The theory of multiple universes states that, each time a choice is offered to us, worlds appear where we have chosen each of the possible options. This column therefore comes to you both from our universe and from the one where Quebec voted Yes in October 1995, declared its independence on June 24, 1997 and celebrated, on Saturday, its 25e National Independence Day.
The 2022-2023 session of the National Assembly of Independent Quebec (ANQI) began with the now traditional ceremony of congratulations to the many Quebec medalists who distinguished themselves by winning gold, silver or bronze in the past year, notably Marie-Philip Poulin (hockey, gold), Tammara Thibeault (boxing, gold), Mikaël Kingsbury (freestyle skiing, gold) Laurent Dubreuil and Steven Dubois (skating, silver), as well as to the Quebec teams that won complete. The current National Assembly of the Province of Quebec (ANPQ) could only accommodate Quebec members of the Canadian teams.
In December 2022, the ANQI announced that its “Quebec research chairs”, while favoring, with equal competence, candidates from under-represented groups, reject any attempt to totally exclude from its competitions candidates based on their gender or the color of their skin. The ANPQ could only ask for it in a unanimous motion for the chairs of Canada sitting in its universities, without obtaining it.
In January, the ANQI was in no way concerned with the appointment by Ottawa of a special representative on Islamophobia who had made contemptuous remarks towards Quebec. The ANPQ could only oppose his appointment by motion, without being heard.
In February, the ANQI discussed the scale and scope of the French-language requirements it imposes on Quebec broadcasters and made a decision. The ANPQ could only ask Ottawa by motion to include in its new law the application of Quebec law on the status of the artist and a right to oversee the orientations of the CRTC in Quebec, without obtaining it. .
Still in February, in its 25e budget of an independent country, Quebec was able to reiterate that it complied with the recommendations of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) not to pay any subsidies to the oil industries. The Quebec-province budget could do nothing against the fact that Ottawa collects 2 billion in taxes from Quebec each year to give to the oil companies in the West. Independent Quebec also wondered whether it should not postpone its annual purchase, to
$3 billion of oil from the West, as long as its Canadian neighbor continues to subsidize global warming.
In March, the ANQI continued its exemplary work in the fight against domestic violence by adding a hitherto non-existent offense of “coercive and controlling behaviour” to the Quebec Criminal Code. The ANPQ could only request this addition by motion from Ottawa, without obtaining a response. In addition, independent Quebec this year generalized the wearing of anti-reconciliation bracelets to prevent violent spouses from haunting their victims, including after their release, in all cases. The Quebec-province unsuccessfully asked Ottawa to apply this measure to defendants leaving a federal prison in the province.
In April, the ANQI did not concern itself with the non-reimbursement, for 25 years, of the 484 million owed to Quebec by Ottawa for the damage of the ice storm, this invoice having been included in the financial agreement of 1997 between Canada and independent Quebec. The ANPQ could only claim by motion the payment of this debt, in vain.
At the end of April, independent Quebec announced a long-term investment of 15 billion dollars for the production of ships of the Quebec fleet, built by the Davie, thus restoring the 3000 jobs that the site had known at its peak. The provincial government has pretended to be happy that Ottawa is offering Quebec 10% of the investments of its Davie strategy, rather than the 20% that Quebec represents in the country and in the taxes levied here and used to overfinance shipyards in Nova Scotia and British Columbia.
In May, the ANQI discussed the level of its immigration thresholds, wondering about their repercussions on the French language, on employment and on housing, but without worrying about their consequences on the political weight of Quebecers in their state, because they form 100% of the population there in all scenarios. The ANPQ could only reject, by motion, the federal immigration policy, which will inexorably reduce the political weight of Quebec in Canada.
Also in May, the opposition within the ANQI sharply criticized the government for its delays in issuing work permits to refugees and asylum seekers. Under pressure, the government had to work twice as hard. The ANPQ, it could only ask in a motion to the federal government to significantly reduce the deadlines, without obtaining satisfaction.
In 2023, Canada and independent Quebec have each made a decision on the renewal of fighter planes for their respective air forces. Canada chose to replace its 70 CF-18s with as many F-35s, each costing $215 million, without, however, obtaining any guarantees of economic benefits to Canada. Quebec, which inherited the 16 CF-18s operating on its territory at the time of independence, opted instead for French Mirage 2000s, at a cost of $39 million each. But it is rumored that Quebec obtained them at a lower cost, France having long dreamed of obtaining a showcase on North American soil. It also agreed to use Montreal subcontractors for part of their manufacturing. Quebec used a portion of the almost $3 billion saved by choosing the Mirage rather than the F-35 to launch a Canadair firefighting plane factory in Mirabel, renamed “Quebecair”.
It should be noted that Quebec was the first NATO member country to offer to lend its F-18 fighter planes to the Ukrainian air force, after training its pilots. The speech of recognition delivered by Volodymyr Zelensky to the National Assembly in June was a high point of the political year, punctuated by “Vive l’Ukraine libre” and “Vive le Québec libre”, this last declaration, on the part of of a foreign leader, no longer presenting the slightest polemical character.
Father, columnist and author, Jean-François Lisée led the PQ from 2016 to 2018. [email protected] / blog: jflisee.org