QUEBEC — Accusatory comparisons to “Rambo” and “George Bush” were levelled after a debate in the Quebec legislature over how best to celebrate the killing of Osama bin Laden.
The gun-happy Sly Stallone character and the ex-U.S. president were mentioned when the right-wing ADQ party tried tabling a motion to call the death a “major victory in the fight against international terrorism.”
The motion also called on the legislature to urge “NATO forces, including Quebec soldiers currently deployed in Afghanistan, to continue their efforts in the fight against terrorism.”
Government house leader Jean-Marc Fournier did not agree to the motion being tabled, saying he needed more time to study its wording.
The Opposition Parti Quebecois proposed a less gung-ho motion, one that called on the national assembly to mark the ”tenacity of the United States” in the fight against terrorism.
The PQ motion made no mention of continuing the battle in Afghanistan — and Louise Beaudoin, the party’s international relations critic, accused the ADQ of taking a “Rambo” stance with its wording.
“It’s a bit warrior-like,” Beaudoin told The Canadian Press. “We want a more sober tone, similar to President Obama’s on Sunday night.”
The PQ motion also said that “with the removal of the al-Qaida leader, the scourge of terrorism has suffered an historic setback, but the fight must continue.”
Amir Khadir, co-leader of the leftist Quebec solidaire, slammed the ADQ for using “George Bush” war-like rhetoric.
Khadir, whose party is opposed to the Canadian military mission in Afghanistan, took particular umbrage with the reference in the ADQ motion to the Quebec soldiers fighting in the wartorn country.
ADQ Leader Gerard Deltell, who tabled his party’s motion along with Eric Caire, an Independent member of the legislature, dismissed the PQ wording as wimpy because it fails to mention the contribution of Quebec soldiers in the rebuilding of Afghanistan.
”I am disappointed (with the PQ),” he said. ”Basically, the reason I’ve brought this motion forward is to pay tribute to the Quebec soldiers deployed over there.”
But Deltell said he is confident a consensus will be reached by next week.
The debate will resume on Tuesday.