Election Showdown

What a country this is. What other country than Canada would provide the wherewithal for a secessionist party to sit in Parliament? The Bloc Quebecois, the federal representative of the failed provincial Parti Quebecois - now all but moribund but whose pressing agenda was to convince Quebecois to vote for separation from the rest of Canada, and the attainment of a national, sovereigntist entity, yet linked to Canada in support of their national identity relationship.

But the Bloc Quebecois is still recognized, still adamant that Quebec is a nation unto itself, and that its relationship with Canada should be as two adjoining nations, the smaller one leaning heavily for support on the larger federation. Quebec, the province that continues to receive a truly disproportionate share of provincial equalization payments, adores to think of itself as more special, more remote to Canadian nationality than any other province.

It's beyond good sense that Canadians are so fair-minded, so elevated in their thought processes that it's universally recognized as just that a separatist party at the federal level that has absolutely zero interest in the well-being of the country as a whole, sits in Parliament, paid for by the Canadian taxpayer. And while just a short few weeks ago it seemed that most Quebecois finally began to consider the Bloc a holdover of a failed initiative, they've suddenly accomplished a come-back.

Despite that a long succession of administrations in Ottawa have acceded to one demand after another for special treatment for Quebec, allowed no other province, Quebecois remain perennially dissatisfied, concerned for their future - outside of Confederation - proud of their French heritage, their incomparable language, their culture, and insistent of their privileged status as a 'founding nation' entitled to very special status.

Quebecois think of themselves as Quebecois first, Canadians just incidentally, if at all. Somewhat reminiscent of a group-unsound mind. Everything from museums to provincial parks, are given the title 'national', although they are in fact, provincial. There is an entitled conceit of sovereignty, and in fact, in most ways the province behaves as though it's sovereign. With the sole exception of its dependence on financial hand-outs from the rest of Canada.

The current government headed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper went as far as previous administrations - and even further - to convince Quebecois how dear they are to the heart of all other Canadians. Mr. Harper agreed with all of Quebec's requests for enhanced self-authority, at home and internationally. More federal tax dollars were distributed in Quebec per capita than anywhere else in the country. They were granted the distinction of a 'sovereign' people.

And it was felt, obviously erroneously, that the heart of Quebec had been touched by these generous overtures. Quebec truly is a social, cultural, traditional culture apart from the rest of Canada. A greater number of Quebecois are dissatisfied with life than their counterparts elsewhere in Canada. Quebec's suicide rate is significantly higher than elsewhere in Canada. And Quebec takes sour umbrage at imagined slights far more seriously than anywhere else in the country.

One might imagine that a skilled politician like Stephen Harper might discipline himself sufficiently adequately to avoid stepping in cowpies like announcing, during an election, that his government would cut an insignificant percentage of cultural-arts funding, and that his government would take steps to institute more appropriate punishment for serious youth offenders. Such, alas, was not the case, and in so making those announcements he managed to seriously offend Quebec.

The result of which is that the Bloc is once again dear to the hearts of voting Quebec. "In Quebec, we are too proud to obey Stephen Harper", is the war cry of Gilles Duceppe. And, once wearily again, the Bloc will receive a majority of Quebec votes, while the Conservatives, hoping to cash in on their obliging care for Quebec sensibilities, has cast themselves adrift there.

Quebec is quite synonymous with ingratitude and whining entitlements ad nauseum.