Quote:
Originally Posted by YOWetal
Those are under a very different world economy. In terms of trade UK was a province of the UK. In some ways provinces have more policy divergence than EU member states. We don't have to let professionals move or construction companies bid no contracts.
|
The UK wanted to leave a common market, trade union, and customs area, because Brexiters believed they would fare better alone in terms of being able to sign their own free trade agreements with the rest of the world. They were proven wrong.
The Québec sovereignists want Québec to become an independent country, but they do not want to leave the trade and customs union that exists with the ROC. That's completely different from what the Brexiters wanted. What's new is the PQ leader now wants to leave the currency union that exists with the rest of Canada (which is probably sensible, because an independent Québec would have no more say over the Canadian dollar), but I've never heard he wants to also leave the trade and customs union that exists with the rest of the Canada (which would be stupid as so much trade takes place between Québec and the ROC, both ways, so both parties have in interest in keeping that trade and customs union after Québec secession).
Quote:
Originally Posted by YOWetal
Quebec letting Canada set standards and trade and moneteary policy without having a say in order to have their own flag and passport doesn't seem like real soverigntly. Even current divergence in tax rates and social policies could be hard to maintain without any say in national level policies.
|
An independent Québec would have one quarter the population of a rump Canada. It's not exactly the same situation as tiny Switzerland or Norway who can only be rule-takers in their trade arrangements with the EU. The comparable situation would be a country the size of Japan forming a customs and trade union with the EU. In such a situation, obviously the terms would have to be negotiated by both sides, it couldn't be just the UE/ROC imposing their terms on Japan/Québec as the EU currently does with tiny outsiders like Switzerland or Norway.