魁省省選結果由主張魁省獨立的魁人黨(Parti Quebecois)勝出，黨魁馬娃(Pauline
Marois)成為新省長。由於所得到之選舉支持率偏低(32.1%)，在短期內她可能不會提出另一次魁省全民投票，去決定魁省應否脫離加拿大聯邦而成為一個獨立國。雖然如此，多年來魁省政治一直圍繞着這個主題打轉，爭吵不休，勞民傷財。一些希望國家保持完整及穩定的魁省省民和其他省分的國民，經歷過1995年的一次驚心動魄的全民普選，結果以極少的差率擊敗了主張魁省獨立的提案，保持國家完整。他們對於魁省獨立的主張由早期的高度關注逐漸變成今天的冷漠，有些甚至表示如果魁省省民真誠地希望魁北克獨立，便順其意願吧！
我對加拿大政治素來認識不深，對魁省省民的民族意識亦不甚了解。不過從整體的利益着眼看，魁北克獨立對加拿大實有不少好處。例如：每年從聯邦政府的庫房撥發給魁省政府作為醫療及其他公共服務的一大筆金錢(17,431,000,000加元)可節省下來；加國政府不須償還魁省累積下來之龐大債務(248,000,000,000加元)；魁省將成為一個新市場，有助增加出口貿易；魁北克人為爭取加拿大人的生意和發展旅遊業，他們會拼命學習英文甚至中文以便交流；為了結交和睦鄰，魁北克人會盡量迎合我們的需求……很多矛盾將會完全化解。加國之公路不須設立有法文之交通標緻，政府的公文和表格不需英法兩種文字並排，節省了不少額外的開支；聯邦首腦不須熟諳英法雙語的專才，選擇的範圍便可大大增加。
每當魁北克獨立運動鬧得熱火朝天時，魁省的資金和人才便靜靜地往西移，得益最多的是安省的多倫多。魁省素來是聯邦政府的政治和經濟負荷，獨立後當然不存在任何責任去扶持它。
萬事變化都有正面或反面的效應，不過魁北克獨立對加拿大似乎有百利無一害。我們欲擒先縱，主張魁北克獨立的政客們在看清楚了形勢之後，可能只利用此作為政治籌碼，當得到一些好處之後便罷手。但要他們完全放棄這個主張的可能性看來很低，因為他們所需付出之成本(人身安危、道德和法律責任)是微不足道的，除非法律指明分裂國家是屬於叛國的行為，違法者才會受到嚴懲。
黄啓樟
2012/9/6
2012/9/14星星生活週刊 第572期
2012/9/14星星生活週刊 第572期
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, I think it is a waste of time and money to keep Quebec, who never really appreciates the other provinces in Canada. And when they are separated from us, they will come back to beg us for resources and for all kinds of help. Then the relationship will be much appreciated.
Have a great weekend!
Rosinla
I wish it is as easy as you have stated.
ReplyDeleteStat Canada is showing 8.5M French speaking in Canada (don't know which year). Quebec has the majority, about 6M. About 30% and 23% population is speaking French in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island respectively. Newfoundland and the three territories has fewer French speaking population (5% or less). All other provinces, including Ontario, has between 10 - 15% of population speaking the other official language. Your saving in bilingual form is gone.
Peter
David:
ReplyDeleteI don’t have anything to say as I never think that Quebec will leave Canada as the present arrangement is the best they have. Once they leave Canada, what they are going after “ Cultural Sovereignty” will no longer be valid as more and more Quebecer will have to learn English if they want to do business with her neighbours. Do you think the cereal manufacturers will print French on their box anymore? By then, there is no longer to stay bi-lingual in the rest of Canada. The talk of separatism is only a tactic to extract more money from the Federal Government. If you do a research, how many Canadian Prime Ministers are from Quebec and how many are from the other parts of Canada, you will find the number from Quebec is way up there and thus, most of the requests were granted.
Like other Canadians, my feeling is if they want to go, let them go. But one thing I am sure that won’t be an easy matter as it is not that one can walk away whenever he likes. There is a lot of negotiation that has to take place as they are bind by the Constitution . For example, right now, the border line with USA along the St. Lawrence river is the middle of the river and supervised by the coast guards. Who is going to take care of that on the section along the Quebec border? The Canadian Army also have bases in Quebec. What happen to these bases? Do they stay Canadian or are they going to Quebec overnight? The soldiers payroll, who is going to cover that? The new country of Quebec?
David, I can go on and on, but by the time they have negotiate and agree on all the issues, I will no longer be around to worry about them.
Anthony