consecutive French presidents had Labradors, turning that breed into something of a tradition. Georges Pompidou’s was called Jupiter, as it happens. In short, every modern French president has owned a dog. Has Ms Le Pen picked the right pet for power?
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Future impurrfect”
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
