Quebec sovereignty?

[QV]

If there should be another referendum, I just don't see the love in we had in '95 to keep them.

With changing demographics as well its a good chance its the shit or get off the pot moment for the separatists.

Maybe that is the tipping point.

 

[Brad Sallows]

If there should be another referendum, I just don't see the love in we had in '95 to keep them.

With changing demographics as well its a good chance its the shit or get off the pot moment for the separatists.

They can go. I would be happy to be shot of federal bilingualism (some provinces have and would choose differently for themselves) and a bastion of LPC and BQ support.

My position might be characterized as "unpatriotic", but the old saw - for a man to love his country, his country ought to be lovely - applies. Until the regions/factions perpetually looking for federal gravy at the expense of others are gone or the deficiencies are constitutionally severely eliminated, there's little to love.

 

[QV]

Quebec's not leaving Canada. It's one of those things that polls some numbers if you ask a question that omits enough detail, but it'll never survive reality once the implications set in.

Sovereignty for a distinct society, as in Quebecois vs a Quebec resident inside a multicultural Canada, could have a funny way of minimizing the value of some of those implications for just enough voters.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Some parts of Canada can't afford to disintegrate. Leaving Canada means leaving all federal transfer schemes and carrying away some part of the liabilities as well as assets.

Scenario 1: each part accepts its obligation for "its fair share" of Canada's accumulated deficit. (How that should be calculated isn't immediately obvious, but there should be something.) Some parts simply couldn't bear it.

Scenario 2: the first part to leave abrogates any responsibility for Canada's accumulated deficit. That would prompt a run for the exits by everyone else hoping not to be the last one left in the room.

 

[QV]

They can go. I would be happy to be shot of federal bilingualism (some provinces have and would choose differently for themselves) and a bastion of LPC and BQ support.

My position might be characterized as "unpatriotic", but the old saw - for a man to love his country, his country ought to be lovely - applies. Until the regions/factions perpetually looking for federal gravy at the expense of others are gone or the deficiencies are constitutionally severely eliminated, there's little to love.

One might think the highlighted is part of Canada's national character. I don't think it goes back that far, I think it came on gradually starting maybe around the 1960's. It is now deeply embedded however and likely can't be shook off without a significant catalyst. A catalyst like a province separating.

 

[RangerRay]

I’m not well connected to Quebec, but I haven’t detected a popular groundswell for separatism like there was in the early 90’s. Am I missing something?

 

[brihard]

I’m not well connected to Quebec, but I haven’t detected a popular groundswell for separatism like there was in the early 90’s. Am I missing something?

You are not. There is no popular, well informed groundswell of support for separatism. There’s some shallow support that isn’t buttressed by see and rational consideration of what the implications would actually be. Actual Quebec separation is a non-starter.

 

[lenaitch]

One might think the highlighted is part of Canada's national character. I don't think it goes back that far, I think it came on gradually starting maybe around the 1960's. It is now deeply embedded however and likely can't be shook off without a significant catalyst. A catalyst like a province separating.

Well, before that, the Catholic church ran Quebec (along with Duplessis for a while) and were quite happy to have their fiefdom supported by the collection plate.

 

[RangerRay]

You are not. There is no popular, well informed groundswell of support for separatism. There’s some shallow support that isn’t buttressed by see and rational consideration of what the implications would actually be. Actual Quebec separation is a non-starter.

Then why on earth is the PQ banging this drum now? My read is they are polling well only because the CAQ is as popular as a wet fart in church and, as you say, people there aren’t particularly enamoured with separatism. Seems risky to pound the drums of separatism to me. Would they not do better if they had the “not right now” position?