Categories: Need to know

Duceppe tells U.S. that Quebec independence is inevitable

Bloc leader claims Quebec’s relationship with America wouldn’t change

by macleans.ca on Friday, October 15, 2010 1:47pm - 0 Comments

Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe has gone to Washington, D.C. for a two-day visit in the hopes of selling his dream of an independent Quebec to politicians, business leaders and academics. His message is that Quebec values the United States as an economic partner and that sovereigntists’ desire to achieve Quebec independence from Canada doesn’t mean the U.S. has anything to fear. Quebec does an “enormous” amount of business with the U.S., said Duceppe, with about $51 billion in transactions in 2009. And if Quebec separates, that won’t change according to Duceppe. “Every nation has political interests, but the day Quebec becomes a sovereign country, North America’s geography won’t change, we’ll still be in the same place, and so will they. At that point, we’ll have to find the best way to get along.”

CBC News

Tags: Canada

JWB

Let them go. Its time. Get it over with so Canada can prosper without them. A little chunk of land around Sept-lles about the size of New Brunswick should do. East of hwy 389 so Canadians can still drive to the rock without being harassed by militant border patrol agents.
Montreal and Quebec City will stay in Canada where the majority of Quebec Canadians will want to live free of the virus known as separatists.

C.Sloan

Uncle Sam will also provide legal counsel as to what to get and take with them. Such as pure clean water!
Did Quebec tell the US that they also have a economic partnership with Cuba?

Darden Cavalcade

Uncle Sam knows. Where do you think we get Cuban cigars? Bless you, Canada!

Kajere

Quebec Independence in today's global village is nothing but a dream and wish list that will only succeed in dreamland. Funny how some of these politicians choose emotions instead of evidence-based initiatives to lead. Europe for example is expanding big time with frequent requests from motivated countries to join the EU. Unless of course Quebec wants to join the EU. After all its social policies are already a replica of many EU countries.

Guest

Well since Quebec never signed the Canadian constitution they are already independent.

Blacktop

Nonsense. The treaty of 1763 still stands.

madeyoulook

I seem to recall that something happened in 1867, too…

Keith in Brampton

Quebec has the strongest independence movement, but there are increasing grumblings from Alberta, and occasionally from malcontents in BC and NL; possibly elsewhere as well.

The time has come for the feds to draft a Secession From Canada Act which clearly and explicitly sets out things like: the question that must be asked in any referendum; the percentage of votes needed to leave; expectations re the proportional assumption of the national debt; reparations to the rest of Canada for the economic upheaval separation will cause; etc.

As the duty of the federal government would be to act in the best interests of those remaining within the Confederation, any such act would make it clear that the feds and the rest of the nation would play hardball with any who choose to leave. Such a document would put to rest many of the myths that separatists often sell to their supporters.

Guest

Yes but Quebec didn't sign the Canadian constitution so in a sense they are already independent.

cbombast

I guess transfer payments to Quebec should fall under CIDA from now on.

madeyoulook

Here comes the argument: Quebecers pay federal taxes, too, so it's only fair that Quebec gets a disproportionately large amount of federal transfers. Or something.

Phil_King

We have one already. It's called the Clarity Act.

Mary

One hand takes, while the other hand slaps your face.
Treason isn't pretty. Let them go, before Alberta decides to.

madeyoulook

Wrong. It is not treasonous, in my books, to advocate for a POLITICAL movement towards secession. Quebec had a very short-lived experience with violence in the name of separation. Quebecers have NO appetite to see that return. The FLQ nutjobs were treasonous. The PQ and BQ? And the overwhelming majority of indépendantistes in Quebec these days? Not one bit.

Ariadne

I agree with you, I may not like their agenda but it is preferable than violence.

Jeet

The deficit is a much larger problem. We go broke, there won't be a Canada. Ignore these mental midgets.

C.Sloan

Let them take their portion of the debt. Equality is what Canada is based on………

Mary

I'm starting to see why the U.N. might not give Canada a seat. Who campaigns against his own country to the country next door and thinks it acceptable?

If Quebec and Duceppe really think they can afford the same financial standard of social programs they enjoy now by becoming independent, then ruddy well separate, and then let them eat cake. Financially It looks as though he is leading them down a questionable path of lowered social stability with this separation issue, as the money Quebec would need to do this and maintain the same social standard of living just isn't there. Holding separation over Canadians heads is getting very old.

