Sovereignty by Any Other Name

Sovereignty on the back burner? Says who? After all, Quebec has voted, and while she has declared the Parti Quebecois and with it the Bloc superficial to her needs at the present time she has convincingly brought aboard the sovereign-party-in-waiting, which delicately claims for its mandate "autonomy", not sovereignty. Autonomy: self-governing, self-regulating. It's just that the historical union linking Quebec with Canada has been so lavishly helpful, so the federation, weakened though it has been, can be acceptable a while longer.

Mario Dumont - the almost-giant-killer of the Quebec Liberal party, he who laid low the one-time-surging Parti Quebecois - leader of the Action democratique du Quebec, won the hearts of Quebecers in Monday's vote. Jean Charest is still hanging in there bravely, still has his agenda, but are they really all that far apart, he and Dumont? After all, from a one-time federalist Charest has proven himself to be as adept at bleeding Ottawa as his predecessors. And Dumont will do him one better, given the opportunity.

Just a quick look - then look away again quicker, because it's awfully painful - at the platform of the Action democratique is enough to make anyone outside of Quebec blanch. The policy lays out a nationalist agenda calling for Quebec to adopt a constitution of its very own, create its own citizenship and, when needful, disregard those federal laws judged to be infringing upon Quebec's jurisdiction as an autonomous power within the federation.

Well, talk about having it all: cake, icing and whipped cream to order. "Our first fidelity, our passion and our loyalty are toward Quebec", the platform informs. "The development of Quebec as a distinct nation flows naturally from an increase in our autonomy." Oh, right. The name of the province should be altered to reflect its true state: "Autonomist State of Quebec". You bet.

The document outlines rejecting "submission to Canada", affirming and re-affirming Quebec's "sovereign rights". Standards set by the federal government to be reflected across the board within the federation on health care delivery, for example, are to be considered an unacceptable intrusion into the affairs of Quebec. If federal environmental laws come head-to-head with Quebec's infrastructure plans for hydroelectric dams, damn the federal government and full steam ahead.

But now that he has achieved position through this historic vote, Mr. Dumont is quick to point out lest it has escaped anyone's attention that he should not be labelled a federalist, although that is how many did see him. Monday's results, he points out, demonstrate that Quebecers have accepted the concept of autonomy. He plans to deliver.

"All the positions that we will take, all the proposals we will make, will be based on the philosophy that we want Quebec to gain more autonomy." More autonomy? The province already far exceeds jurisdictional independence granted any other part of the federation. With the additional acknowledgement of their historical and social and cultural distinctness.

Quebec and much of the demographic of the province will be placated and satisfied with nothing less than utter and complete autonomy, while agreeing to remain a loose portion of the federation. Which condition will allow them complete independence in every possible governing, political, cultural and social sphere. While guaranteeing them continual hand-outs from the federal government through such dandy little schemes as "equalization payments".

How sweet it is.