Calculating the Real Price Of Quebec Separation
If Quebec PQ leader Paulin Marois is seeking a mandate to once again hold a referendum to separate , while all along suggesting she is really in it for the economy, she is embarking on a never ending journey.
With the entry of Pierre Peladeau to the campaign as a star candidate who makes no bones about the fact that he wants a referendum and a separate Quebec, the colour of the campaign has changed.
Canadians on the other side of the country, from the prairies to the west coast are not likely to look kindly at any move by Quebec to go it alone . They have been down this road before in which the Canadian dollar slipped in value and stayed that way for some years at the very thought of splitting the country. This go round, there is a sense that if you want to go, then go, we are no loner prepared to plead with you to be a part of this nation.
Of course when we suggest going that doesn't mean that Quebec shouldn't take its share of the national debt with it.
They also should realize that the transfer of payments to the tune of 4.5 Billion in 2012-13 will stop.
They also should be aware that we would not simply say , it's okay for you to use the Canadian dollar and hope that will improve Quebec's financial woes, and woes there will be, at the rest of Canada's expense.
Quebec owed 175 billion dollars in 2012-13, the economy has be struggling and Quebecers' are swimming in personal debt.
Now all of that would give rise to the next question and that is, why in the world would you want to leave Canada given these problems? Well the reality is that at least to this point , Quebecers have been living under the illusion that a French speaking nation standing all alone would improve their culture and their pride.
I'm Meisner and that's one man's opinion.
Comments
Russia to the rescue. The have the ballot boxes ready. They can have a referendum within a week.
She wants separation but still wants it all, transfer payments, use our money, etc. just pure greed and for what ?
Harper should start closing the military bases in Quebec now. Heck once a country maybe the good ole US of A would invade them. For what I’m not sure!
NoWay: Now that’s funny! How do you think the American people would take to all their French language laws and their ‘distinct’ society ideas? That would be really fun to see! Wouldn’t be long until they wanted to separate from the States too!
I still think BC should separate from Quebec and form its’ own country with The Yukon, Alaska, Washington State, Oregon and California (only so we have a nice sunny place to play during part of the winter). I still think that would make us one of the richest countries on the planet.
Any country can adopt the Canadian dollar as its currency, including an independent Quebec.
I understand that historically Quebec is defined as the St. Lawrence River drainage only, quite a bit less than Quebec is currently depicted on maps.
Hey Quebec, don’t forget to take your share of the debt too!
In the last go around at this attempt to separate the Quebec first nations said if Quebec separated from Canada then they would separate from Quebec. The French separatists said they would not allow this.
It’s deja vu all over again!
The majority of Quebecers dont want another referendum, nor do they want separation. Less than %40 want separation. But Marois will bang that separation pot incessantly, and you can bet that every time someone in the Rest Of Canada(ROC) gets pissed off, and starts badmouthing Quebec, she or Peladeau will use it to show Quebecers that they are not wanted in Canada.
Unfortunately Harper has helped give Peladeau a platform through Sun Media, and you will notice that some of the worst Quebec bashing comes from “journalists” (Ezra Levant comes to mind) in the employ of Karl Peladeau the man who wants to create the nation of Quebec.
Just remember the quiet majority of Quebecers are solid Canadian citizens, every time you hear Quebec being run down. Getting pissed off only helps the separatists achieve their goal.
For a little background, remember that Harper had Peladeau over for dinner in 2009, to discuss the launch of Sun Media, and the employment of Kory Teneycke, Harpers former director of communications, as Sun Medias vice president.
Thereafter, the CBC has complained about the use of $500 million, in unaudited public funding being funneled towards Sun Media.
Send every Qeebec separatist a free one way ticket to France. Via Malaysia Airlines preferably
Cut and paste the contents of an email I received this morning. Honestly; I can’t see a down side to this farce.
I vote yes, they separate
—– separation consequences!!!
keep this email going this is the most positive move ever proposed, and worthy of every person who is truly Canadian. If you can think of any more reasons, please add them.. Iâm sure we could help their cause..
If Quebec should decide to hold a referendum and the Quebecois vote for leaving Canada, the fun starts.
1. Aboriginals will refuse to give up their traditional territory.
2. The St. Lawrence Seaway is jointly owned by Canada and the United States; Quebec has no claim to the lands set aside for the Seaway.
3. Montreal is an island in the St. Lawrence and may not be part of a new Quebec.
4. All federal facilities (and English speaking employees) in Quebec would have to relocate.
5. Air Canada could not continue maintenance operations in a foreign nation.
6. The Port of Montreal would wither as Canadian companies would have to find an Canadian location for imports and exports.
7. Airlines would cease landing in Quebec until they could negotiate landing rights with the new nation.
8. The Canada Space Agency could move from Saint-Hubert to Calgary.
9. Federally licensed financial institutions (all banks, for example) could no longer operate in Quebec.
10. Bilingual courts and a bilingual federal civil service would be history.
11. The Official Languages Act would be history.
12. Thousands of translators we now pay for would be out of work.
13. We would have 78 fewer Members of Parliament to pay for.
14. We would have 24 fewer Senators to pay for.
15. The NDP would lose 57 seats including Mulcairâs;
16. The Liberals would lose 8 seats including Trudeauâs.
17. The Conservative partyâs majority would increase from 52% to 67%.
18. We would save about $20 billion annually in federal transfer payments – which could be used to pay down the federal debt.