If not, then Duceppe should be given the boot, and Quebec can elect someone who pitches in with the honor and the good will to help make this country and Quebec a better place.

Guest

I think Quebec will do just fine especially with their recent discovery of shale gas The thing I worry about is whether Canada can survive without Quebec. I just wish that Canadians could sit down with Quebecers and create some kind of agreement sort of like the European Union with a common currency, etc.

Mary

You think it's that easy? After the Calgary based company Questerre Energy Corp. (and Talisman Energy Inc.) finishes the shale gas test wells, which are now delayed: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-15/questerr…

…then there's THIS. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101007/wl_canada_af…

As a lifelong Albertan, Alberta's been through a lot to get where it is. It doesn't all just happen.
There are constant hurdles.

Blacktop

Also the biggest potential deposit of shale gas in BC.

A.S. Morris

A few points to made here.

I belive the Mr. Duceppe is somewhat naive as were his predecessors and provincial leaders; Lucien Bouchard, Jack Parizeau, Rene Levesque.

Frist of all take a hard look around at those states/provinces that wanted to secede from their respective federations/alliances; Bosnia-Herzegovia, Cyprus, Kosovo, and Chechnya to name but a few. I served in two of those places and belive you me, no one wins.

The fighting usually starts within the entity that secedes as those that didn't want to secede maitain a hatred towards that do. Add into the mix the hatreds already simmering due to ethic and cultural differences and things become explosive, literally.

Now in Quebec's situation you have both those elements at play.

Now add to that situation – proverty – since Quebec could not support its existing lifestyle (pensions, subsidies, healthcare, etc.) without assisance from the Federal Government, which of course they would no longer have.

C. Sloan

Will Quebec separte without a big chunk of Canadian assets? I think they should pay and be discontinued upon such date from any benefits – but I doubt that's their posiiton. They will want accrued interest plus.

Mary

That's a good point. I don't mean to pile on Quebec here – lovely province, people, and outstanding culture.
Your comment reminds me that Alberta dutifully contributes 27 Billion in transfer payments back into the Canadian infrastructure from the oil sands alone, not counting regular company and personal tax contributions along with contributions from its other oil wells and gas.

My point here is that now that Quebec suddenly has the possibility of future shale gas wealth, it looks a lot like Duceppe pushing for separation will mean taking all of their new Canadian gas windfall and ploughing it all back into Quebec only, and no transfer payments back to the rest of Canada as the other provinces have over the years.

Phil_King

They'll leave with what they came in with, and that means a massive part of the northern part of the province will become another Canadian territory, and the shale with it.

Quebecers are fooling themselves if they think they can walk off with the land that came with joining Canada. In fact I suspect they won't be just walking about with the federal infrastructure either.

They negotiate hard, but once it's clear they're leaving, I think they'll be shocked by how tough we'll be at the table.

madeyoulook

Care to look at the Czech Republic and Slovakia?

A.S. Morris

…cont from previus post.

That coupled with having to provide for their own security and defense would crush the peoples of Quebec and I could see myself having to serve in support of establishing peace within my own country. Not to mention that a lot of businesses and people would withdraw their investments prior to any referendum as was evident during the last two kicks at the proverbial separation cat.

It is an extremely dangerous road Mr. Duceppe, et al, are traveling and I certainly hope that peoples of Quebec will wake up and realize this for everyone's sake.

Cheers!!

madeyoulook

It is a dangerous road. And Parizeau wasn't so naive. He was prepared for the inevitable disruption that would follow a Yes victory in the second provincial referendum, by throwing Caisse de dépôt money around to shore up the Canadian dollar.

That wouldn't have been a risk-free intervention (unless the C$ wildly tanked the day after the referendum, only to recover from irrational plunging afterwards). But it shows that Parizeau was not naive about the fallout.

Mortimer Levy

Uncle Sam has always loved dealing with third world countries. The Americans are hard nose business people who usually come out on top. Mexico is a great example. America would certainly support Quebec's separatist aspirations. After all, it would be an economic coup to have another Mexico,…one down south and one up north. The only problem is that they'd have to deal with hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants coming down from up north for the very same reason that they have them coming up from the south.

