Over the summer it's been hard to keep up with current affairs but there is a provincial election next week. I try to check in daily to see what is happening and each day I am amused and baffled. It seems very likely that the incumbent Liberal government will be booted in favour of the centre left Parti Quebecois. The Parti Quebecois (PQ) is also a separatist party. That's right, the PQ doesn't want to be part of Canada any more...
There is so much history behind this that I couldn't possibly hope to understand but I'm seriously baffled that despite the many problems this province has, the majority of this election campaign has revolved around who is a federalist and who's in favour of sovereignty and when the referendum would take place. Besides the obvious French language benefits no one talks about the advantages to Quebec of going it alone. There is one question no one needs to ask - "Does the rest of Canada really care?". Probably not from what I've read.
The PQ also have some seriously questionable policies. The following is from the national newspaper "The Globe and Mail".
Although she’s basically a socialist, some of her rhetoric smacks of Europe’s anti-immigrant right wing. “Let us not yield to the intimidation of those who want to impose values that are not ours,” she declared in a campaign ad. She wants immigrants to pass a French test before they run for public office. (Originally this restriction was going to apply to people born in Quebec too, until aboriginal groups exploded in protest.) She wants to ban the display of all religious dress or symbols (except the crucifix) by anyone who works for the government. She wants to take away the right of francophone and allophone students to attend English-language junior colleges.
Wow! I can't believe these people will probably win... I'll let you know what happens and which "country" we'll be living in!!
xx
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