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Quebec federalist ideology

Encyclopedia : Q : QU : QUE : Quebec federalist ideology

Politics of Quebec

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In Quebec, federalists, in regard to the future of the Quebec people, defend the concept of Quebec remaining within Canada, as opposed to Quebec sovereigntists, proponents of Quebec independence (most often, but not for all followers, along with an economic union with Canada similar to the European Union).

Contents

Ideological branches

While the usual denomination for all followers is simply federalist, two main branches can be sketched out.

Federalist nationalism

Federalist nationalists defend the concept of Quebec remaining within Canada, while pursuing greater autonomy and national recognition for Quebec within the Canadian federation. The Union Nationale under Maurice Duplessis (1930s to 1950s) was nationalist without explicitly calling for independence, prior to the arrival of Daniel Johnson Sr. as leader. The Parti libéral du Québec was a major party of federalist nationalism throughout the Lesage and Bourassa eras (1960s to 1990s). However, since the failures of the Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords, and the 1995 Quebec referendum on independence, the party has no defining plan for official national recognition. Notable followers of this ideology are Robert Bourassa, Jean Lesage and Brian Mulroney.

Recently, the Université de Montréal political philosopher Charles Blattberg has put forward a series of arguments aimed at integrating Québécois nationalism within a renewed Canadian federalism, one that recognizes Canada's multi-national character. See his book Shall We Dance? A Patriotic Politics for Canada () (Translation: Et si nous dansions? Pour une politique du bien commun au Canada () ).

\"Status-quo\" federalists

"Status-quo" federalists, or "Trudeau federalists" as some consider them, defend Quebec remaining within Canada and keeping the status quo regarding constitutional recognition and provincial powers in areas like taxation, health care, and immigration. They also defend the Canadian federal government assuming the major role in the democracy, with occasional encroachment on Quebec and provincial powers. Some do not recognize the national status of Quebec, formally or informally. The Equality Party of Quebec, which was a large Anglophone protest party in the late 1980s and early 1990s before losing its representation to the Quebec Liberals, also adheres more or less to this ideology.

Notable Trudeau federalists are Pierre Trudeau, from whom the term is inspired, Jean Chrétien and Stéphane Dion. A noted medium for the ideology was the political magazine Cité Libre.

Federalist parties

Since the split between the Nouveau Parti démocratique du Québec and the federal New Democratic Party, there has not been a major left-wing federalist political party in Quebec, though a sizeable minority of leftists are federalists, as are most centrists and rightists. The issue of sovereignty vs. Confederation tends to go beyond the political spectrum.

See also

Notes and references

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