Imagine this:
We are in 2008 and a provincial election is coming up in Quebec. Jean Charest has managed to regain a bit more support but support for sovereignty is still estimated to be somewhere between 45 to 50%.
One day the sovereignists make a stunning announcement. Andre Boisclair and Gilles Duceppe get together and announce that they are officially merging the BQ and PQ together as one single political party acting on both levels of government. They offer this deal to Quebecers. Vote for us with a majority (50%+1) and we promise not to seperate. Instead of having another referendum, we are proposing a new approach to our role within Canada. We will merge our power to represent you both provincially and federally. By voting for us you are asking to no longer participate in any federal elections. Instead, the people you elect as your provincial leaders will be the same ones negotiating and participating in the debates in Ottawa. We are also suggesting every Canadian province to take a similar approach. Our principle is that to stay true to the spirit of the confederation, the provinces must assume and take their powers by representing THEMSELVES in Ottawa. We are proposing to impose on Ottawa our desire to be fully independant in provincial jurisdictions while fully promoting cooperation and democratic discussion in the Federal house of commons for all issues concerning the federal jurisdictions. In other words, we accept to stay a province but vow to become significantly more independant. Canada will simply have to adapt to Quebec's new approach.
In other words, you take us as we are and respect our full provincial independance.
Even if this is unlikely (you never know...), what would be the impact of this? Would Quebecers be interested? How would the ROC react if the hypothetical "Nouveau Parti Quebecois" did get approval from the population?
We are in 2008 and a provincial election is coming up in Quebec. Jean Charest has managed to regain a bit more support but support for sovereignty is still estimated to be somewhere between 45 to 50%.
One day the sovereignists make a stunning announcement. Andre Boisclair and Gilles Duceppe get together and announce that they are officially merging the BQ and PQ together as one single political party acting on both levels of government. They offer this deal to Quebecers. Vote for us with a majority (50%+1) and we promise not to seperate. Instead of having another referendum, we are proposing a new approach to our role within Canada. We will merge our power to represent you both provincially and federally. By voting for us you are asking to no longer participate in any federal elections. Instead, the people you elect as your provincial leaders will be the same ones negotiating and participating in the debates in Ottawa. We are also suggesting every Canadian province to take a similar approach. Our principle is that to stay true to the spirit of the confederation, the provinces must assume and take their powers by representing THEMSELVES in Ottawa. We are proposing to impose on Ottawa our desire to be fully independant in provincial jurisdictions while fully promoting cooperation and democratic discussion in the Federal house of commons for all issues concerning the federal jurisdictions. In other words, we accept to stay a province but vow to become significantly more independant. Canada will simply have to adapt to Quebec's new approach.
In other words, you take us as we are and respect our full provincial independance.
Even if this is unlikely (you never know...), what would be the impact of this? Would Quebecers be interested? How would the ROC react if the hypothetical "Nouveau Parti Quebecois" did get approval from the population?