House of Commons Proportionalism

This is most definitely in the realm of "say it ain't so, puleeze!" One might think the Harper-led Conservative government would be fed up with being spurned time and again by a disdainful Quebec that will have none of its overtures. And even when, finally, the Conservatives were able to prove indisputably that a political party in Canada is capable of finding itself in a majority position without assistance from la belle Province, here they are, still bending over backward to assist Quebec in kicking it yet again in the backside.

The New Democratic Party, the new-and-first-time Official Opposition, is pushing for Quebec's continued exceptionality within Confederation. None of Canada's political parties can get it through their thick-skulled minds that nothing, ever, will be enough of a capitulation to Quebec's pouty demands to make it 'like' Canada and being an integral part of the country. Nationalism in Quebec is exclusive of the rest of Canada. The Quebec nation needs no extension inclusive of the other provinces.

It is, always has been, and is destined to remain a nation unto itself. Occasionally mindful of the rest of Canada, particularly at those times when transfer payments come through, enabling Quebec's social programs to proceed on cue, as the most socially 'progressive' province in an uneasy alliance. Quebec is accustomed to having its way, irrespective of 'its way' disabling the rest of Canada, from its union entitlements denying entry to trades from out-of-province, to its continued open hand of special favours from the Canadian treasury.

Didn't we think we had the distribution of Parliamentary seats in hand with a proposed re-distribution putting to rights the disproportionate strength of Quebec which over-reflects its population base? The formula in the Constitution Act is specific enough, that seats in the House of Commons be distributed/allocated according to provincial population density - or lack of it. The Atlantic provinces are over-represented and that's kind of us. But the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta are under-represented and that's short-sighted of us.

Even if it is agreed that Quebec retain its traditional (unfair and unjust over-representation) representing 24.4% of the Commons seats with a 23.2% population representation, an additional 30 seats in Ontario, B.C. and Alberta would settle the score appreciably. Yet Quebec howls and yowls unfair treatment. And the NDP are keenly aware of their new status in Quebec and eager to maintain that status at the expense of balance and justice in representation, urging the government to increase Quebec's representation even while it increases the under-represented provinces.

The Mowat Centre came up with its take on the formula: "...the distortions in the Canadian House of Commons are far worse than in the legislatures of the United States, Australia, Germany or Switzerland. The reality today is that 61% of Canadians are under-represented in the House of Commons". And it's long past time for remediation. If, in the doing of that, Quebec comes out with its nose askew, too bad. It still remains over-represented and that's bad enough.

To accede to the urgings of the NDP and the entitled yearnings of Quebec to be continually viewed as ultra-exceptional and deserving of special treatment is to do a miserable disservice to the country as a whole. Past time that became past history.