January 6, 2009

Canada's coalition government has been portrayed as an
unholy trinity of the Liberals, NDP and the Bloc Quebecois
in which the Bloc is the enemy of Canada.

Demonizing the Bloc Quebecois makes good politics if you
oppose the coalition but the BQ has much to offer Canada.

Support of the coalition is risky for the BQ.  Cooperation
with the coalition could be seen in Quebec as capitulation.
After all, this is the party that has promoted itself as a
force for separation not participation. How can the BQ
portray themselves as separatists while propping up a frail
coalition?

As it turns out, it's not much of a gamble by the leader of
the PQ, Gilles Duceppe. Much has been made about the
political prowess of Prime Minister Harper but Duceppe is
easily his match.

Duceppe has craftily deciphered the mood of Quebecers. He
is aware of a CROP poll taken in April 2008 in which only 36
percent of respondents said they would vote for the
separation of Quebec from Canada.

Duceppe has seen the fortunes of his separatist brothers,
the Parti Quebecois, decline as they came in a distant
second in the last provincial election.

To suggest the BQ is separatist party insults the
intelligence of Quebecers who sent 49 BQ MPs to parliament.
Who in their right mind would vote for a party that avows
separation when they disagree with the principle?

Duceppe successfully capitalized on Harper's mistakes in the
last election.

One careless comment cost the Conservatives a majority
government. On October 14, 2008, Harper picked what he
thought would be an easy target: artists. He said
pretentious elitists don't connect with ordinary people. "I
think when ordinary working people come home, turn on the TV
and see a gala of a bunch of people . . . I'm not sure
that's something that resonates with ordinary people."

While that comment might resonate with Harper's
constituents, it's not the view in Quebec and Duceppe
immediately seized it as an issue. In Quebec, culture is
not an elitist affair; it is a defining feature of society.

Duceppe understands that culture is not a dress ball
attended by effete snobs but part of the fabric of a
nation's identity. Quebec's artists have a vital part to
play in the creative force behind Quebec's identity.

Duceppe was able to portray the BQ as the real defenders of
the unique character of Quebec. The chances for a
Conservative majority government quickly evaporated.

Canadians like award-winning author Margaret Atwood
recognize the valuable qualities of Quebec culture. Would
she vote for the Bloc Quebecois if she lived in Quebec?
"Yes, absolutely. What is the alternative?" she told
Toronto's Economic Club. "I'm here because Mr. Duceppe
understands the contribution that culture makes to our
economy."

As a party that celebrates a nation's unique character, we
have something to learn from the BQ.

Stereotyping the BQ alienates Quebecers. The 49 MPs that
Quebec sent to Canada's parliament should be welcomed as
representatives of a distinct people, not as separatists.
The more that Quebecers partake in the governing of Canada,
the less isolated they will feel.

Canada has a lot to gain from the participation of Quebec in
developing Canada's culture. By culture, I mean the
intellectual expressions that unite a people. It's a
definition that's hard for the rest of Canada to grasp
because English-speaking Canadians swim a sea of U.S.
culture.

Americans, like Quebecers, understand the value of a strong
culture. Not only does the U.S. film and television
industry generate billions of dollars in exports but U.S.
values pervade Canada to the extent that we think that our
head of state is elected and that we have the constitutional
right to bear arms.

Americans are welcome to their culture but it is not ours.

Conservative have a good reason to demonize the BQ but not
because they are separatists. The threat of the BQ is that
they agree with other members of the coalition on values
that many Canadians cherish: child care, strong government
regulations, public health care, and a helping hand to
disadvantaged members of society.

Duceppe's support of the coalition should be applauded. It
was leap of inclusion, not separation.

Quebec has much to offer Canada in a coalition government.
Quebecers have moved beyond separation and the rest of
Canada should get used to it.
 

David Charbonneau is the owner of Trio Technical.
He can be reached at dcharbonneau13@shaw.ca

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