It's All About Quebec
On Tuesday there was the much-ballyhooed national debate with the three national leaders, plus one regional leader of a party dedicated to secession. Representatives of a federation and a single representative of a 'nationalist' party. To most Canadians the word 'national' evokes a nation-wide concern; to the Bloc Quebecois and its supporters - come to think of it, the province of Quebec itself, 'national' represents anything representing the province.
In the rest of Canada, national parks represent those which the federal government has officially declared the property of the people of Canada, protected by the government of Canada, representing Canada's natural heritage of which we have custody. In Quebec there are other kinds of 'national' parks, which in the rest of Canada are named provincial parks, but in La Belle Province are also provincial parks, yet 'national', since Quebec is a 'nation' unto itself.
The Province of Quebec, in fact, is so extraordinarily special, so singularly different and entitled from other provinces in Confederation that it is given special status denied or overlooked as unnecessary when it comes to the entitlements of equality of other provinces. After the nationally televised English-language election debate between the three-party-leaders-plus-one, there was a French-language debate.
Technology and courtesy makes common usage of simultaneous translation. Anyone in Quebec claiming to be unilingually francophone could be enabled to hear everything that the leaders debated through that medium. Why a French-language debate? Well, let's see: for the three party leaders to demonstrate to the French-Canadian population their proficiency in French? Possibly. To demonstrate that Canada is officially bilingual? Simultaneous translation would do that.
To speak directly to the province and its entitled population which regularly exercises its option to send to Parliament a provincial party dedicated to the break-up of Canada, whose operation is paid for by tax funds to enable it to continue lobbying for a separate, sovereign Quebec, but with certain ongoing financial entitlements. The extraction of ever greater sums of tax-funded initiatives to favour Quebec its main concern until such time as it may convince Quebec to vote for complete separation.
Which most Quebecers really don't want, as evidenced by their lacklustre interest in the potential at this time. So why have a special one-off-province debate in French? Ah, to address the concerns of the people living in that single province, of course. A curtsy to their specialness. And if at all possible, for the three national party leaders to try to convince Quebec-based voters to alter their allegiance to the Bloc which holds 47 of Quebec's 75 seats.
And so the rest of Canada can tune in to the nauseating spectacle of the leaders fawning over Quebec, issuing special province-specific promises. Michael Ignatieff promising to fund that damn professional sport stadium for the City of Quebec, and he'd be quick to write a $2.2-billion cheque for provincial/federal tax harmonization too, you bet. Any other demands, just run them by him, he's obliging.
Gilles Duceppe was able to throw his tantrums on behalf of his province, existing within some strangely inconvenient federation, about how unfair it is to undercut the province's energy sales to the U.S. by pledging a $4.2-billion loan guarantee for the development of the Lower Churchill hydroelectric project. That was a Conservative-led "slap in the face" to Quebec, and that is intolerable.
Jack Layton, campaigning to convince Quebec voters that the NDP, a federal party, is capable of meeting and further enhancing their social welfare programs, and will be dedicated to doing just that, when they form the government. So what sense does it make to vote for the Bloc instead of the NDP? Bearing in mind that Quebec truncates its representation with the Bloc in lieu of a national party.
And Gilles Duceppe crowing about what a marvellous service his party offers to the rest of Canada, taking potential votes away from the Conservatives, thus ensuring that it cannot mount a campaign successful enough to result in a majority government without Quebec's assistance. Which will continue to be sturdily denied, nyah, nyah.
Oh, and questions from the public, yes, a woman in Quebec querulously insisting that there are too few jobs to be had in the hinterlands of the province, and what is the federal government prepared to do about that? Yes, what indeed?
In the rest of Canada, national parks represent those which the federal government has officially declared the property of the people of Canada, protected by the government of Canada, representing Canada's natural heritage of which we have custody. In Quebec there are other kinds of 'national' parks, which in the rest of Canada are named provincial parks, but in La Belle Province are also provincial parks, yet 'national', since Quebec is a 'nation' unto itself.
The Province of Quebec, in fact, is so extraordinarily special, so singularly different and entitled from other provinces in Confederation that it is given special status denied or overlooked as unnecessary when it comes to the entitlements of equality of other provinces. After the nationally televised English-language election debate between the three-party-leaders-plus-one, there was a French-language debate.
Technology and courtesy makes common usage of simultaneous translation. Anyone in Quebec claiming to be unilingually francophone could be enabled to hear everything that the leaders debated through that medium. Why a French-language debate? Well, let's see: for the three party leaders to demonstrate to the French-Canadian population their proficiency in French? Possibly. To demonstrate that Canada is officially bilingual? Simultaneous translation would do that.
To speak directly to the province and its entitled population which regularly exercises its option to send to Parliament a provincial party dedicated to the break-up of Canada, whose operation is paid for by tax funds to enable it to continue lobbying for a separate, sovereign Quebec, but with certain ongoing financial entitlements. The extraction of ever greater sums of tax-funded initiatives to favour Quebec its main concern until such time as it may convince Quebec to vote for complete separation.
Which most Quebecers really don't want, as evidenced by their lacklustre interest in the potential at this time. So why have a special one-off-province debate in French? Ah, to address the concerns of the people living in that single province, of course. A curtsy to their specialness. And if at all possible, for the three national party leaders to try to convince Quebec-based voters to alter their allegiance to the Bloc which holds 47 of Quebec's 75 seats.
And so the rest of Canada can tune in to the nauseating spectacle of the leaders fawning over Quebec, issuing special province-specific promises. Michael Ignatieff promising to fund that damn professional sport stadium for the City of Quebec, and he'd be quick to write a $2.2-billion cheque for provincial/federal tax harmonization too, you bet. Any other demands, just run them by him, he's obliging.
Gilles Duceppe was able to throw his tantrums on behalf of his province, existing within some strangely inconvenient federation, about how unfair it is to undercut the province's energy sales to the U.S. by pledging a $4.2-billion loan guarantee for the development of the Lower Churchill hydroelectric project. That was a Conservative-led "slap in the face" to Quebec, and that is intolerable.
Jack Layton, campaigning to convince Quebec voters that the NDP, a federal party, is capable of meeting and further enhancing their social welfare programs, and will be dedicated to doing just that, when they form the government. So what sense does it make to vote for the Bloc instead of the NDP? Bearing in mind that Quebec truncates its representation with the Bloc in lieu of a national party.
And Gilles Duceppe crowing about what a marvellous service his party offers to the rest of Canada, taking potential votes away from the Conservatives, thus ensuring that it cannot mount a campaign successful enough to result in a majority government without Quebec's assistance. Which will continue to be sturdily denied, nyah, nyah.
Oh, and questions from the public, yes, a woman in Quebec querulously insisting that there are too few jobs to be had in the hinterlands of the province, and what is the federal government prepared to do about that? Yes, what indeed?
Labels: Canada, Culture, Politics of Convenience
posted by Pieface | 6:27 PM
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