Say what you will about Jean Charest. All Canadians who value national unity owe him a debt of gratitude for nine years of relative quiet on the separation front. What could unfold in la belle province post-Charest, poses a threat to Canada as we know it. With public opinion polls showing that Parti Québécois Leader Pauline Marois poised to form government in Tuesday's Election, the threat is very real.
There is little doubt Quebec would benefit from a change in government, but what is concerning about elections in Quebec is that unlike any other province in Confederation, the fate of our country as we know it is always at risk.
There has been a concerted effort to convince Quebeckers that their place is within Canada and it is disheartening to see PQ leader Pauline Marois speak openly of her plans to create conditions for winning a referendum that it is clear a majority of Quebeckers don't want.
What the PQ fails to understand is that the continual sparring with the federal government and defiant support of secession, regardless of a demonstrated lack of public support for separation, creates an unstable environment for investors, who are in a position to strengthen the quality of life for all residents of Quebec.
Aspects of the PQ platform include regressive legislation on the display of religious symbols by non-Christian civil servants, barring non-french speaking citizens from seeking, and by extension, holding elected office in addition to a series of policies designed to artificially maintain a Francophone majority in Montreal.
Having been around politics for some time, it amazes me that someone can seek public office, and potentially win, on a platform centered on kicking the sleeping dog and in doing so, creating a crisis the majority would prefer to avoid.
Quebec has negotiated a unique place for itself within Canada and have gained broad recognition of the notion of Quebeckers constituting a distinct society and 'nation' within a united Canada. While it would be hard to imagine these and other recognitions as satisfying the deep seeded desire for some in Quebec to be a sovereign state, it is beneath anyone seeking to lead any government to purposely create strife as a means to a political end.
Tuesday night, Quebeckers will chose their candidates for the National Assembly and in doing so, will choose our fate as a united country. Here is to hoping cooler heads prevail and a government dedicated to maintaining the calm we've enjoyed over the last number of years, is elected.
Follow John Laforet on Twitter: www.twitter.com/laforet
Underneath Labrador are a lot of anglophone communities. There are more north of Ottawa on the Quebec side of the river. I find it hard to believe that these areas and others would agree to separate along with the rest of Quebec. These areas would remain as the province of Quebec in Canada. You know, the one that was given Ruperts' Land, the northern two thirds of present day Quebec, AS a province of Canada.
That's quite the can of worms you're holding. Are you sure you want to open it?
In plenty of other countries I can think of, talk of a mutiny to form a new state would be met with death squads. Headless bodies would be floating along nearby rivers.
In Canada you can freely babble about anything you want. A separate Quebec will never happen.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/concerning
Further, I did not suggest anyone should govern exclusively for investors, but that the PQ should not be going out of their way to scare off investment on the verge for forming government, particularly by pursuing unpopular policies.
Quebecers have to decide what they want. Good luck to them. Hope they choose wisely.
Just saying.
The Canadian media like to talk about separatism and scare up the fear of another referendum, something that is highly unlikely and unpopular this election cycle in Quebec itself. The probability is slim to none that there will be a referendum in the next 5-10 years, even with the PQ forming a majority government. Those saying otherwise are simply fear mongering.
Intolerance, condescension, insults and fear mongering from the ROC have a much bigger chance of pushing Quebec away from Canada and break up the country,
Most are thinking about short term, highly probable, challenges when casting their ballot on Tuesday. The citizens of Quebec have some real and pressing problems to deal with in the immediate future: corruption charges, civil unrest, favoritism and double standards, a massive debt, rising cost of healthcare, and a badly thought out northern plan that needs to be tweaked.
And we also have Jean Charest to thank for that.
Most outside of Montreal will not be affected by those tensions, will be barely affected, particularly if they don't know enough English to be aware of the feelings of those minorities, but those of us in Montreal will, and dread it.
There is now another party wich fall within the "not-sovereignist" category. Give the PLQ a good kick in the teeth and you'll see things start to change... finally.