On veut une paie, not un pays
On paper, it’s the trivial difference of three letters.
But for the hope of Quebec, for the hearts and minds of those of us left after the final mud stains of this most sullied campaign have been pressure-washed away, it represents a seismic shift in direction and attitude.
Forget the fist-raised howl of “On veut un pays!”
The new Quebec rallying cry should be a level-headed “On veut une paie!”
At this juncture in our history, nothing is more important than bolstering the economy, and doing so together. As crass as it sounds, money changes everything. The more we make, the more we can spend on education, health care, the environment, infrastructure ... I can keep going.
Yet here we are, slipping deeper into the swamp of the have-not provinces as we continue to waste precious funds on policing language, restricting religious symbols and conjuring up other polarizing misdirections that blind us from real problems and real opportunities.
One such golden opportunity emerged last week in a New York Times article called “Au Revoir, Entrepreneurs,” which bemoaned the exodus of young French business talent to, of all places, Great Britain.
Faced with a Socialist, business-unfriendly government, climbing unemployment and repressive social taxes, French entrepreneurs seeking understanding, funding and a break are crossing the English Channel to launch their startups in the U.K.
Imagine what they could do here, where English is somewhat less predominant.
Sarcasm aside, Quebec could be, and should be, the globe’s centre-point for French-language entrepreneurship. Focusing exclusively on the Frenchspeaking world, fledgling businesses can service a global market of more than 300 million people while based in Montreal, or in the regions, or wherever.
Some of the more ambitious ones could also take advantage of the proximity to the U.S. and double the size of their potential customer base with a mere language tweak. No matter what these driven, and driven-out, young men and women of France choose to wear on their heads or around their necks, they should be welcomed and integrated here — and fast.
Yet even with them among us, we need to change our mindset. “Maitres chez nous!” is another ol’ chestnut battle cry — an ingrained inclination for us to think small.
These days, as the Internet reduces borders to dust, “Maitres chez nous!” has shrivelled into a defeatist goal for the feeble and insecure. With new leadership and a spirited attitude, we should be “Maitres chez eux!” or “Maitres ailleurs!”
We need to export our products and services, not our populace. Just ask border-busting pioneers like the Cirque du Soleil, Moment Factory, Stingray Media, Telesysteme, Sid Lee, Bombardier — francophone-run Quebec companies one and all — where they aspire to be “maitres.”
It was audacious, openthinking and bold moves that separated (no pun intended) those companies from the pack, and only by being equally as daring can we strengthen the economy, create new jobs and attract worldwide attention, positive attention, for a change.
For example, how about redirecting the Office québécois de la langue française and its $24.7-million budget to something more upbeat and revenue-driving, like a concierge program for the French language? As is the case with private instructors at ski hills or golf clubs, fresh, youthful teachers could give personalized French lessons to newcomers in downtown classrooms.
They could also accompany tourists on excursions, provide simultaneous translation with a smile, and offer discounts on purchases made in French by their “students.” Why take the fatalistic, doomsday approach of “protecting” a language when you can actually promote, enhance and breathe new life into it?
The aforementioned ideas may sound crazy, but face it, all progress does. We’ve seen the past and we’re tired of its dispirited greyness, its unfulfilled promises, the negativity of tired old people keeping up the same tired old fight.
Look ahead. The smart money is on the future. Let’s make a lot of it.