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The gravy train still runs to Quebec
By GREG WESTON
Midway through the recent election campaign, Stephen Harper wooed (and apparently wowed) Quebec voters with what has become known as his landmark "open federalism" speech.
While no one seems to know exactly what that means, Harper has long promoted the idea of pursuing a more flexible approach to power-sharing between the feds and provinces -- "new ideas that address Quebec's unique demands in ways that strengthen its place in Canada," in his words.
The election having rewarded the Conservatives with a previously unthinkable 10 seats in Quebec, Premier Jean Charest came to the nation's capital yesterday to find out exactly how open Harper's promised federalism will be, particularly in furthering the enrichment of the province that can never seem to get enough.
The fact that Harper had nothing to say following his first summit with the Quebec premier may be a reasonable indication of who was doing most of the bending over at that meeting.
For his part, Charest was all smiles and laughter when he spoke to provincial reporters upon his return to Quebec.
No wonder. Lost in all of last week's brouhaha over a few of Harper's misguided ministerial appointments was a huge show of political and fiscal favoritism towards Quebec around the new Conservative cabinet table.
While Quebec MPs make up barely 8% of the Conservative caucus, Harper has put them at the controls of all the biggest gravy trains in government.
MP Maxime Bernier gets the industry portfolio, endless dispenser of corporate welfare to Bombardier and other Quebec industries that have long enjoyed hefty doses of federal dole.
Lawrence Cannon, an able former minister in the Quebec government, has been put in charge of a new and giant federal cash cow that combines the transport and infrastructure portfolios, the latter spewing money at cities for everything from subways to sewers.
But no one in Harper's new cabinet will be more popular in the Quebec business community than Michael Fortier, the newly unelected political boss of Public Works (via a Senate appointment), the minister responsible for the awarding of more than $13 billion a year in federal contracts.
Harper's putting so much spending power in the hands of Quebec ministers is a clear signal that the federal spigot will once again flood La Belle Province with public largesse.
But for all the Conservative promises of a new deal for the provinces, Charest's biggest challenge may be ensuring that Harper's "open federalism" doesn't shut off any of the existing cash taps left gushing by Paul Martin's government.
In 18 months of Liberal rule, Quebec managed to extract one sweetheart deal after another from a weak prime minister whose primary tenets of federal-provincial negotiations were capitulate and cut the cheque.
As a result, Quebec has been laughing all the way to the bank.
The much-touted $41-billion health care accord, for instance, included an extraordinary side deal that virtually exempted Quebec from the terms of the funding agreement. Just send cash.
Ditto the Martin government's $6 billion of federal-provincial funding agreements for daycare -- Quebec gets its share of the windfall with no strings attached.
With almost 50% of the country's subsidized daycare spaces already, Quebec is free to spend the more than $1 billion it is getting in federal loot to fix potholes if it wishes.
Harper has promised to kill the daycare funding agreements with Quebec and other provinces next year, in lieu of the feds' sending $100 monthly cheques directly to parents with young children.
No wonder Jean Charest was laughing.