The Quebec provincial election on Monday was a very good night for Canada and for the freedoms that make our country the best in the world.
The election revolved largely around the question of Quebec independence. A strong showing and a majority government for the separatist Parti Quebecois would have reopened the debate on Quebec separation. Instead, Quebecers sent a strong message by electing a federalist Liberal government and reducing the Parti Quebecois to just 25 % of the popular vote. So strong was the defeat that PQ leader Pauline Marois lost her own seat.
The loss for the PQ does not mean that the separatist movement in Quebec is forever gone. But it is an indication of how much things have changed since the referendum vote of 1995 when, by the narrowest of margins (50.58% to 49.42%) Quebecers voted to stay in Canada. Canada is a stronger country when it is united and it is a better country when it is united. That was a message that Quebecers sent with a strong voice this week.
Quebecers also said something about the type of province they want to see. Much debate prior to the election surrounded the proposed Quebec Charter of Values that would restrict the wearing of many religious symbols by public sector employees. This Charter of Values was widely seen across the political spectrum as a violation of freedom of religion as protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Monday’s vote will hopefully be seen as a vote for not only a Quebec that is a strong part of Canada but also for a province that allows people the freedoms that make our country great.
