Half a century ago, when Quebec separatism erupted, there were cynics who imagined it was an elaborate con game, a way of demanding concessions from the federal government. More money and more jurisdiction. Surely that couldn’t be true, many of us thought. Quebec probably deserved a better deal from Canada. Many Canadians tried their best to provide it. And much has changed.
Quebec’s
election campaign — and what a volatile, nasty, mud-splattered affair it has
been — is all but over. But the sense of impending national doom that animated
the first days has passed. That’s because the threat of Quebec separatism
itself, the great existential conundrum that has gripped this country these
past 40 years, has once again receded. It happened rather suddenly, mid-way
through the campaign, as polls showed the Parti Québécois cratering in public
support as the likelihood of yet another sovereignty referendum — the third
since 1980 — hit home.
So this will
be the enduring message of the past four weeks, after the signs are put away
and the resignations tendered: C’est fini, cette affaire. And this time,
because of the blessings of demographics, age and time, it’s not likely coming
back......To Read More.....
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