Ricky Blue

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RICKY BLUE

Premier Duceppe and the partition of Quebec

MONTREAL | Gilles Duceppe is pressing the Harper government to further define its declaration of the existence of a "Québécois nation" by adding that it be now called a "francophone Québécois nation".

I think this is a strategic error. Further qualifying the imaginary nation like this would mean that every resident of Quebec who is not "francophone" is not part of it.

And if this "nation" was ever to separate from Canada, those who are not part of it ( i.e. anglophones and allophones) would still be part of the Canadian nation and as such be under the protection of the Canadian government.

This would create a territorial problem. And that would seem to suggest no alternative but partition.

But as long as the "Québécois nation" declaration remains vague, it can mean anything the separatists want it to mean. Even that all residents of Quebec are part of it.

And as long as all Quebec residents, francophone, Anglophone, and allophone, are considered to be part of this "nation" it could be argued that QuebecÕs territory should remain intact after separation.

By excluding non-francophones from this notion of "nation", Gilles is admitting that it is an ethnic rather than a territorial designation.

This has always been the Achilles heel of Quebec separatists. They see themselves as a pure, homogenous, and unilingual nation inhabiting a single territory called Quebec. So non-francophones within this territory have to be regulated, assimilated, or declared not to exist.

And now that the separatists are in the middle of their campaign to persuade everyone to call Quebec a "nation", in the belief that complete territorial sovereignty will logically follow, they could be about to once again fumble the ball.

Forcing everyone within the territory of Quebec to speak French is not the same as forcing everyone to be a "francophone". Because the designation "francophone" is not just a description of what language one speaks: it is an identity. And identity is something that cannot be instilled in people by law.

Most anglo and allophone Quebecers respectfully live in harmony with their francophone neighbors by using as much French as they can. And they even send their children to French schools. But that does not magically turn them into "francophones". Most remain, simply: Canadians living in Quebec who speak French to survive. They will never call themselves "francophones".

This truth can be ignored by the separatists (as have so many other truths) as long as the Canadian declaration says "Québécois nation". But it will come back to haunt them if the Québécois nation is defined as being only "francophone". Post-referendum negotiations will be based upon this definition, even if it is only honorary.

Why is Gilles opening up this can of worms? One can only speculate that the smell of an election is in the wind. And beating the well-worn drum of language division has always worked for the separatists in the past. But he should be careful. His side won a great victory when the Prime Minister of Canada declared the existence of a "Québécois nation". By defining it as being francophone he could blow it.

I understand that his political and ideological agenda compels him to find an issue that he can use as a stick with which to beat the Canadian government. But he needs to find a more inclusive adjective, so how about adding the qualifier "in debt" to "Québécois nation"?

Thanks to Gilles and the political uncertainty that accompanied his thirty years of separatist activity, the divisive referendums, the overzealous language police, and the flight of capital, that would be a description that would more accurately identify the real condition of all the citizens currently living within the territory of Quebec.