Pauline Marois is a terrorist to traditional Canadian values.
A bold statement for sure but one that is not completely unfounded. In the whole debacle that is the Quebec Charter of Secular Values, Pauline Marois and the governing PQ party have called for an election. One question is no doubt in the back of many Canadian minds: Is Quebec on track for another referendum on sovereignty? If Quebec secures a majority government, the answer is a definitive “Yes.” However, why should we care if Quebec does in fact separate from the rest of the country?
Quebec has always been that one member of the Canadian family that no one gets along with, but we tolerate them for the idea of keeping the family together. It comes to a point in time though when the family gets fed up with the trouble maker, throws them the ball and leaves. As a country we have already been through this fiasco of referendums twice before.
The last time it happened, 1995, the margin was a measly 1.16 per cent difference in no/yes vote. With a difference in vote that low, no doubt the federal government would be much more attentive if a vote happens again. But what if Ottawa took the initiative instead and called the referendum for them? It would most certainty save Pauline Marois the aggravation while she tries to defend her xenophobic Charter of Values.
If Quebec did separate from the rest of Canada, what would the implications be for la belle province? Well initially, it would be a loss of about $9 billion in transfer payments from the federal government, not including the billions more it gets via taxation it sends to Ottawa. Theoretically speaking they could keep our dollar as their currency, but it would mean being under subject to the Bank of Canada.
As for the rest of Canada? Economically it would not be such a bad idea. Costs would be drastically lowered where we would not be funneling money in a province that cannot seem to perform as well as they would advocate. Businesses would no longer need to comply to the bilingual marketing outside of Quebec. The rest of Canada (honestly speaking about Ontario and Alberta) would enjoy nothing but a strong outflow of a highly educated, and trained population that wants to get out of a failing economy.
Quebec comprises roughly 30 to 40 per cent of the national debt. On top of that, Quebec currently owns one of the largest GDP-debt ratio in the country. If they were to complete a full separation, it would take with it over $150 billion in debt, which is over 50 per cent of their provincial GDP. This number will only steadily rise as Quebec would have to look after its own repairs on dismal infrastructure already present for example.
Now we would not know the effect of a separation unless it actually happens. I think it’s time for Canada to call the bluff of Quebec and see who ultimately ends up blinking first. Perhaps the worst tragedy of all this would be for those of you who (unfortunately) cheer for the Montreal Canadiens having to deal with a name change.