19. We could save another $543 million in funds currently earmarked for bridges over the St. Lawrence and in and out of Montreal.
20. We would no longer support Bombardier.
21. All military aircraft work contracted by Canada would have to leave Quebec.
22. Goodbye to the CBC French language networks.
23. No more French language.
I can’t think of any good reasons not to cheer them on. Go Pauline Marois, go take Quebec out of confederation.
15. The NDP would lose 57 seats including Mulcairâs;
16. The Liberals would lose 8 seats including Trudeauâs.
17. The Conservative partyâs majority would increase from 52% to 67%.
This is why Harper has funded Karl Peladeau the separatist with $500 million of Public funds towards Sun Media. Remember that Quebec bashing has a reason- to further Harpers agenda.
Harper and the Cons, as well as the PQ, plan to feast on Canadas’ bones.
On the upside, all our French Immersion schools can be shut down and maybe turned into “Haldi Road school” type institutions. Could happen.
Let them leave. Good riddance. Don’t have a problem with you being part of Canada. Just have a problem with you being so obnoxious about leaving all the time. It’s like a little kid in a playground. Wining because they can’t play the game.
Again the silent majority of Quebecers are content within Canada. Pay no mind to the whiners (AKA Conservatives and Pequistes), who want to destroy Canada as we know it.
Ben, you forgot to mention that there are roughly 4.8 million people living in Quebec who would vote “no” on separation (roughly 60% of the population).
Hey wait a minute, my quick math tells me that this means there are more proud Canadians living in Quebec than in any of the Western Provinces.
Just thought I’d throw that out there to help balance your piece ;)
(Thereafter, the CBC has complained about the use of $500 million, in unaudited public funding being funneled towards Sun Media)
What a pile of crap Herb. CBC is the black hole of tax money and anyone not blinded by the left knows it. Ya, Harper has set up Quebec to leave so he can control the remaining pieces of the country. Do you even read your nutbar posts.
“Send every Qeebec separatist a free one way ticket to France. Via Malaysia Airlines preferably”
Harbinger, if that was your attempt at being droll, you failed miserably. That is not funny in the least.
The CBC costs taxpayers over a billion per year.
Speak for yourself pylot. I thought it was funny.
dow7500.. why doesn’t that surprise me? Typical.
Herbster. Harper must be one hell of a multi tasker, to be responsible for all the problems you attribute to him.
As mentioned above, perhaps you should read, and reflect on your posts.
If Quebec leaves, so be it. If they stay, so be it. I no longer lose sleep over this issue.
I guess I am consistent in not coddling separatist traitors.
An additional factor to consider is that most of the aboriginal people of Quebec appear to be strongly opposed to separation and to have a strong moral and legal argument that if Quebec secedes it does not have the right to take with it the areas added to Quebec in 1898 and 1912 without their consent. An independent Quebec is therefore likely to be a Quebec stripped of a large part of its natural resources.
Is Stephen Harper a closet separatist? Here is something he stated back in 1994
“Whether Canada ends up as oÂne national government or two national governments or several national governments, or some other kind of arrangement is, quite frankly, secondary in my opinion⦠And whether Canada ends up with oÂne national government or two governments or ten governments, the Canadian people will require less government no matter what the constitutional status or arrangement of any future country may be.”
Speech to the Colin Brown Memorial Dinner, National Citizens Coalition, 1994
Dow 7500- does your coddling not include Stephen Harper?
Why can’t the rest of Canada have a vote on whether or not we want Quebec?
I would support a sovereign BC/Yukon if Canada was to be broken up. I think if Quebec leaves the whole Federation unravels. Ontario would dominate any rump state and that would not play out well for BC.
That said I don’t think the conservatives would necessarily dominate if Quebec was gone. The whole political spectrum would shift, and I don’t think it would be towards the Alberta neo-con side of things, but rather more along the lines of a libertarian and fiscal conservative bend. The liberals, the ndp and the conservatives would all be competing for a new political reality and its anyone’s guess where it would go. Four of the five provinces west of Quebec have had ndp governments after all… so to say its a lock for the conservatives is a bit simplistic.
If Canada unravels, look to the USA to pick up the pieces. BC/Yukon as a nation is a dream that would last as long as a blink of an eye. Say goodbye to healthcare, unionized jobs,companies will bring in Mexicans to do Forestry and agricultural work, much as they do already in the states.
I must admit, the irony of people posting in a critical manner about Quebec’s views and beliefs on a website called “Opinion 250” (a blog devoted to the news and views of people who think they are drowned out by the masses within the “604”), is somewhat amusing.
And to think that the “250” has really only been around for 100 years or so. Quebec City was established roughly 400 years ago. I guess they are entitled to 4 times as much pride as Northern BC?
No Plains of Abraham here in 250. We’re good.
Didn’t the people of Quebec make a statement in the last federal election ? They dumped the Bloc and voted orange. To me that is a statement. The majority have no appetite for separatism. They are smarter than that. Every ten years some Quebec politician attempts this power-play and company’s, corporations and people move to Ontario.
Anyone catch the start of the hockey game Saturday night ? The Habs let the audience sing “O Canada”. Maybe just me, but I saw that as a statement.
Not only are there no plains of Abraham ….. there is no one called Abraham …..
Now, Montreal, that is another matter, lots of Abrahams there. :-)
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