May 20, 2011 – In my regular column for The Ottawa Citizen, I discuss the history of Quebec’s voting strategy in order to comment on how Quebec’s recent election outcome has weakened rather than strengthened Quebec within Confederation. Just how weak their position is we will only discover if the Parti Québécois is returned to power in the provincial election in 2012 or 2013. An excerpt below:
Now it is Jack Layton’s turn. But here’s the rub: In handing Jack’s New Democrats the lion’s share of Quebec’s seats they have conjured up their old nightmare; a majority government that owes nothing to Quebec. Now when the PQ comes to power and begins disingenuously to denounce the evils of federalism, they will face a different kind of federal government than they have ever known. Moreover Stephen Harper knows there will be 30 new seats west of the Ottawa River and none in Quebec in the next federal election. His base has no appetite for concessions to the sovereigntists. And if the NDP wants to grow, it has to be outside Quebec.
Read more below:
“A rare misplay by Quebec”
