Monday, May 09, 2011

A Separate Quebec falls on the chopping Bloc

Wow, how could my prediction on the 2011 federal election in Canada been anymore wrong, I knew the Conservatives would be around 150 seats as the Governing party over the Liberals, who I had neck and neck with the New Democrats both just under 45 for a minority, but I was sure the Bloc Québécois was going to return as the Opposition with 73 seats. Boy, was I wrong and how, because if one just switched dynamics between the BQ and the ND then one could move closer to our actual results. By the end of last Monday, the federal Tories had finally won their majority with 166 seats from its original 143 minority, the New Democrats used Québec to go from 36 to 103 to become the Opposition, the Grits from 77 to 34 losing not only the Opposition title but its leader, just like the Bloquistes who moved from 47 to 4 and even the Greens threw everything including the kitchen sink into Saanich—Gulf Islands to finally elect Elizabeth May also of London North, Central Nova and Cape Breton Highlands—Canso.

Now though I think a story can be told from either the historical motion of no confidence by the House of Commons against the Crown in Council, a first time ever in the Commonweath, where a government and its cabinet had been found in contempt of its parliament to which is must remain accountable. Or how the loss of the House's only Independent being Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier's André Arthur, who came in second with 27.8% of the vote, to the New Democrats would affect federal politics. But I think we should take up a suggestion by the Bloc, indeed we should Parlons Nous Québec or let us talk about Quebec, to just try and figure what is next for La Belle Province.

It was a shallow attempt to get people talking about the province avec le Bloc, its raison d'être being souveraineté association, le chef du Bloc Québécois Gilles Duceppe must have realized protection of jobs and the economy not language and the culture was the mot de jour. Indeed, the cause célèbre that broke the camel's back apparently was the massive rally and grand speech for separation with current Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois and former PQ premier Jacques Parizeau to solidify the Péquistes at home in Saint Lambert and Longueuil in Montréal during the final week, but the iron fist of sovereignty lost its grip to a more nationalist, socialist and progressive Québécois audience who now wanted more unity and less separation in Canada even amonst the francophone voter. In the end, the more positive message politically by Jack Layton and the New Democrats of hope, change and optimism won over the obviously negative message politically of fear, entrenchment and separatism, which is likely the best part of this story altogether.