Quebecers know they’ve got a good deal in Canada

Vote for federalism is no surprise

No wonder Quebecers cast ballots this week in a way that entirely discouraged its politicians from holding yet another sovereignty referendum. As British Columbians are quite aware, Quebecers have the best provincial deal in Canada.

Most Quebecers appreciate this, voting Monday for a majority Liberal government headed by federalist leader Philippe Couillard, defeating the Parti Quebecois minority government headed by veteran separatist Pauline Marois.

Quebecers have had special status on many fronts for many years. In 2006, Parliament held a special vote to recognize Quebec as “a nation within Canada.”

The province controls its own tax and immigration systems as well as its own pension plan.

When Ottawa recently introduced a new federal cost- sharing program geared to apprenticeship training — the Canada Job Grant — many provinces were lukewarm.

But only Quebec was permitted to opt out of the program, while getting to keep any federal cash it would have been allotted under the program.

When the federal government killed the Immigrant Investor program this past winter, it consulted provinces but did not wait for their approval to act.

In the case of Quebec, it neither consulted nor sought approval because Quebec controls its own immigration programs, and opted against cancellation.

So, while B. C.’ s immigrant investor program is no more, immigrants will still be able to move to B. C. under the program as long as they enter through Quebec.

Quebec entirely controls language and culture within its boundaries and, far from having to safeguard and protect an endangered French language within Canada, back in the ’ 60s saw the entire federal government and bureaucracy accommodate it by becoming bilingual. French speakers within the federal system even get bilingualism bonuses.

Moreover, the French language has become highly valued throughout Canada, with New Brunswick and Manitoba declaring themselves officially bilingual provinces.

Long gone are the days when any premier could get away with heaping scorn on bilingual cereal boxes.

In B. C., parents must line up to get their youngsters into French immersion programs. About 1,000 students are turned away annually for lack of French teachers.

Then there’s a federal equalization program so generous to Quebec that the province finds itself able to provide a $ 7 a day daycare program ( rising to $ 9 in 2015) even as B. C., a net contributor to the equalization pot, says it cannot afford any such provincially funded service.

Sure, Quebecers pay taxes to Ottawa but the province derives a net benefit from equalization, this past year receiving nearly $ 8 billion — just a little less than all equalization cash going to the five other recipient provinces, combined, in 2013- 14.

Quebec’s status within the federation remains strong despite the fact the province’s share of the population has declined, from 28.9 per cent in 1951 to 23.6 per cent in 2011.

The province would be vastly more threatened were it to go it alone as an island of French speakers in a sea of North American anglophones.

No, the Quebec election result this week did not come as any surprise, certainly not to thoughtful British Columbians.