Quebec independance

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We in Quebec are not so daft as to vote for the Harper Conservatives. It's not our fault that idiots in Alberta and in the west in general can't stop voting for these people. Back when people knew the issues westerners voted for populists and socialists and fiat money parties (Social Credit). Now they vote for monetarism and neoliberalism. It's the fall of civilisation there.

Attacking Quebec City in winter; Not a good idea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Quebec_%281775%29

Not Winter Games topic

Is this topic sliding into the Plains of Abraham?

As i've asked Fuzzy previously, not all of Alberta supports the Harper Conservatives (i don't think he does, for one). I can't remember well, but he said that they're more centered around where the tar-sands industries are located. =/

As is the case with people worldwide, you can't expect everyone to be in agreement with your country or province's leadership (albeit in some rare cases where it has been seen).

What is the general consensus among the Canadians in this thread of the likely logical course of events over the following years if/when Quebec bolts from Confederation?

Mike

I would prefer Quebec to not separate from Canada.
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Anti-Quebec sentiment often features equalization payments. Quebec takes the biggest amount of equalization payments out of all provinces who receive equalization payments and people say it's unfair. But they only factor in the province with the highest amount which is Quebec.

What about per capita?

Quebec is not the province that has the highest amount of equalization payments per capita.


For example, the federal government gives out 7 billion to four provinces (Quebec, P.E.I., Ontario and Nova Scotia). Quebec receives 5 billion, Ontario receives 1.5 billion, and P.E.I. and Nova Scotia both receive 250 million each.


Now, divide 5 billion by the population of Quebec (8 million). You get $625 per person in Quebec. Now do it for P.E.I.

250 million divided by 140,000 and you get $1,785 per person. Each person in P.E.I. gets a higher amount of money than the people in Quebec.

Now let's look at the most recent stats for equalization payments:

2012-2013

Quebec ($7.391 billion) - population 8 million
Ontario ($3.261 billion) - population 12.8 million
Manitoba ($1.671 billion) - population 1.2 million
New Brunswick ($1.495 billion) - population 751,000
Nova Scotia ($1.268 billion) - population 921,000
Prince Edward Island ($337 million) population 140,000

Per capita, from least to greatest:

Ontario - $246
Quebec - $934
Nova Scotia - $1,342
Manitoba - $1,353
New Brunswick - $1,985
P.E.I. - $2,350

As you can see, Quebec gets the 2nd lowest amount of equalization payments per capita for 2012-2013.

And here's my honest, slightly-bigoted but gladly non-serious opinion. Get rid of the French language. It's keeping most of the world down. Several of Africa's most dirt-poor countries have large amounts of French-speaking people, and France is a place famous for being grumpy and hostile to anyone who doesn't speak French. If Quebec is half as bad, build a wall around it and host a real-life version of The Hunger Games.

It is up to the Quebec people to decide that.

They really need to get rid of their silly French-enforcing laws though.

We've already built seats and established supply depots for popcorn along the US border, for that. Looks like it's going to be quite a show.

This country will get dragged down into the abyss by Western politics and rapidly come to resemble a breakaway Soviet republic circa 1990, Quebec will look pretty much the same as it does now, and I'll be living there, with any luck.

Quebec will not separate, not from the BQ or PQ at least. Neither have any real interest in separation. The situation is simply too profitable for them. They squeeze Ottawa's balls for billions of dollars every year, maintain a reactionary atmosphere that keeps them relevant and all line their pockets nicely in the process. If the province separated they would actually have to concentrate on nation building, something they would not find so easily profitable and thus not worth their time

An independent Quebec would have some advantages if it opts for real independence with its own central bank and currency. The Bank of Canada has been a serious problem for all Canadians over the whole neoliberal era. French Quebec has a militancy that English Canada just doesn't have and this is why there's some hope for us. We still have to condemn Mulroneyists like Charest and those awful Lucides like Bouchard who is also a Mulroneyist... one thing we have here are people parading through the streets waving red flags. For an American and English Canada that's like the ultimate political transgression.

Of all the arguments, this one has always been the least relevant. Quebec is larger than many countries, both population- and territory-wise. Also, there is no such thing as "too small to be a sustainable country". What size makes one "unsustainable"? At the moment, Singapore and Luxembourg are two of the most prosperous countries in the world, yet are basically city-states. Off the top of my head, I can name Switzerland and Denmark as two more countries with smaller populations, which are hardly poor or "unsustainable". Quebec is a relatively modern country, and there is no reason that it cannot be "sustained" as a sovereign state.


Personnally, I don't care. I think Canada is way too large to make sense, but I would also think the same thing of an independent Quebec. As a Quebecer, I don't really like being forced to live in a country with 4M Albertans. However, as a Montrealer, I would be stuck with 500k people from Quebec City, which is hardly better. I already am in the provincial elections, and it's painful enough.

In the end, it is very unlikely that it will go through at all. Two referendum defeats should be a clue to the independence movement.

I said I don't really care. I love Canada and I would be sad if the country no longer existed, but at the same time, borders change you know.

I think humans should go toward more unity, not toward more countries.

The world needs more currencies, that's for sure.