Why does quebec want to be an independent nation

Quebec has all the trappings and powers of an independent state that it wants without the obligation of fiscal responsibility, and evidently Canadians are prepared to accept this arrangement for the foreseeable future. Harvey Kaplan, Thornhill, Ont. Having Quebec within our confederation is like living with a spoiled child.

The next referendum may not be that they want to separate but whether the rest of Canada wants to keep them. They have to realise that once they do become their own nation.

That it will spell the end of them being unilingual. They will have to teach their children English to be able to coup with the rest of the world economically. Then the rest of the provinces can become unilingual and use English only.

Saving the taxpayers billions annually, that can be used for more important things like our health care and infrastructure. Then have two languages on all our packaging. Peter G.

Keith, Calgary. Quebec, the eternal ingrate parasite will always have a place in Canada — as long as the Federal government allows them to continue their feeding frenzy at the equalization trough, at the expense of the rest of Canada. Cut them off from this and their incessant whining will increase to the point that the rest of Canada will demand that they either shut up and support themselves, or leave. Discussion with similar-aged Quebeckers in a Florida restaurant.

Knowing glances at the mention of Fascism. Come back when you are ready. A better question would be: Do anglophones have a future in Quebec? The anglophone community has been poorly served by conflicts of interest, and an organization that claims to be the voice of English education : the Quebec English School Boards Association. Consider : the chairperson of the Lester B.

Chris Eustace, Montreal. They were the foundation of Canada and it would be a sad day if they left. At this time with their huge debt, it would be financial suicide for them to separate. The rejection of the English language in their schools only tends to isolate their young people and make it hard for them to succeed else where in North America.

I think we are stuck with Quebec for some time yet. Martin Bohn, Ardrossan, Alta. Their culture and language is different. Switzerland can be put inside Algonquin Park. France and England fit into Ontario, with room for a little country like Liechtenstein. Quebecers must acknowledge the North American context. Their Quebec language and culture is protected within Canada. Douglas Cornish, Ottawa. Not looking to cloud your day but winter is knocking!

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Main Menu Search nationalpost. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser, or tap here to see other videos from our team. Shopping essentials. Do the people of Quebec want independence? So why did so many people vote for the Bloc? Quiz of The Week: 6 - 12 November. Quizzes and puzzles. The VP, GPs and refugees. Penguin arrives in New Zealand after epic journey.

Tall Tales. In a country where the relationship between the provinces and the centre is usually tense, who would speak for the rest of Canada in any negotiation with Quebec on the terms of divorce? Yet despite all these worries, fully half of Quebecers and a majority of the Francophone voters are telling pollsters they will vote "Yes". If they prevail, Quebec will take up to a year to negotiate the terms of the split. If the negotiations prove fruitless, unilateral independence will be declared.

Legal or not, few expect any attempt - in the courts or through more violent means - to halt the process. The two key figures on the separatist side are a study in contrasts. Jacques Parizeau, the Quebec premier, is a patrician gentleman with an English accent procured during a stint at the London School of Economics. Blunt and sometimes bizarre in his public utterances, he is not as popular in Quebec as his cause. Lucien Bouchard, the former Tory turned sovereigntist, leads the mighty Bloc Quebecois, the official opposition in Ottawa, dedicated to Quebec independence.

A bout with the flesh-eating bacteria cost him a leg but gained him nearly mythical status in Quebec. He appeals to the "ordinary Quebecer" with his mix of plain speaking, passion and pithy turns of phrase.

The cause they espouse has the support of half the province's population, a figure that shocks the rest of Canada.

Why do so many Quebecers want to go? What can be wrong with a country that tops international competitiveness surveys, that boasts one of the world's best-educated workforces and a universal, affordable health care system?

Why would a people so blessed by natural resource wealth, a modern transportation system, a massive market on its very doorstep in the form of the United States and a non-violent political and civic life, want to throw it all away on a roll of the dice, on an unknown and divided future? Surely separation is a disease of the Balkans, an extreme political decision more closely identified with a Czechoslovakia than a Canada?

In fact, there is a real malaise in the True North, one that has affected many other countries where different cultures, language groups and "ethnicities" have been forced, or have chosen under duress, to live together.

Signs of splits in the separatist camp are emerging. The Bloc's Bouchard is more cautious and shares Green Bay Packer Coach Vince Lombardi's philosophy that winning isn't everything, it is the only thing. Fearing that another humiliation of Quebec would undercut Quebec's bargaining power, Bouchard says a referendum should only be held when it can be won.

This could presumably be in eight months, eight years or never. On the other hand, Jacques Parizeau makes light of the fear of losing clout by asking sceptically what negotiating power Quebec has now.

Perhaps Parizeau is less concerned than Bouchard about losing because he refuses to take no as the last word in a referendum. The suggested referendum question in the draft bill on sovereignty is, "Are you in favour of the Act passed by the National Assembly declaring the sovereignty of Quebec?

YES or NO. It puts the onus on the Quebec public to reject a declaration of sovereignty by their democratically elected representatives and uses the softer term of sovereignty rather than independence. The National Assembly declaration itself is also dressed up with reassurances that Quebeckers will continue to enjoy economic association with Canada, Canadian citizenship, the Canadian dollar, and their old age pensions.

The referendum question shows that Parizeau, who nearly resigned in principle over the crafted ambiguity of the referendum question, has himself mastered the art.

Canadians have had a difficult enough time of it tinkering with our own constitution. Imagine the enormity of the task facing Quebeckers as they have to draw up a new constitution for a sovereign Quebec. But maybe Quebec is more governable than the whole of Canada.

The constitution will be the defining document of a sovereign Quebec. It will be prepared by a constitutional commission, made up of members of the national assembly and hand-picked outsiders, who will presumably assemble views from across the province. For an initial period at least, the PQ plans to convert its provincial institutions into national ones rather than creating new institutions. The existing British parliamentary system of government with a prime minister, cabinet and National Assembly will be retained.

A minor change will be that the lieutenant-governor would be replaced by a ceremonial head of state elected by the National Assembly. How about Lucien Bouchard? The new expanded lawmaking, taxing and treaty making powers of the National Assembly will not fundamentally change the way it works today. A Supreme Court of Quebec will be established and federal courts in Quebec will be integrated into Quebec's judicial structure.