Of course Quebec can separate...

weaselwords

Electoral Member
Nov 10, 2009
518
4
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salisbury's tavern
They could be a juggernaut in 10 years. Don't poo-poo PQ's resources there's quite a lot of untapped Gas Shale in the Gaspe & South Shore. Remember Harper just gave them 100% ownership of up to 2M barrels in Old Henry an undersea oil find in the St Lawerence Gulf
 

Cannuck

Time Out
Feb 2, 2006
30,245
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Alberta
As for sharing a common currency, and especially citizenship, it's not about sticking it to the sovereignists but looking out for the people. Remember that those Quebecers with family in Ontario are likely among the most federalist of the bunch. Why hurt families just out of rage. Certainly reason must come before sentimentality and emotionalism.

sentimentality and emotion are the only reasons for this type of thing. There is no substantial benefit to separation unless you only want the good and refuse to take the bad. That's why Canada needs to continually point out the bad (ie- if Canada is divisible then Kweebeck is divisible). It's really a moot point though. There really is no significant desire to leave Canada in Kweebeck. There is a desire to suck off the tit of the rest of Canada. That is what the separatists are all about...keep the gravy train rolling. Unfortunately, we don't have politicians that are willing to shut it down.

As for a common currency, separate currencies are essentially a tax of sorts. Let's not kid ourselves that even with NAFTA for example, currency traders and brokers still take a cut in all currency transactions. Do you honestly think that when you use Canadian dollars across the border or vice versa that the company isn't raising the conversion rate to compensate for the inconvenience to them?

Agreed. Only those that do not understand basic economics would argue against a common currency.

And why would we care what another country does about its own overhead?

He wasn't talking about countries, he was talking about airlines. Less overhead means a better chance at competing. Stuff that helps European carriers to better compete with NA carriers, gives them a competitive advantage. Differences on rules and/or restrictions governing the movement on goods, services and capital affect productivity. That's wht governments have been trying to ease restrictions for years. It's basic economics.
 

Machjo

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 19, 2004
17,878
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sentimentality and emotion are the only reasons for this type of thing. There is no substantial benefit to separation unless you only want the good and refuse to take the bad. That's why Canada needs to continually point out the bad (ie- if Canada is divisible then Kweebeck is divisible). It's really a moot point though. There really is no significant desire to leave Canada in Kweebeck. There is a desire to suck off the tit of the rest of Canada. That is what the separatists are all about...keep the gravy train rolling. Unfortunately, we don't have politicians that are willing to shut it down.

Don't be so sure of that. I've had exchanges with sovereignists and you'd be surprised at how much they can disagree with one another. Just to give some idea:

Absolute sovereignists (i.e. the so-called independentistes).

Sovereignty-associationists.

Those who believe that trying to milk canada is a good strategy to weaken Canada's resolve to keep Quebec in confederation.

Those who want some form of sovereignty but still believe they should look out for the best interests of Canada while they're in it,even if only out of self-interest, though some might actually even care about Canada, even if only a foreign country in their minds.

Etc. etc. etc.
 

Machjo

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 19, 2004
17,878
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Ottawa, ON
Also, some sovereignists are so owing to xenophobia, while others are so out of a belief in extreme decentralization but relatively open borders (which probably roughly reflects absolute sovereignists and sovereignty-associationists to some degree). Needless to say that in a sovereign Quebec, those two groups would go head to head, the xenophobes wanting complete isolation and the more cosmopolitan elements trying to maintain more open borders. But the sovereignty movement is no more homogeneous than the federalist movement. Just compare decentralists, centralists, and internationalists even among federalists. In fact, there are certainly internationalists among sovereignists too.

....are such a small minority they are, for all intents and purposes, irrelevant. Even Duceppe is not an absolute sovereignist.

I'm sure any sovereignist with any sense will oppose absolute sovereignty.
 

The Old Medic

Council Member
May 16, 2010
1,330
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The World
The Native peoples held the land before the Europeans. Since the government of Canada does not recognize their rights, what on earth makes you think that they would if Quebec were to go independent?

Of course the HBC owned that land, according to British law. They in turn GAVE it to Great Britain, which in turn gave it to Canada It wasn't sold, per se, it was granted. Of course, HBC benefited, but not by direct sale of the land.

My 2nd great grandfather lost his farm in the process of this transaction. Manitoba just confiscated it, after he had farmed it for over 30 years. He was give 3 days to leave, was not allowed to take his animals, his farm equipment, his furniture, or anything of value except for a wagon, two horses and the harness to hitch them up, and the families personal possessions.

They were each given "Manitoba Script", supposedly good for 160 acres of land. Each family members land was isolated from any other family members (meaning the family would have had to split up to actually take it) Speculators bought up most of that "Script", for pennies on the dollar, because ti was absolutely worthless to the Métis.

Cdn Bear, if you are going to use Canadian history in your posts, it would help if you actually KNEW it.

I am Métis, and proud of that fact.
 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
43,839
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Ontario
The Native peoples held the land before the Europeans.
Well at least you got that right.
Since the government of Canada does not recognize their rights, what on earth makes you think that they would if Quebec were to go independent?
The law.

Of course the HBC owned that land, according to British law. They in turn GAVE it to Great Britain, which in turn gave it to Canada It wasn't sold, per se, it was granted. Of course, HBC benefited, but not by direct sale of the land.
It was sold for the sum of 300,000 pound sterling, to the Dominion of Canada, under the Rupert Lands Act of 1868, an act of British Parliament.

My 2nd great grandfather lost his farm in the process of this transaction. Manitoba just confiscated it, after he had farmed it for over 30 years. He was give 3 days to leave, was not allowed to take his animals, his farm equipment, his furniture, or anything of value except for a wagon, two horses and the harness to hitch them up, and the families personal possessions.
I have stories like that in my families history too dude.

They were each given "Manitoba Script", supposedly good for 160 acres of land. Each family members land was isolated from any other family members (meaning the family would have had to split up to actually take it) Speculators bought up most of that "Script", for pennies on the dollar, because ti was absolutely worthless to the Métis.
Ya, the Metis have a lock on getting screwed.

Cdn Bear, if you are going to use Canadian history in your posts, it would help if you actually KNEW it.
Feel free to fact check the part where I clearly express a greater knowledge of Canadian history then your anecdotal sob stories.

I am Métis, and proud of that fact.
That and a library card will give you access to more knowledge than you can imagine, you should try it.
 

englishcanadian

New Member
May 19, 2011
3
0
1
i am tired of all this separation talk. I am an ethnic English speaking Canadian that was born and raised in montreal. My whole life i was terrorized and told to speak french., we are in Quebec blah blah. I love living here but the ignorance that some Quebecers have upsets me. Don;t you realize that we have an advantage here. We have the opportunity to learn and speak two languages. Why close your eyes to enhancing your possibilities learning languages are a bonus. I speak four languages and i am proud, french being one of them. Quebecers should stop talking separation and start taking English classes learn the international language , everyone speaks English no matter where you go. Why deprive yourselves of communicating and travelling. There are so many possiblites out there.Stop Quebec is part of Canada and many Quebecers fail to remember that.


A fellow Canadian who just wants to feel like im at home, here in Quebec.