Quebec politician calls William and Kate 'parasites'

The official itinerary for the Royal visit to Canada was released just days ago. No doubt the visit will be good for Canadian tourism and in these painful economic times any economic boost should be appreciated. However, a Quebec politician has launched an attack on William and Kate. Amir Khadir, leader of the fringe party Quebec Solidaire said: 'What a waste of public funds. All of this to welcome these parasites. If we were welcoming someone because they had great ideas or they did remarkable things, fine. But it galls me that we're doing this for someone with blue blood in their veins and whose only virtue is their bloodline'. These comments have caused outrage. The liberal government is demanding an apology from Khadir. Party leader Gerard Deltell said the remarks were 'totally unacceptable'. Apparently support for the Monarchy is generally lower in Canada. A group called the Reseau de resistance plans to make the couples trip 'as unpleasant as possible'. Since this news came to light it has caused concern and worry among royal aides. I am quite surprised to hear such negativity. For Kate this is most certainly unwelcome news. As it is her first state visit and she had hoped to retrace the roots of her grandfather, she would have naturally hoped to be welcomed without hostility. I think the Canadian response will be mostly positive and it would be a shame to see the visit ruined.