If I know anything about English-Canadians, that made a lot of people upset.

Québec is not in Europe. I don’t see how it could join the EU.

It would simply remain a member of NAFTA, and probably remain a vocal advocate of it’s expansion. I don’t see any reason an independent Québec should be cut out except out of spite, and I don’t think the Americans, the only partners that matter in that forum, care at all whether Québec is a province, a country, or a protectorate of the king of Bahrein.”

Actually, I see more parallels between Québec and the United States than between English Canada and the USA. Where did the tories run to when the Americans and French kicked their asses back in the 1780′s? You know why they could do that? Because English Canada for some reason was fine with England and their taxation without representation, quartering soldiers, cutting off trade, waiting months for answers on simple decisions from King George, and other insults. Read the American Declaration of Independence. Here’s an excerpt:

“Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. –Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government.”

It reads a bit like the Bloc Québécois website, except the Bloc doesn’t sound quite as fed up as the Americans were yet. Québec, when you finally really mean it, go for it!

“Québec’s GDP might be lower than Alberta’s but can you tell me why I should care when Québec’s dropout rate is about the same, it’s infant mortality 50% lower and the crime rate half the one in Alberta?

So you have more money. You spent it all on pickups. Bravo.”

So they like pickup trucks. Very functional work units. I have one myself.

The West (as well as Ontario) sends a lot of money (welfare) to Quebec each year. Lets not get into amounts as they have widely been discussed and proven already. Perhaps, if Ottawa stopped embezzling so much money for Quebec , we could afford the social programs you in Quebec seem to enjoy!!!

ABP

Québec’s GDP might be lower than Alberta’s but can you tell me why I should care when Québec’s dropout rate is about the same, it’s infant mortality 50% lower and the crime rate half the one in Alberta?

So you have more money. You spent it all on pickups. Bravo.

Financial cost, political etc;

Can it be afforded?

Actually it is reverse of what you might be thinking….when you addict a person to hand outs and subsidies you take away that persons need to survive within their own means and by their own methods. Analogy, a son or daughter of a wealthy family who never has to work, so never develops a work ethic….A very pervasive way of undermining an economy. In doing so, the federal government has also driven a spike into the relationships between Quebec and the other provinces who are forced to donate to the province of Quebec. In the West, however unfortunate, a great many people perceive Quebec as a welfare province who are living on the backs of others. Of course, they are not totally wrong about this as statistics indicated. I know of some young Westerners who have such a disrespect that they refuse to travel to Quebec which is really their own loss as Quebec is a very nice province with much to offer.

If you look at the Economic statistics which have been visited before on this site before, it is very evident that Quebec is lagging in growth and in economic performance. . I wonder if this would have been the case if Ottawa hadn’t been so generous with the cash handouts and other special entitlements such as the farm and business subsidies.

ABP

In this case, you completely loose all influence on monetary policy. The BOC has to take into consideration all of Canada (including Quebec) when making policy. The ECB and Bank of England do not.

“Currently the federal government is inhibiting their growth in many ways.” ABP, could you expand on this a little, how does the federal government inhibit Quebec’s growth any more than it inhibits all provinces’ growth?

Currently the federal government is inhibiting their growth in many ways. Give them back the tools…no doubt they will have to adjust too a little less standard of living but in the end I think they would be better off as would Canada itself.

Rory is right about the vindictiveness regarding the backwater economy some suggest and that Canada without Quebec would be just a clone of the US. I dont think this is the case although there are as some have said similarities. I think this type of thinking is put in Quebecers minds by the stakeholders who will lose when Quebec separates. (large business interests, federal government etc).

Things such as common currency, passports etc will just for the most part muddy the waters. I think to be effective, Quebec separation requires a clean cut from the ROC.

It really is the best for all. Unfortunately, only wishfull thinking.

ABP

Australia/New Zealand, South America, Germany/Austria, there are tons of examples of culturally very close peoples who have decided for a variety of reasons to remain politically separate.

If I know anything about English-Canadians, that made a lot of people upset.”

I’m not really a full-fledged english Canadian, but I don’t see why this should be upsetting. English Canada has plenty on common with America and I don’t see why I should be afraid to admit that. However, I don’t see how having common cultural reference points means that we should or will end up as a single political entity.

To me, the Canada will be swallowed up by America argument is the equivalent of saying Quebec will turn into an economic backwater after independance. It seems to be born out of some kind of petty vindictiveness. It’s like nobody wants to admit that the part of Canada they don’t belong to can actually survive without the part they do belong to.

I happen to believe a Quebec-less Canada will be plenty secure. Of course they’ll have a lot in common with America, it’s a young country and hasn’t had much time to shape its identity, but it does have a couple of centuries of nation building under it’s belt. Give it time, and a more unified vision and they’ll set themselves apart.