Kicking at Confederation

The strange new fever of nationalism has cropped up in the most surprising of places. Uprisings in countries which have never really been known to allow their populations a whiff of liberty have taken the world by surprise. In Africa and the Middle East, that is. And perhaps that will spread elsewhere where Muslim-majority nations struggle to confine their populations to the life-attitudes that Islam imposes upon them.

The world of Islam is just a Mohammed-come-lately to the infections that appear to have spread through Europe, Africa and Asia long beforehand. Countries with artificially imposed boundaries intersecting traditional ethnic, tribal and clan lines, and countries that integrated within their borders what were originally other nations, all restively vying for secession and independence.

Here in Canada, there were rumblings of discontent in Confederation from the Western provinces, feeling their needs were overlooked and more attention than warranted given to the well-being of the people living in Central Canada, particularly the Province of Ontario. Quebec traditionally has had its nose out of joint believing that the conquest of the British over the French left them at an undeserved disadvantage.

The federal government in consultation with the provinces came up with a scheme it felt would satisfy the disparities in economic growth and taxes leading to each province's ability to offer services by re-allocating monies received through federal taxation in redistribution that would satisfy them all. The wealthy provinces, primarily Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario would provide the tax base for equalization payments to the 'have-not' provinces.

Tax-funded equalization payments to the provinces streamed out to the Maritimes, Quebec and the Prairie provinces in a forward-thinking liberal determination to ensure that wherever a Canadian lived within Confederation they could be assured of receiving roughly equal social benefits. Universal hospital-medical and education opportunities at the top of the list.

Alberta's discontent with its place in Confederation has been muted of late as it has seen a larger voice in the federal government. Quebec will never be satisfied with its place in the federation of provinces because it will always consider itself to have been short-changed as an exception of language and culture in a sea of British-based inheritance, despite the country's long engagement in immigration.

And to surprise us all, here is New Brunswick suddenly coming to declare itself yet another disaffected member of the federation. Claiming that it was historically strong-armed by Britain into accepting a place within Canada that it was reluctant to be part of, without insisting on a better deal for itself initially.

The affective fever of elective sovereignty appears to have moistened the forehead of New Brunswick as it lies back on its bed of disaffection.

This is a rather irksome turn of events. Canada slowly unravelling. Seriously? Makes one feel in a pique of annoyance, like suggesting that New Brunswick, situated where it is on the map, consider making common cause with Quebec; it is, after all, the only province that is officially bilingual.

It is irritating beyond belief that the Maritimes and Quebec, those areas most profiting by the institution of the federal government's traditional equalization-transfer payments remain perennially discontented; the most serious succubuses on the Canadian taxpayer.

There, an impolite term for an ungracious and intemperate ingratitude.