The Initiative of the Century, which intends to make Canada a country of 100 million inhabitants by 2100, continues to cause much ink to flow, particularly in the National Assembly. And, among the suggestions that have come from all sides about the pitfalls that such an “initiative” could cause in Quebec, I retain that of the leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who pleads for a commission on the future of Quebec.
In clear terms, Quebec is caught in a trap. Either it welcomes some 212,000 immigrants annually and French is declining at breakneck speed, or it maintains its policy on immigration thresholds of some 50,000 arrivals per year and its political weight in Canada as a whole will have the effect of ghettoize it.
And yet, there is indeed a third way, namely the independence of Quebec, which would allow it to be entirely in control of its natural resources, education, health and immigration, and I on the way… To this end, several countries smaller than Quebec in terms of area and population are doing very well in holding their own on the international scene.
Be that as it may, it would be up to an eventual commission on the future of Quebec to determine its mandate and to study the various hypotheses that the members of this commission will have before their eyes, which should, by the way, be independent of any political allegiance. Quebec is going through a crucial period in its history… It’s up to you, Mr. Legault, to make a formal proposal to the National Assembly of Quebec!
To see in video