Canadian Federation and Quebec Sovereignty Movement
Date Issued
2008
Date
2008
Author(s)
Huang, Han-Pin
Abstract
This thesis attempts to examine the relations between federalism and nationalism from the perspectives of political elites in Ottawa and Quebec. Confronted with a perennial siege mentality fostered by the predominance of the English language in Canada, Québécois nationalism is essentially a quest for the survival of the French tongue, which has taken a pro-active form since 1960s in the sovereignty movement led by the Parti Québécois and in the pursuit of renewed federalism championed by the Parti libéral du Québec. In response, the federal government has tried to accommodate Quebec’s needs for linguistic equality and autonomy by adopting bilingualism and a more decentralized form of federalism. But the approach chosen by Ottawa lays too much emphasis on symmetrical federalism to the extent of disregarding Quebec’s distinctiveness. Besides, the constitutionally entrenched Charter of Rights and Freedoms, with the aim of ensuring that all Canadian citizens are equal, has further strengthened the idea that the provinces they inhabit should be treated in an identical manner. However, Quebec has long seen itself as a founding nation and is thus entitled to enjoy asymmetrical federal arrangements or at least a special status in Canada. n general, due to different conceptions of the Canadian nation and federation, Ottawa and Quebec have respectively turned to nationalist strategies to fulfil their ideals of political and cultural units. The conflict between these two nation-building projects can be subsumed under two components. Firstly, although an important degree of decentralization has worked to the benefits of Quebec’s nationalist demands, the uniformity principle in terms of power division among provinces is suspected of an intention on the part of the federal government to undermine rather than respect the distinct nature of Quebec. Secondly, the fact that Ottawa refuses to constitutionally recognize Quebec as a nation or a distinct society has less to do with a contradiction between individual versus collective rights, but with different traditions of liberalism. In accordance with procedural liberalism, the English-speaking Canada believes that human dignity can only be achieved when an individual has the freedom to choose what he or she sees best without being held hostage by pre-determined cultural ties. This is not only the goal of the Canadian Charter, but the reason why the language is made a matter of individual rather than a collective right. However, given the precarious position of the French language and its importance in sustaining Quebec national identity, Quebec subscribes to substantive liberalism, viewing communitarian identification a prerequisite for human dignity, which explains the necessity of the French Charter and its unilingual approach. In conclusion, to surmount the conflicting views of liberalism, it is important to allow for national recognition of Quebec and the co-existence of different layers of national identities so as to better reflect the deep diversity within the Canadian multinational society.
Subjects
bilingualism
multiculturalism
constitutional reform
Plan B
interculturalism
Qué
bé
cois nationalism
pan-Canadian nationalism
Type
thesis
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