Well, the 2012 Quebec provincial election is in the history books and it seems like Quebecers may avoid having to go to the dentist this time around.
Jacques Parizeau, the then Premier of Quebec, said in the last referendum on Quebec sovereignty in 1995 that it would be like going to the dentist in that another referendum would be held sometime in the future.
Pauline Marois and her Parti Quebecois did not win a majority government in winning only 54 seats, a big nine shy of the much-coveted majority that she clearly would have like to have.
Just as importantly for those Quebecers who want to stay in Canada, and for those outside the province who want to keep the country intact, is that the Parti Quebecois only received 31.9 per cent of the popular vote.
This is a clear indication that most people in Quebec want to stay within Canada at least for the foreseeable future.
We understand and appreciate that many Quebecers have a great pride in their province, history, language and culture and would like to be an independent nation in their own right.
However, according to the United Nations Development Programme, Canada is one of the top ten countries in the world to live in. Right now we’re ranked number six. It’s not perfect but that’s not bad at all.
Why is Canada one of the best countries in the world to live in?
There are a number of reasons and we can’t get into all of them here.
However, we’ll touch on a few.
We have a great democratic style of government, which, as Winston Churchill said, is the worst form of government except for all the rest that have been tried.
Canada has one of the best social assistance programs in the world, as there are a lot of people on the planet who can’t draw EI when they’re out of work or collect a pension when they turn 60 and or 65.
Believe it or not some people in the world resort to selling body parts such as kidneys for money. Families in some underdeveloped countries send their daughters, sometimes as young as 11 or 12, out to prostitute in the streets.
Canada is a key member of the group of G8 nations and we have the one of the highest per captia incomes in the world.
Many countries envy our banking system, and we allow immigration into this country and have built a great multi-cultural country.
Despite the negativity we sometimes hear, our education and health care systems are among the best as well.
And overall Canada is a land of opportunity where anyone with determination and a strong work ethic can succeed and do pretty well in life.
So, the question is – why would anyone want to mess with that? Why tear it apart and ruin one of the best countries to live in? People have it pretty well up there in Quebec and some want to change that?
Maybe we should leave the faucet alone now, as it doesn’t seem to be leaking at all really.
Anyway, we’ll have to wait and see what happens on the Quebec political scene in the coming months. Already some people are saying that the Parti Quebecois minority government may not last too long.
Congratulations to Ms. Marois on her win however and let’s hope that her party and the others can work together for the good of all Quebecers and all Canadians.
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