Quebec. The tears of a clown.
So.
John Ibbitson of the Globe is worried about Quebec - now that they've voted themselves out of influence in government, and now that Ontario and Western Canada have decided that things work better with a government that encourages self-sufficiency than a government which is premised upon buying votes by handouts.
Poor Quebec, he says, in an article today entitled, "Quebec's Profound Isolation".
He notes that with the birthrate in Quebec dropping, and with self-imposed restrictions on immigration, Quebec will also soon find themselves losing even more - with a re-alignment of seats in Commons, to the benefit of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.
His final query?
"If so, then the next time Quebeckers ask why they’re a part of this country, what will the rest of us tell them?"
My response?
Imagine a family where one child constantly threatens to leave home, creating no end of tension and anguish in the family - until, at some point, the rest of the family just gets tired, and decides that the stress on the whole of the family isn't worth the cost of appeasing one spoiled child.
So.
The next time Quebec asks why should they stay.. perhaps the best response is no response at all.
5 comments:
I believe that if a referendum were held today - that allowed the ROC to vote on the matter - there would be "winning conditions" for Quebec to bid adieu - and by the by, don't let the door hit you on the way out. Cheers.
I like Quebec. Its beautiful. I like its heritage too, Its Canadian heritage. It belongs to all of us and I want it to stay that way.
I have no time for indignant demands for compensation for some imagined weakness or insult. I'm tired of that song and dance and so are all the Quebecers that I know.
I don't see a referendum happening any time soon. It would take a carbon tax or something like it, say a land destruction and mercury release tax on their hydro industry. -A real punch in the face and they would want to leave as much as any province would.
I agree with you entirely Alex.. I value Quebec as member of confederation, and their unique cultural addition - however, their provincial budget's have become dependant upon transfer payments.. and it's time for all of us to be "equal" participants in confederation.
You certainly do not seem to know the history of Canada.
Ontario also now is in need of transfert payments. And this system was not establish for nothing by the Canadian governement.
I read you blog regularly and the link to it is posted on my blog "Le blog politique de Claude Dupras". Many english canadians bloggers post a link to my blog and I am happy because it gives those who want to read it a Quebec point of vue.
The PC is in power now and you feel great. Maybe next election the NDP will be in power and then you will have voted yourself out of government. So please stop the bragging and come back to earth. It is not because Quebec voted the way it did that it has no influence. We had to get rid of the Bloc, and we did.
A referendum today would keep us in Canada. Not because of individuals like you, on the contrary, but because this is our country. Our forefathers founded it and woorked to develop it. It is as much mine as it is yours.
Come to Quebec to open your eyes and understand what is going on. Stop this smalltalk taht is only negbative and adds nothing but hate to the debate and the relations between canadians.
I will keep the link to your blog for my readers because I want them to see how shortsighted some canadians blogger are even if they are lawyers. Luckily you are in a minority.
I was a PPC all my life and devoted to our national party. I have no political lesson to take from you.
I wrote in english so you coud understand. We in Quebec are bilingual.
Au revoir
Claude Dupras
Claude, I understand the importance of Quebec in Canada, and certainly not every citizen of Quebec has an expectation that they be treated better than citizens of other provinces.
And my concern is not about which Provinces have more wealth than another, but rather, the fact that Quebec, over and over again appears to make decisions that are very harmful to it's own economic interests, passing laws ignoring rights of anglophones while those same rights are maintained everywhere else in Canada for francophones.
There are broad social programs that are not expected anywhere else in Canada (broad government paid for daycare regardless of income).
And yet, while Quebec is very much a victim of it's own short-sightedness, seeking to subvert it's economy in an effort to artificially support a culture which is doomed to eventually change and adapt to the world around it.. Not only does the hand go out to Provinces which do not show this lack of responsibility - much like the fiddling grasshopper seeking food from the diligent ant - but notwithstanding the demonstrated commitment shown by the rest of Canada to keep sending the cheques coming regardless of Quebec's demonstrated irresponsibility - Quebec still complains.
Now.
Perhaps that will change if the Bloc is truly dead and gone.
Perhaps that will change if the xenophobic laws against all things not francophone are set aside.
Perhaps that will change if there is no hue and cry over the appropriate reallocation of commons seats based upon population changes.
I warmly and hopefully await those changes.
Post a Comment