Separatism 'coming back' (Canadian elections)

Calgary Sun ^ | 25 Nov 05 | PAUL JACKSON

[Fair Go]

Reform party founder Preston Manning yesterday warned of an "explosion" of separatist sentiment in Quebec if Paul Martin's Liberals win the next federal election.

And he said there will also be "quasi-explosions" of separatist sentiment in Western Canada. Speaking at a meeting of the Canadian Club at the Palliser Hotel, Manning recalled the federalist side won the 1995 referendum on Quebec independence by just 1.2% of the vote.

"It was a scary moment, and it's coming back -- the separatists again have the cause they need," Manning said.

Separatism was dying in Quebec until the revelations by Justice John Gomery's AdScam inquiry, and now the Parti Quebecois has a youthful new leader leader in Andre Boisclair, he said.

He said the re-election of Martin's government would create a "full-blown" unity crisis in Quebec and a negative reaction in Western Canada.

[Fair Go]

Looks like interesting times ahead!

[dfwgator]

Just go away already Quebec. It would be addition by subtraction for Canada.

[flying Elvis]

How would a separate Quebec effect the balance of power in the parliament? Would it enable conservatives to dominate?

[LdSentinal]

I guess the New Democrats hope to gain a bunch of seats at the Liberal party's expense.

[Fair Go]

I cannot answer that one.

[Fair Go]

You might like to speculate on this one.

[VeniVidiVici]

I support independence for Quebec as long as they shut up after they become separate.

That won't happen. They're French.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"I support independence for Quebec as long as they shut up after they become separate."

And as an added enticement, we can give them the Northeastern states (sorry, New Hampshire, you'll have to take one for the team).

[TheMole]

No, Quebec's departure would not enable conservatives to dominate, but they would become stronger than they are now.

[NZerFromHK]

Ontario as the centre of English Canada has a lot of people who are Tory in sentiment but socialist down to practical policy level. The phrase "socialist monarchist" perfectly reflect such sentiment.

These people supported anti-American Tories of old like John Diefenbaker in the JFK era, and as the modern Liberal is more anti-US, so they put all their eggs in the basket that is the Grits. A little like Massachusetts in the United States, but the Traditionalist sentiment is explicitly pro-monarchy.

If Quebec secedes, the Parliament will be reduced by 75 seats and Ontario will comprise 46% instead of 35% of all parliamentary seats. And since the Liberal Party struggles to gain seats in Quebec this means their power will not be clipped away by Quebec separatism: rather, they will be even more powerful than they are now. This will probably be a warning siren for Western Canada and I suspect the West will opt for session after Quebec goes out, if they haven't separated already.

[goldstategop]

If Canada breaks up, that would be good for liberty. The socialists can have Quebec and Ontario. Good riddance. Unlike Preston Manning, I see this as an opportunity not a crisis and the Chinese word for both coincidentally enough, is the same.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[Savage Beast]

Hey, Western Provinces. Join the U.S. Help us stuff the Lefties into the septic tank where they belong.

[Northern Alliance]

ping

[truth_seeker]

"This will probably be a warning siren for Western Canada and I suspect the West will opt for session after Quebec goes out, if they haven't separated already."

So which western Provinces would leave Mother Canada?

Would any Maritime Provinces consider leaving? (Aren't they weak, economically; dependent on the more wealthy ones?)

[Nextrush]

Quebec independent. They'll declare independence, become a
territory of France and start sucking up the welfare benefits they rely on from France, since Alberta won't be paying the freight no more.

[NZerFromHK]

I'm sure Alberta will leave and form an independent country. If Saskatcheswan can put its act together and purge the remnant NDP (New Democratic Party == US Green Party) they will choose Alberta. British Columbia is, yes, leftist, but its Left cannot go along with the Left in Ontario as they are less pro-England or monarchy than the Ontarian Left. It will probably try to form a separate nation as well.

Manitoba may either see the writings on the wall and join Alberta-Saskatcheswan or it will opt to stay in rump Canada.

The Maritimes provinces may want to stick to Ontario given sentimental history of British North America, but practically they will want to rush to join Maine and form Greater Maine as a US state. Newfoundland still wants direct ties with Britain (theaccent of their English is more "British" than American - in fact, they still speak like the Irish today) and I suspect they will petition London to allow them to become once again a self-governing British dependency just like Bermuda.

[NZerFromHK]

I think the Western Canadians are divided on the issue of "then what?". Half of them want to have nothing to do with the current bureaucracy that is Washington DC - these people will want a separate nation but in the firm US ally model as is Australia, while the other half want to join the US as new states.

[OKIEDOC]

Lots of people in Calgary if given the opportunity would like to be the fifty first state.

Eastern Canada and more specifically Ottawa has run rough shod over Western Canada.

Westerners hate all those stoopid road signs in French.

[goldstategop]

Few people outside QC/ON speak French. What Western Canada resents is being forced to accomodate French when the Quebecois won't even allow English signs to be posted in the province.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")