Jeanne Sauvé was an exceedingly wise person. You may remember what she said to her husband, Maurice, at the time of the patriation of the Constitution. In short, it translates into "What have we done?"
I won't even go there to repeat what Jean Marchand allegedly called his old friend, Pierre Trudeau, after that blessed Canadian event...
Canadians from coast to coast have a lot of soul searching still to do. Do they like Canada just as it is, even at the eventual risk of dismemberment? If that's the collective will of English Canada, so be it. It will be respected in French Canada, more particularly in Quebec, but it will have dramatic consequences.
And then there is the issue of the perennially "present" Bloc Québécois, the legitimate representatives of much of the Quebec electorate. Their presence in Ottawa does have its benefits -- chief among them, the so-called watchdog tempers the fervour of the sovereignty movement by creating in the minds of some Quebecers a false sense of political security.
But for those of us interested in supplanting the Bloc (probably later rather than sooner) that means looking for a deal with Ottawa, the provinces and territories. That my friends is the road to increased federalist seats in the province. Nothing else will do the trick as all parties in Ottawa are already aware.
Convenience dictates burying this old hot potato. Electoral smarts suggests another course of action -- that is, if the sovereignists are to be truly and finally vanquished.
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The separatist party is Quebec is over represented in Parliament and the NDP-Liberal coalition are pandering to this group is dangerous for Canada.
ReplyDelete2008 38.1% pop for 65% of the seats went to this party. The separatists have been finding support by the NDP-Lib Bills.
French-English requirements for SCOC? Only one province has a language police and is trying to eliminate English in Federal buildings.
The Bloc interests are not for a united Canada and the other two parties are fanning the flames outside Quebec.
Those 30 seats for Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia is being delayed by whom?
It is time for the government in Quebec to come clean and fund their own socialist programs without threatening to leave Canada and playing the victim card.
Three provinces have signed an economic union to increase their bargaining power with Ottawa and overseas.
The Quebec government should adopt this model and get their financial house in order.
CanadianSense,
ReplyDeleteDelay is one thing but no one can stop legitimate political representation, by appropriate expansion. Besides, the redistribution is scheduled for 2012 -- too late to affect the outcome of the next election.
CS, why do you think we are the most highly taxed jurisdiction in North America? Precisely because the Government of Quebec is already funding our social-democratic society with every cent they can get both from Ottawa and Quebec taxpayers.
As long as Quebec is not a constitutional signatory, we ARE a victim. That is the political reality that makes the sun repeatedly shine for the Bloc and that will not change until federalist politicians wise up.
As for an economic union, I would imagine that Charest could be persuaded if there was enough incentive in it for Quebec. But then again, he isn't a fool: all he has to do is look at the Harper government's INCREDIBLY STUPID attempt at derailing the Mulroney-Bourassa accord on GST collection and administration in Quebec. That speaks volumes in Quebec on why Quebec City has to hold her own with Ottawa. Securities regulation is another bone of contention but yours truly in this instance stands with Harper. A NSR is a must and quite obviously, it has to be situated in TO.
Funny to have Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec all howling...and we were worried about national unity in this country.