Let Quebec vote

There is a lot of concern in the Rest of Canada these days that the Rest of Canada just isn’t concerned enough, that somehow someone ought to be doing something to stop Pauline Marois from winning the next Quebec election.

There is nothing wrong with people inside or outside Quebec having opinions on Pauline Marois’s fitness to be premier. But no one can elect a premier of Quebec but Quebecers.

The Parti Quebecois has a chance to win a majority on April 7, and if it does, a national unity showdown seems inevitable. The prospect of a referendum could create obstacles to progress and good governance. It could colour the next few years in both federal and provincial politics, and in relations between Quebec, the federal government and the rest of the country. The Rest of Canada is justifiably worried that the sovereignty side will continue to ramp up cultural nationalism with damaging results, deliberately hurting minorities within Quebec to stoke outrage elsewhere and, in turn, to put Quebecers on the defensive. We are right to worry. We are wrong to wring our hands and worry that we aren’t doing enough.

It is not the prime minister’s job to tell Quebecers which premier they ought to elect. In fact, were Stephen Harper to do so, the chances are very good that such efforts would backfire.

It is the Quebec Liberal Party that must convince Quebecers they are the best choice — not only to keep the country together, but to govern the province. If they cannot convince Quebecers of that , and if the PQ does force a unity fight, it will be time for whoever is prime minister to speak to Quebecers as Canadians, and make the case.