Mohammed Azhar Ali Khan

 

It was only a provincial election but at stake was Canada’s fate. The ruling separatist Parti Quebecois government in Quebec called an election when the pollsters indicated that it could get a majority of seats in the provincial legislature. Then it could govern as it wished and even arrange a referendum to decide whether the province should break away and become a separate state.



If the PQ had won a majority, it is almost certain that it would have proceeded with another referendum. The federal Quebecers won the first referendum in 1980 comfortably. In the last one in 1995, the province was split sharply with federalists getting 50.6 percent and the separatists 49.4 percent. That’s why Canadians worry about such a vote - it creates uncertainty, frightens investors, divides families, raises tensions and brings Canada to the brink of breaking up.



There were other complications. Three major Aboriginal groups have their ancestral homelands in Quebec. They have stated they would prefer to remain in Canada, and they are the original people of this country. Also, in the past Quebecers did not know exactly what they were voting for. The separatists favored sovereignty but also continued association with Canada. As one cynic said, Quebec want to be a sovereign, separate country but within Canada.



So the Canadian Parliament passed a Clarity Act in 2000, requiring that a referendum clearly state what Quebecers are being asked to decide and that the decision be by a clear majority. Many politicians in the Rest of Canada (ROC) declared that if Quebecers leave Canada, they should not assume that Canada would accept whatever relationship they wanted with Canada. If Quebecers had decided to leave Canada, they would still have to negotiate with Canada on complicated issues, including borders.



As the Quebec election campaign unfolded, the provincial Liberals and some other political parties urged Quebecers to focus on job-creation, education and economic growth instead of wasting energy on debating whether the province should break away. Quebec’s government debt has grown from $37.6 billion in 1990-91 to $175.5 billion in 2012-13. Quebec receives some $8 billion annually from the rest of Canada through the equalization payments that transfer money from richer provinces to poorer ones.



Polls suggested that Quebecers had tired of the referendum debate and wanted to focus on bread-and-butter issues. As this argument gained ground, Quebecers in increasing numbers said they opposed another referendum. The PQ sensed trouble and changed its tune, saying it would focus on development and arrange a referendum only if the conditions were right.



This didn’t work. The provincial election decimated the separatists. But, as some commentators have pointed out, the separatists have experienced disasters and triumphs before but have not given up their dream of a separate Quebec.



Canadians were relieved because this time the separatist threat had begun to look ominous. The PQ won the last election in Quebec only 18 months ago, largely because the provincial Liberal government had become corrupt, lazy and arrogant. The PQ government  pledged to clean up the mess. It did not entirely succeed, indeed its proposed charter of rights, which would have banned the wearing of religious symbols by public servants at work, bitterly divided Quebecers. But their overall performance won them public support and most pollsters predicted that they would win, perhaps even win big.



Such speculation, however, is now history. Quebecers voted overwhelmingly for the Liberals and that means that for the next few years that party will focus on economic growth.



But even federalist Quebec parties, like other provincial governments, have a history of bickering with the federal government for more provincial rights and amenities. The Quebec Liberals are likely to continue this trend. However, there will be no talk of a referendum in the next few years.



If I were a Quebecer, I would have good reasons for favoring a separate Quebec. But I would have an even better rationale for rejecting separatism. Quebec is vibrant and charming. If it became independent, it would be richer, more populous and more developed, cohesive and dynamic than most countries. Free from having to compromise with the rest of Canada, it could devote itself to nurturing its own culture, language, economy and sports.



But why would Quebecers want to leave the world’s best country? They have contributed to making Canada what it is today, being  an integral part of the Canadian fabric from the very beginning. They already enjoy all the human rights and dignity that they could possibly get in a separate Quebec. Canada is one of the world’s most decentralized countries. All provinces enjoy huge powers that the Supreme Court of Canada reserves for them. Quebec’s culture and language are flourishing and it receives generous subsidies from the federal government. Canada insists on using French even in the federal government. So why would Quebec cut off its own roots and country and separate for no convincing reason?



Quebecers agree. They bluntly told the separatists in the last election: Thanks, but no thanks. We will stay in Canada, our home and native land. A wise decision.

 

— Mohammed Azhar Ali Khan is a retired Canadian journalist, civil servant and refugee judge.