Tories vow to repeat history, breakup Canada

According to an article in yesterday's Globe and Mail, the Conservative Party of Canada is planning to once again join the Mulroneyist ranks of Neville Chamberlain-esque appeasement. I will make this as clear as I can: There is no place for soft nationalists in this country. Either you are for Canada, or you are not, and if you are a soft nationalist, you are not.

Citing "historical demands" that the Conservatives plan to meet, Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn forgets that there is only one that actually matters to the particular set of Quebeckers he is planning to appease, a minority at the best of times: the demand for separation. Quebec's nationalists will never be satisfied with anything less. Both Prime Ministers who thought differently - Mulroney and Martin - went down in uncontrolled flames, the former leaving us a legacy of the Reform Alliance party now in charge and the Bloc Quebecois, a party whose only purpose in life is to destroy the country that pays their salaries.

When a Quebec nationalist demands anything less, do not give it to them for they are hiding their true intentions. Giving in to soft nationalist demands in Quebec by reopening the constitution, providing any more autonomy to the most autonomous province in the country, or otherwise hurting Canada to appease this band of thugs will only encourage them to demand more. Offering Quebec's soft nationalists anything for their vote is providing, in essence, protection money and has the same dire consequences the moment that money stops flowing.

As an exiled Quebecker myself, I warn you: leave the Constitution alone. Do not pander to the Quebec nationalists. They are toxic to the very cause of Canada.

Posted at 08:56 on April 03, 2008

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Yvan St-Pierre (yvanstpierre.com/enblog) writes at Thu Apr 3 17:03:12 EDT 2008...

I truly feel sad when I read stuff like that. The real saddening part is that you're most probably a very decent fellow in private. I don't understand why such hatred, but then I understand so little of this world.

David Graham (cdlu.net) writes at Thu Apr 3 17:10:21 EDT 2008...

There is no hate. I am merely sick of having my country blackmailed by my province when we should all be working together. "Soft nationalists", the small but vocal minority of Quebec that they are, must simply admit that they want to destroy Canada, rather than doing it while being dishonest about their true intentions. And ostensibly federalist politicians should stop falling for their nation-destroying charade.

Yvan St-Pierre (yvanstpierre.com/enblog) writes at Thu Apr 3 17:49:28 EDT 2008...

I disagree, but I can respect your frustration. In my view however, with all due respect, your interpretation is more a part of the problem than of any solution, yet again, you seem to have a firmer grip than I do on the true intentions of other people's. You probably know things I don't.

shoes writes at Fri Apr 4 21:19:24 EDT 2008...

cldu

You are right-on with this comment.

Quebec has more autonomy that the ROC

To give them more is the end of our country

Altavistagoogle (altavistagoogle.blogspot.com ) writes at Sat Apr 5 22:45:24 EDT 2008...

I take it you are againts Quebec being a country. I think Canada should rejoin the UK. Or at the verry least, we should have a referendum confirming seperation from the mother contry. Alternatively, we could join France, that would really stick it to the seperatists.

Or we could get Iceland to join Canada. 250,000 people!? Come on, join canada.

David Graham (cdlu.net) writes at Mon Apr 7 10:41:25 EDT 2008...

Altavistagoogle,

I agree with the repeatedly asked majority of Quebeckers who wish to stay a part of Canada.

Ralph Anderson (www.magma.ca/~ralphdsl) writes at Mon Apr 7 12:13:39 EDT 2008...

If we are free, we should be free to leave.

When a few want to take everything and everybody with them ... for most of them, that's not freedom.

Don't worry about the constitution, have all the provinces set up the rules for separation for any province. Like how much can you take with you, how much do you have to owe us for in terms of invested infrastructure, etc. Make sure everyone knows what the deal will be, then vote on it. not like the previous Quebec referendums on separation where some sides think it's giving their government a mandate to negotiate and another side thinks it's "seize the airports and go".

But if you do that, then let's use a sword that can cut both ways. Referendums for expulsion would be on the table.

David Graham (cdlu.net) writes at Mon Apr 7 18:08:38 EDT 2008...

This conversation took on a life of its own at BCer in TO's blog post on the same subject, readable here.

Ralph, I agree with pretty much everything you've written. The partitionist movement in Quebec is a force that should not be underestimated. If Canada can be divided, so can Quebec. Separatism cuts both ways and Quebec would have an interesting go of it without the island of Montreal.

Another point I should add here is that when federal governments negotiate with soft nationalists, there is an implicit statement that Quebec is not an equal partner in confederation currently, that there really is an us vs them.

It is the hardline federalists - the ones who say Quebec is an integral part of Canada - who keep this country together. It's the Trudeaus, the Chretiens, and the Dions who show a pride in a Canada with a Quebec, who share that pride with their home province and keep Canada strong and united.