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Since the objective of the Quiet Revolution was to create a highly developed French-speaking society, the state is invested with the role of agent or principal engine of catching up. The Quebec government gradually became very interventionist to finally become the most interventionist Canadian province. Leaving behind their hostile attitude towards the state, Quebecers accept with confidence increased state intervention in the economic, financial, fiscal, social and political fields. This is a very significant trend reversal. The Lesage government’s first budget, on April 14, 1961, was less than $500 million, equivalent to about $4.5 billion in 2021, according to the Bank of Canada estimator. For comparison, the Quebec government’s 2021 budget was around $125 billion, which represents a budget almost 28 times larger or a 2700% increase since 1961! This is a considerable increase even when taking into account population growth. The latter rose, during the period, from 5,300,000 to 8,500,000 people, a much lower increase of 60%.
For Réjean Pelletier (1992), the purpose of the Quiet Revolution was to create a strong state capable of co-opting other blocking institutions. Under the influence of a new nationalism, the new ruling elite confronts three blocking institutions: 1) the Catholic Church in the field of education and health; 2) the Anglophone bourgeoisie in business and finance; and 3) the federal government in terms of the division of powers. In short, we want the Quebec state to have full powers in these areas of jurisdiction. The government of Quebec had to attack head-on the centralization of fiscal powers and resources in Ottawa, as well as the domination of the Anglophone financial sector.
What changed with the Quiet Revolution was the desire of politicians and Quebecers to see the state play a leading role in the development of Quebec and in the promotion of a French-speaking national bourgeoisie.
The Government of Quebec wants members of the new emerging middle class to occupy management and control positions in public companies, such as Hydro-Quebec and the Caisse de depot et placement, but also in the business community. It also upgrades the Quebec public service, which becomes a means of promotion for members of the new middle class.
Neonationalism is also political, because the concept of the province of Quebec is replaced by that of the State of Quebec, which Lesage presents as the motherland of French Canadians. The slogans of the Liberal Party of Quebec, “It’s time for a change” and “Masters among us”, set the tone. The Quebec government intervenes in economic and social areas such as industry, finance, taxation, energy, education, health care, social services and culture. The State gradually takes the place of the Catholic Church in the provision of public services.
Sixty years after the Quiet Revolution, although Quebec is not a sovereign country, Quebecers have a “national state” and a “government” of their own with a budget of nearly $125 billion in 2021. On a per capita basis, the Government of Quebec is the most developed provincial government. In 2018, out of a total of about $170 billion taken from Quebec by various administrations, the Quebec government took about half, the federal government 32%, the municipalities 9%, and the Pension Plan Quebec, 9% (Chair in Taxation and Public Finance, 2020, p. 34). Québec thus enjoys financial autonomy since it collects approximately 80% of its revenue directly through income tax, business tax and sales tax. The rest comes from the Canadian government through various social transfers and the equalization policy.
Excerpt from chapter 1 by Stéphane Paquin
The Quiet Revolution 60 years later
Stéphane Paquin and X. Hubert Rioux (eds.)
PUM, 2022
274 pages
Who is Stephane Paquin?
Stéphane Paquin is a full professor at the National School of Public Administration and director of the Group for Studies and Research on International Affairs and Quebec (GERIQ).