Mr Kaybec

??? Crack is BAD Morty
DerekPearce

The position of the US has always been for a "strong and united Canada." I think they'd rather not have a balkanized mess on their northern border.

madeyoulook

Rather not is a tame choice of words, there.

http://viableopposition.blogspot.com/ Open_Democracy

Mr. Duceppe was singing the independence song back in mid-June when he sent a letter to the international community about a future independence referendum. Here's an article looking at Quebec's financial position and why it is highly unlikely that they could ever afford to "go it alone".

http://viableopposition.blogspot.com/2010/06/gill…

Mary

Despite the numbers that state that 65% of Quebecers do not want separation, this man somehow brazenly thinks that he has a mandate to sell his personal dream of 'inevitable' Quebec independence on a world stage. His ambition knows no bounds. Could it be that as his divisive mandate would never see him become Prime Minister, that Duceppe wants to be President of his own country, regardless of the predictable poorer financial situation it would throw his beleaguered Quebec constituents into? He has become an anochronism, and he's not listening to his voters. He only riles up that that would be riled up in Quebec, and during hard times, yet. Quebec needs someone positive, an inspiration, a uniter.

Julie

I think it's time that Canada makes a referendum about wether or not it wants to keep Quebec…

But what is sad is that the Bloc and the PQ represent less than 35 % of Quebecers who want separation…

65% of Quebecers want to stay in Canada but there voice is divided in too many federalist parties ( PCC, PLC, NDP, PV, etc.) at the federal level and ( PLQ, ADQ, etc.) at the provincial level…

This whole thing that Duceppe continues to do is a MISREPRESENTATION of what the majority of Quebecers want…

The majority of them want to stay in Canada but they want to be respected for there multiples differences ( french, culture, etc.) and the fact that these differences make them a FRAGILE MINORITY…

Gilbert

Its actually more than 50% because during the last referendum former Quebecers were allowed to vote and many of them have died since then.
Gilbert

I also want to mention that most of the younger generation is pro sovereignty whereas the older generation tended to be against it.

Funny_guy

Sorry to disappoint, but most of Quebec's younger generation simply doesn't care about separation anymore. Gone is the "oppression" of our grandparents by some bad apples in the english community… we are in 2010 and hope that everyone can live together in peace.

Mr Kaybec

Agree

filter

Not a fragile minority were I am close to the QC border, in fact here in ONT they have FRENCH only medical clinics that anglos can't access and other essential services – for French only.
They don't have English only anywhere in QC off the island.

Bob

The battle on the Plains of Abraham was lost many years ago. Duceppe is a malcontent ,a divisive thorn, and an embarrassment to Canada.

Don

and should be shot.
dave fournier

It is a popular myth that the French people of Quebec were defeated on the plains of Abraham and for that reason
were subjugated to the English. The truth is that the French king had very little interest in French Canada. England
and France were in a more more or less global conflict which England won. As part of the peace negotiations France
was given the choice of retaining either French Canada or some small Caribbean islands. France chose the
Caribbean islands. I believe this would have been the same outcome even if the French were successful at
the plains of Abraham. That was really a rather small and unimportant battle in the whole scheme of things.

Gilbert

I used to think that Quebec couldn't survive as a country but I didn't know that they have shale gas and lots of resources. I think that its going to happen sooner than most people realize.

madeyoulook

Apparently shale gas deposits are being "discovered" all over the place. Guess what's gonna happen to the price of natural gas when everyone starts trying to sell it.

Eric

Yeah it might also drive the price of oil down too.

Philanthropist

Boring.
Trudeau lover

Deceppe is probably the funniest guy in Canada. He really has his act down. Pretending to be a Separatist while preaching his tribalist xenophobia is hilarious. Hey this kind of cultural blackmail has worked for 40 years, so why stop now. The only "lobsters in the trap" are the ones who take the Separatist act seriously. Keep the laughs coming Gilles, your a seriously funny guy.

cbombast

Sadly, we might have to pay extra for "Juste Pour Rire" Gags.

Mr. Harper, please don't build a stadium for the Nordiques 2.0…oh wait, a Quebecer is behind Sun TV. Dang, this is confusing.

djbaxter

You seem to have missed the most important point here: Duceppe went to the US to talk about a separate Quebec but no one cared. No one of any stature even took the time to meet him. All he was able to do was bend the ear of a few bored civil servants at the State Department.

But the echoing calls of crickets was probably lost on Duceppe. He and his separatist buddies long ago lost contact with reality.

Guest

He was elected by Quebecers to promote soveriegnty. Its you who have lost contact with reality.
cbombast

Many of them were probably thinking, "Wait a sec, I thought there would be poutine!"

