Lord Travis?

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Leaders and gripers from Quebec's anglophone community are more than a bit peeved about the Quebec government's plans for an "États generaux sur la langue française" this fall. And they feel that one of the choices of anglophone commissioners--public relations consultant Dermod Travis--is evidence the PQ has no intention of really addressing anglo concerns.

Equality Party leader Keith Henderson told the Mirror: "Travis has only distinguished himself in getting contracts from the PQ. He doesn't really represent English Quebec. He's an extremely poor choice."

Alliance Quebec president Anthony Housefather politely concurs. "Travis has shown himself in the past to not be in step with the anglophone concerns," Housefather says, mentioning issues like equal prominence for English on commercial signs and choice for education.

And angryphone stuntman Howard Galganov takes--as usual--an extreme view of the appointment. "It reminds of me of Lord Ha Ha, the British traitor in World War II who went over to the Germans and did daily radio broadcasts telling the British they should make an armistice with the Nazis," Galganov says.

But Travis says his moderate record on language should not be a contentious issue.

"My positions on language issues are really no different than those of the Liberal Party of Quebec," he says. "And I'm sure a lot of anglophones vote for them each time with a clear conscience." :

--John Edmonds

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