Quebec, the French Language, and Quebecois Identity

[harls]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

There's nothing stopping Quebec from building it right now. They haven't. They keep waiting for the federal government to pay for it. Indeed, whereas Montreal had the most advanced public transport system in the country at one point, it doesn't come close these days, to what Toronto has and what they are building. So I don't get why you would think an independent Quebec with even more public expenses would suddenly prioritize HSR anymore than they have today.

Pretty sure the agent provocateur has blocked you because he doesn't like what you have to say.

[Ozabald]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Ontario still has the British flag on their flag??

And so does Hawaii.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by Ozabald

And so does Hawaii.

Which has more of an 'up yours' value inside the US...

[P'tit Renard]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

So you mean they are... very French? I'm shocked!

PS: This was not true of Lucien Bouchard though. And I don't think the new PQ leader is and old-school statist either..

Agreed about Lucien Bouchard.. he's a softer sovereignist, not that different than Francois Legault. They're cut from the same cloth essentially.

PSPP is still a bit of an unknown commodity publicly at this point in regards to economics, but he hasn't made any overtures or policy pronouncements that are pro-growth and pro-economy. so I find it hard to rule out the possibility that he is a old-school statist, which is the default setting for PQ elites.

I don't think PSPP has an amicable relationship with the Montreal tech community (which my SO is active in) to speak of, nor with any Quebecois entrepreneurs in general.

At least Marois had an ongoing flirt with PKP during her premiership.

[P'tit Renard]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

There's nothing stopping Quebec from building it right now. They haven't. They keep waiting for the federal government to pay for it. Indeed, whereas Montreal had the most advanced public transport system in the country at one point, it doesn't come close these days, to what Toronto has and what they are building. So I don't get why you would think an independent Quebec with even more public expenses would suddenly prioritize HSR anymore than they have today.

When PSPP publicly attacked the Legault-Furey entente as a bad deal for Quebec, I've had my suspicions whether PSPP's PQ will revert back to its old ways. A party too fixated on the act of independence to actually think about how to build a sustainable economic future for Quebec.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by harls

Pretty sure the agent provocateur has blocked you because he doesn't like what you have to say.

Nah. He just selectively responds. He still hasn't answered what he thinks about the US meddling in Quebec, after he said the Japanese and Koreans should accept being lorded over by the Chinese Communists. Guessing he also thinks Ukrainians and all the Eastern Europeans should simply accept Putin's rule too.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by P'tit Renard

At least Marois had an ongoing flirt with PKP during her premiership.

I've never understood all the flak Pauline Marois received. She seemed rather decent. I think, if we're honest, it was just a bit of "racism" (or "contempt" if you prefer) because she didn't speak English well.

Oh, and misogyny also, of course.

[P'tit Renard]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

I've never understood all the flak Pauline Marois received. She seemed rather decent. I think, if we're honest, it was just a bit of "racism" (or "contempt" if you prefer) because she didn't speak English well.

Oh, and misogyny also, of course.

She had terrible political acumen, and basically let some situations run out of control, like the whole PKP media debacle.

Quebec voters don't care about her English level, so a non issue in provincial politics.

[harls]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Nah. He just selectively responds.

Yep, seems to be right.

[dreambrother808]

Acajack and New Brisavoine in conversation:

• Video Link

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Ontario still has the British flag on their flag??

Ut incepit fidelis sic permanet

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by P'tit Renard

Quebec voters don't care about her English level, so a non issue in provincial politics.

She was mocked a lot for that. I think it played a role.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Ut incepit fidelis sic permanet

Dieu et mon droit.

Ironically.

[Tvisforme]

From the Financial Post:

Quebec open to LNG, oil projects after Trump threats
Province is open to reconsidering two major energy infrastructure projects that it previously rejected

...Quebec Environment Minister Benoit Charette said the government of the Canadian province is open to reconsidering two major energy infrastructure projects that it previously rejected.

TC Energy Corp.’s Energy East pipeline, which would have carried western Canadian crude to refineries in eastern Canada, was mothballed in 2017 over regulatory hurdles and intense political opposition in Quebec. A separate proposal known as GNL Quebec to build a liquefied natural gas pipeline and export terminal in the Saguenay region was rejected by both federal and provincial authorities on environmental grounds.

Both would still be turned down if presented under the same terms today, but if they were improved, it’s open for debate, Charette told reporters Wednesday. “If we address these concerns today, these are projects that could be accepted,” he said...

https://financialpost.com/commodities/energy/oil-gas/quebec-open-lng-oil-projects-trump-threats

[ToxiK]

Originally Posted by big T

Yeah, it's a well known fact that the performance of an economy is mainly driven by which party is in power. Much more relevant than macro economic context and forces beyond the grasp of the almighty CAQ! Good job Frankie.

Good to know that the PQ cannot be blame for any economic downturns during its stay in power. It was all due to the fact that Québec was in the Canadian economy...

[ToxiK]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Nothing about anything is "certain".

Not true: as long as Donald Trump is breathing, it is certain that he will say something very stupid...

[ToxiK]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

A graph comparing to Ontario during a period of de-industrialization doesn't say much. Canada is more than Ontario. More relevant to Quebec and separatism is national economic performance and particularly relative to the province paying a lot of Quebec's bills indirectly: Alberta.

Actually, Ontario is the province that pays the most into the equalization program. In fact, Québec pays more into that program than Alberta does. The difference is that Québec gets money from equalization (and Ontario too sometimes) while Alberta doesn't.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by ToxiK

Good to know that the PQ cannot be blame for any economic downturns during its stay in power. It was all due to the fact that Québec was in the Canadian economy...

For the most part yes. Quebec isn't immune to broader Canadian economic trends. Separatists just add more local headwinds.

[ToxiK]

Originally Posted by P'tit Renard

When PSPP publicly attacked the Legault-Furey entente as a bad deal for Quebec, I've had my suspicions whether PSPP's PQ will revert back to its old ways. A party too fixated on the act of independence to actually think about how to build a sustainable economic future for Quebec.

I agree.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by ToxiK

Actually, Ontario is the province that pays the most into the equalization program. In fact, Québec pays more into that program than Alberta does. The difference is that Québec gets money from equalization (and Ontario too sometimes) while Alberta doesn't.

Historically, yes. Lately? Ontario is basically on the net zero mark. It's mostly Alberta running a large surplus with the feds and Quebec running a large deficit. Though, of course, a lot of the numbers are also functions of population numbers in both cases.