Quebec election
 

Apart from the rather unfortunate shooting, last night was pretty good.

The PQ scraped in with a minority government and a share of the vote that was only fractionally higher than the Liberals. It can't do anything without the backing of the Liberals or the CAQ, so separation and dodgy immigration policies are now off the table.

There will be another election before long. I wonder if the Liberals and CAQ will merge? There would need to be some horse-trading on some issues but they are as one on the biggy.

Re: Quebec election
 

<wonders whether to confess to not having seen the acronym CAQ before>

Re: Quebec election
 

Very new party. Essentially not PQ or Liberal. Did pretty well.

The acronym was picked-up on by several TV commentators.

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The CAQ and QS are separatist. Separation might be off the table. But, the dodgy immigration and language policies will pass. Because the CAQ wants to reduce immigration to Quebec and wants tougher language laws.

Re: Quebec election
 

Outsiders/Visitors question.... Would a staunchly patriotic Francophile automatically shun, or worse, a new UK migrant to Quebec... or is the divide more along a political line and not really personalised ?

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Separate or not...I don't really care one way or another, as long they stop their collective whining!:cool:

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Does anyone outside of Quebec really care? One can only imagine what the posts on this forum would be if such a situation occurred in another Province.

Re: Quebec election
 

So how do Quebecers feel after last nights result?
We have all seen many pundits, experts, analysts etc etc but has the PQ ever come out with the true costs of seperation.
Lets for arguments sake a referendum was held and they won the seperation vote what happens next.
Quebec is now a seperate country so do we assume that the following transpires.
You have your own currency, passports, border controls, fully funded services like healthcare, social assistance etc etc without any aid from the rest of Canada.
All Canadian companies like Air Canada, VIA rail and a host of others can now move their headquarters out of Quebec.
Canada could impose that all citizens of Quebec now need a visa to enter Canada and that you are a safe country and will not accept any refugee claims from Quebec.
Have they really thought it out with a price or do they expect that they will be seen as a seperate country but still enjoy the benefits they receive as Canadian citizens?

Re: Quebec election
 

QS is but so what? CAQ is nationalist, not separatist. Slight difference.

Language laws? So what? This is a mainly francophone province.

Immigration? My reading of the platform suggests cutting out the unemployable dross.

Re: Quebec election
 

Your last sentence is how many would feel it would probably pan out. Canada (as in without Quebec) would be seen as the new Nations 'best friend'...and would inevitably expect and feel entitled to ALL the benefits Canadians enjoy. Perhaps if it was made clear that if the Province does become 'independent' of Canada...they would be truly independent" That is to say, (after the inevitable 'severance package), their would be no financial input to the new nation thereafter, provided or expected from 'Canada', :cool: it might not seem such a great idea after all to the proponents of separation?

Re: Quebec election
 

A white European that can speak a bit of French is fine. This is true, I can assure you.

Re: Quebec election
 

Imo it's like when the Scottish Government was re-established and the SNP got into power. While they would love to be independent, it's not happening anytime soon.

We still have Montreal in our sights and like the idea of bringing up our children bi-lingual, as we were ourselves.

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Who is to say that it couldn't happen in another province? It could just as easily happen in BC, AB, NS or NF. One goes; conferederation goes.

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I'd say this has been the major benefit to my children of being raised in Canada. It's proven a fantastic asset to them.

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I didn't say that it couldn't happen, I was commenting upon what the comments on this board would be if it did happen.

Re: Quebec election
 

There was pie in the sky talk a few years ago about BC & Alberta joining the neighbouring US states and seperating from Canada.
Its the usual children throwing toys out of the pram if they dont get their own way.
http://www.separationalberta.com/faq.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta_separatism

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If it did happen, which it won't, other provinces would perhaps follow suit.

AB doesn't need confederation. Not this week, anyway.
The Newfs have lots of new money. For now.
BC isn't part of planet Earth, let alone Canada.

Sorry for the slow response. I'm down to one hand today.

Re: Quebec election
 

I think it would be fun watching Canada break up into small pieces.

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Saskatchewan & Manitoba plan to seperate.
Err whats Saskatchewan & Manitoba and where is it :rofl:

Re: Quebec election
 

Another DIY injury then Reg?

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To be bi or tri lingual would be quite an asset admittedly. Not such an asset if one of the languages is French though.

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Im happy if the person presenting me with a Canadian passport can speak either English or French however realizing all travellers cannot speak.

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In Canada it's a huge benefit. Also in France.

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Yeah, I see his point as well.

