Here we go again - Quebec Independence

[Bakunin]

Eureka you really don't understand quebec. You think we want money while we are trying to get quebec out of canada.

Quebecers in the federal government are mostly federalist extremist. Your blaming the separatist for the action of those federalist.

Its totally absurd. Sovreignist don't make scandal or any federal gestion, in fact sovreignist where the first to denounce the sponsorship scandal.

[Guest eureka]

I understand Quebec far better than most Quebeckers since I have been involved in this issue of language "laws" and separatiom for thirty years now Heavily involved and on the front lines. I have written and spoke about it for that time.

It does not matter whether those Quebeckers in Ottawa are federalists or not. Part of S/A is that they should still be able to be Quebec nationals working in Ottawa and payed by the federal government. This while, in Canadian eyes, being foreign nationals.

There are so many factors involved in any "separation. Even in a clean break, there are economic matters to be worked out. For instance, the National Debt: if Quebec should separate, there would be no requirement in international law for it to assume its share of the Canadian debt. However, the quid pro quo for Canada would be far more onerous on Quebec than its reneging on this.

That is just one example of a complex, impossibly so, breakup situation. And Quebes does want money. Only psychopaths like Parizeau would separate on a basis where Quebec did not retain financial benefits. All the elements I mentioned are included in S/A. Even those who now know that deal is not ever to be on the table still hold the pipe dream that it would be in Canada's interest to accord Quebec most of the others with, at a very minimum, a Free Trade association.

It would not be so. It would be a very dirty and nasty split with Quebec, as a partner with no leverage, very much the loser; the loser, socially, economically and politically - and territorially.

[JWayne625]

First of all Maplesyrup Canada is not a bilingual country just because Ottawa has said so. The reality is that less than 18% of Canadian's even speak French and that figure has increased from 14% since the inception of the declaration by Pierre Trudeau. We now have our Prime Minister stating that Canada is a French nation. There are more people in Canada that speak Chinese than speak French. Call it bilingual if you want but let's at least be honest and realistic. Most people in this country speak the universal language which is English so why the need to learn a language that you will never need to use.

Even in New Brunswick, the only "Officially Bilingual" province, is not bilingual. Yes some people speak both languages but they are definately not in the majority, and never will be. Where I live in Saint John, less than 1.67% of the population professes French as their mother tingue, and maybe 8 to 10% of the population is bilingual, and that would be stretching it. That is only because they took their schooling through French Immersion. Our former provincial Education Minister, Elvy Robichaud stated a couple of years ago that; "The French Immersion Program was not designed nor expected to produce fluently bilingual graduates." Yet in order to qualify for employment in a government job designated "bilingual", federally or provincially, the candidate must be FLUENT in French. If they have come from a French Immersion Program they simply do not qualify. What you will find however is that the majority of those jobs are being filled with people who's surname is French. The reality is that it has simply become Affirmative Action, Canadian style. Bilingualism was supposed to be all about choice in learning a second language, but it has become something quite different.

As for Quebec leaving Canada, the reality is that they already have. They have their own QPP, their own Income Tax Department. The only difference is that they still get to go begging for cash from the ROC. Even the other have-not Provinces' are at least smart enough not to bite the hand that feeds us, namely Alberta, and Ontario, Quebec never seems satisfied, it's just a continul whine. Maybe we would all be better of if they just left, and they can take all their Quebec MP's with them, including the PM, and his inner circle. Now that's beginning to sound like a good plan.

[August1991]

Quebec never seems satisfied, it's just a continul whine. Maybe we would all be better of if they just left, and they can take all their Quebec MP's with them, including the PM, and his inner circle. Now that's beginning to sound like a good plan.

If I understand properly, Quebec is the complaining wife in an unhappy marriage. "And with these 'crazy' laws now, she thinks she can walk away with my house and my bank accounts. Even my pension. Well, I'll show her. She's dreaming..."

If Canada were only a bad marriage...

In fact, Canada is 30 million people of which about 7 million speak French. This ain't no marriage. This is a "country". Now, what's that?

[idealisttotheend]

Just when you thought soverignty wasn't dead.

                                      Canada  Just Quebec  "ROC"

A nation alongside

the Canadian nation              8%    16%      5%

A nation within

the Canadian nation            13%    17%    12%

One of 10 equal provinces    42%    21%    49%

A province that is a distinct

society within Canada            34%      42%  31%

Other                                      0%          0%    1%

Did not know                          3%          4%      2%

Sample: 2,000 Canadians, July 2004

Source: Environics, Association for Canadian Studies

CBC Regional Link

Quebec as a nation: debate continues

MONTREAL - Former PQ cabinet minister Joseph Facal says a new poll showing only a third of Quebecers identify Quebec as a "nation" should not be interpreted as a major shift away from support for sovereignty.

The Environics poll commissioned by the Association for Canadian Studies found only one-third of Quebecers identify Quebec as a nation.

When you hear Bernard Landry, for example, say the ROC's (rest of Canada's) dilemma is it refuses to recognize Quebec as a nation, nor do most Quebecers jump to that conclusion, either," Jedwab says.

However, Facal says Jedwab is playing with semantics. In fact, he says, the poll shows that Quebecers gut feelings about their identity have scarcely changed in years.

The way I read this poll, only 16% of Quebecers are hard seperatists and another 17% are soft seperatists. That only make 33% and the fact that people's opinions haven't changed doesn't seem very good for the PQ. That just seems to mean that people's views are entrenched and that it isn't really a movement anymore as much as an institution.

No one rallys to the cause of an institution and the winning conditions seem so very far away.