Hmmm

SADLY, I don't think any Canadians out of Quebec want Quebec to leave. But this constant tripe is pushing peeps to the edge, whereby they are starting to say, "Fine, if you want to leave go". Stop it already!

Hmmm

if anyone should leave, it should be ALBERTA, the richest province in Canada, that has to constantly give our oil money to the Feds…
Funny_guy

Agreed! And that is the card that many in the Separatist movement are playing… they know most French canadians don't want to leave… and are now trying to get Quebec kicked out!

Finucane

The blackmail of Canada will only end when we finally elect a party what won't prostitute itself for a few quebec votes.
Jean Chretien knew how to deal with these dead-beats.
When Canada adds clauses to the "Clairity Act" stating that " based on the popular vote ,Quebec will be partitioned " , the new country of Quebec will leave Canada AFTER paying all its portion of the national debt and will operate on a new currency , not the Canadian dollar .The new country of Quebec will be responsible for ALL its own programs with NO connection to Canadian programmes
. Throw that at the Bloc and stick to it and just watch the bitching and squirming in the separatist camp.
We'll strip them of their only bargaining chip . guranteed . I live in Quebec.
Had Enough

I say let the rest of Canada vote on Quebec staying in Canada – it would be a slam dunk to rid the most corrupt and lazy province. Let the French separatist fruit cakes leave and the sooner the better.

Funny_guy

This is exactly what the separatist movement wants… after loosing 2 referendum, they know they won't win a 3rd one… unless some blatant stupid arrogance from the federal goverment creates a crisis. Their only option now is to annoy the rest of Canada… and from reading this blog, it seems to be working !
Lynne

At least they work and are not sitting at home doing nothing but posting fascist comments like you do all day.
Jackie

So you think Canadians are Quebec's slaves now?

Sue

Check out the Bloc's poll numbers. He speaks for the few nutbars still kicking, most Quebeckers have moved on. Pay no mind…no news here.
sue

He's trying to up the rhetoric…to get the roc bashing Quebec, in hopes it revives his wet dream. Don't play into his hand.
healthcare insider

Hey Bye, you obviously have never been to Newfoundland if you are accusing Canadians of being "boring, sterile and bland"… You also have taken no time to understand the frustration that many of us "boring" Canadians feel with regard to the separatism question in Quebec. It is not jealousy, it is something akin to rejection. We embrace them as Canadians but they don't embrace us back. Of course, you have only been in our beautiful country for 13 years so you do not know how long we have been struggling with their threats to separate and with our promising them the moon to stay. In those years, they have shown their disdain for our language by making it illegal for business to use English signage. Meanwhile, in the rest of the country, the laws require that all signs be in English and French. There have been referendums on the separtism question. It just does not end.
Guest

Quebec hasn't signed the Canadian constitution so in a sense they are already independent.

Different Guest

Maybe, but you said "In a sense", therefore it's from a certain viewpoint. Plus, they still elect MPs to the Canadian House of Commons, and held the second reform AFTER the Constitution was repatriated (and voted to stay in Canada, albeit by a slim margin).

Titus

Canada's Anglo culture, ie the English language, English literature, English music, parliamentary democracy, common law traditions etc is anything but sterile, boring and bland.

I can't comment on Quebec's culture. I never lived there so I don't know it. But maybe you dislike the best aspects of our Anglo character: self restraint, self discipline, respect for the law, civil rights, due process, fair play. Maybe you'd prefer it otherwise. My parents are immigrants so growing up I could see the contrast between their native country's culture and Canada's. I'll take Canada's any day. I'm more than comfortable as a native born Canadian and I am happy in my own skin.

Regain self respect? I never lost it. Why did you? As far as Quebecers' desire for independence goes, this debate has been going on for far too long. If necessary we can make do with Quebec in Canada, with Quebecers electing separatists and with perpetual minority governments as a consequence. But we can make do without Quebec too.
Julie

If you really care about Quebecers, vote conservatives, because the liberals are the reason why we have separatists in Quebec…

Trudeau was so arrogant towards Quebecers and so was Chrétien…

That's not a surprise that the Bloc of Gilles Duceppe made a COALITION with the liberals in 2008…

Gilles Duceppe knows that if the liberals come back in power, it will help the Bloc and the PQ and ravive the separatists again for a third referendum…

Guest

If you vote conservative Canada will become a back water with rampant poverty. I hope you don't do that.
Guest

Conservatives would turn Canada into a back water with rampant poverty.