Marois gets checked for neglecting to mention Canada in Olympics praise

The Canadian Press

QUEBEC - Premier Pauline Marois isn’t getting any medals in some quarters for her attempt to praise the Olympic victory by Canada’s men’s hockey team.

Gerard Deltell, a member of the opposition Coalition For Quebec’s Future, says he’s disgusted that Marois neglected to mention the players were members of Canada’s team.

In a statement issued Sunday after Canada won the gold-medal final, Marois and provincial Sports Minister Marie Malavoy congratulated “the men’s hockey team” for their victory.

The statement also singled out Quebec players on the team, saying their medal brought joy to their fans.

The release concluded that more information on the Quebec athletes who participated in the Sochi Winter Games could be found at the sportcom.qc.ca website.

The absence of any mention of Canada was in contrast to a statement by Marois and Malavoy on Feb. 20, which saluted the “women’s hockey team of Canada” for nabbing gold.

Deltell said he finds the premier’s dismissal of any mention of Canada in the nod to the men to be “shameful.”

“It’s small, it’s disgusting,” he told a news conference in Quebec City. “I am not proud to have seen that.

“Mme Marois decided to act as a Pequiste leader and a separatist leader instead of a leader of all Quebecois.

“When you are a premier, you are premier of all Quebecois, federalists or sovereigntists. You shall respect all the people, not only those who voted for you.”

Deltell said he believed it was the first time a leader didn’t say which country won the gold medal.

“It’s so typically Pequiste.”

© The Canadian Press, 2014