Yeah, well I’ve got news for you. You’re just wrong! When, not if but when, Québec votes to become an independent country as they should have always been anyway, they can keep both their passports and the Canadian dollar and there’s not a darn thing that the federal govt. can do to stop them. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.

First of all, let’s start with the money issue. Did you ever stop to think what the people of Québec are currently using for currency? That’s right, the Canadian dollar, just like everybody else. There is absolutely no way for the feds to stop them from using it after Québec becomes independent. Do you have any idea how much cash is floating around in Québec right now? Let’s just say that it’s way too much for the Canadian govt. to just forget about and blindly carry on with it’s own business. If the Canadian govt. tried to stop Québec from using Canadian money, all the money that’s in Québec right now would be lost. There’s no way to suddenly ban it without creating economic chaos that would have a catastrophic influence on all of Canada. And in case you’re not convinced, what makes you think that Québecers actually want to keep the Canadian dollar other than to avoid this economic chaos on both sides? They could start using American money like other non-American countries do, and believe me, most of them would rather have their own money with a picture of René Levesque on it than the Queen of England. Continuing to use the Canadian dollar is the best answer for everyone, for Québec but even moreso for Canada.

Then there’s the passport issue. For starters, need I remind you that Canada now permits dual-citizenship with every other county in the world. It would be pretty hypocritical to only exclude Quebec. Then, let’s not forget the federalist Québecers that want to be Canadians. Is Ottawa just going to abandon all those who fought to stay in Canada? I don’t think so. And can you actually believe that Jean Chrétien and Jean Charest, both legally Québecers, would volunteerily support a law making dual-citizenship illegal. They would be taking away their own Canadian status, and there is absolutely no way that they would shoot themselves in the foot like that! Think about it!

Last but not least, let us not forget about the national debt. While many tend to think that Québec would be getting quite a lot for nothing, it is important to remember that in fact they would end up paying Ottawa quite a lot of money in their obligation to assume their fair share of the debt.

All of this is very clearly explained in further detail in Jacques Parizeau’s book "Pour un Québec souverain" (For a souvereign Québec). While most English Canadians may feel a certain amount of animosity towards Jacques Parizeau who lead Québec into the last referendum, I insist on pointing out that he was educated at the London School of Economics in England and is probably one of the, if not the very, best economist in Canada. He became sovereignist not out of blind national patriotism for Québec (such as that expressed blindly by much of English Canada), but rather by the understanding that Québec sovereignty is the best way to insure and help develop economic prosperity for both Québec and Canada. (In other words, he knows what he’s talking about way beyond the comprehension of ordinary people lacking his extensive education in economics.)

So, the next time you’re dumping on Québec and saying that this, that and the other thing just aren’t "fair" in your opinion, please remember that in this world of globalisation and interdependance, things are not nearly as simple as they may initially seem to be, and there is no such thing as "fair", only what’s actually possible.

For those of you who still don’t know why Québec actually wants to become independant, and there seems to be quite a few of you, you can find a brief but clear résumé of the situation here.


© 1998 pantagruelle.geo@yahoo.com

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