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In old and new france a benefit no doubt yes. I've heard many languages spoken in Calgary - french would be right down at the bottom of a usage table. French is a decent enough choice to learn as a second language but it's rather fanciful to believe that being a french bi lingual speaker trumps all else.

Re: Quebec election
 

Learning a second language has benefits beyond just the contexts in which you use the language. It doesn't matter which one.

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The child who has most benefitted from being bilingual in English and French has done so in Vancouver. That's in Canada so it's no surprise to me that it's been a great advantage. Surprisingly, the one in London reports using French on and off, though the biggest benefit to her of bilingualism has probably been that it simplified learning Italian.

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Yes. Speaking French in Canada offers that as well as the direct commerical advantage of being hired ahead of people who don't speak French.

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Being able to speak other languages is always an asset. I applaud people who are multilingual.
Here is where I have some reservations about bilingualism.
As we all know the Fed Govt is bilingual and employs both unilingual English or French employess and for those who speak and write both languages a bonus of $800 a year.
Using say Winnipeg that has a very large German speaking population in the Steinbach/Winkler area how do the Fed Govt deal with these persons or say Vancouver with Mandarin or Cantonese. Do they rely on the goodness of employees that speak these languages to do it for free or should the employees say compensate us or we will withdraw our services thereby forcing you to pay for interpretation services which Im sure wil cost more than paying these employees.
The bonus works out to about $2.20 per day where an interpreter in my area is about $25 per hour and guaranteed a minimum of 3 hours work.

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True which is why I said French was a decent enough choice to learn as a second language. It's readily available as a taught subject and fairly straighforward for English speakers to pick up as well as having moderately interesting cultural associations. That is rather different from making a case that fluency in French is a huge benefit to anyone. I've never seen a job advertised in Calgary that stated a requirement for fluency in French. No doubt they exist but it would certainly be a niche requirement.

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If speaking French is a requirement of a particular job yes. The reality is that is a pretty rare requirement though.

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In Guelph I see signs everyday "hiring bilingual customer service staff", since French is not commonly heard in Guelph I assume the jobs are for firms that sell across Canada. I expect there are firms in Calgary that sell across Canada. Any federal job in Calgary will go to a bilingual candidate if all else is equal, RCMP officer, federal prosecutor, for example; this is the direct commerical advantage, and a huge one in those fields, of being bilingual.

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It's not that one would speak French at work, just that the person who speaks French gets hired and the one who does not, does not.

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Not if wanting to join the Federal Govt. Bilinguals win over everyday as opposed to a unilingual even if working in Alberta.

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First of all CAQ are separatist. This is Canada where the majority speak ENGLISH. If the francophones want a separate country let them move to France. At the end of the day rest of Canada are sick to death with the Francophones constant complaining.

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Yes niche federal government related jobs will have a bilingual requirement. In reality such a requirement is not needed in practice in places like Calgary but it does illustrate the extent to which ROC has indulged Quebec in the past to be now lumbered with the cost of such provision.

In a continent of nearly 400m people, the vast majority of whom speak English, a pocket of 8m French speakers is something of an irrelevance.

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Rather than seeing it as indulging Quebec, the ROC would do well to reflect on the civilizing influence of the French language and culture, limited as its influence on Alberta might be.

In my view the fuss the ROC, at least some parts of it, makes over Quebec elections is completely out of proportion. Quebec governments come and go, referenda come and go, it doesn't make any difference to anything except for briefly legitimising a display of prejudice. Maybe the City of Calgary should put Midol in the water supply.

Re: Quebec election
 

If they did gain independence then Canada should insist that it keeps the land on the south shore of the St Lawrence to keep the Atlantic provinces as part of the country and to facilitate shipping.



Interestingly the French here are always moaning about French first yet seem to dislike Quebec more than most. :blink: They get quite upset if you jokingly suggest moving to QC :p

Re: Quebec election
 

Dont bother with the South Shore for shipping Halifax, Saint John, Sydney and St Johns could handle the container ships. CN rail regulary moves stuff by train from Halifax to the rest of Canada via the US thereby avoiding Quebec. Theres another question to be answered who owns the rail lines :lol:

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I live in an Atlantic province that is seperated from the ROC by some ocean. We feel like part of the country. ;) OK, there is lingering malcontent about being sold out by Britain in 1949 and being forced to join Canada, and newfound (no pun intended) resource wealth fuels murmuring about independence as the Republic of Newfoundland. But, no-one really believes this is possible/likely, no more than I believe it is for QC.