Is Mr. Harper (PC, Canada) trying to do a Cameron?

[Harry Hayfield]

It was reported yesterday that Mr. Harper, the Conservative Prime Minister of Canada, is talking about granting Quebec some kind of recognition as a seperate state in Canada (a bit like Mr. Cameron (Con, Witney) stating that he now recognised devolution as a "fact". Is Mr. Harper trying to bleed the Bloc into submission in order to gain more Bloc seats at an election and secure an overall majority?

[merseysider]

I think he is trying to build support in Quebec - the Tories came from nowhere to come in second in Quebec last time and got about 11 or 12 federal seats IIRC. Given that he's leading a minority government with only about 135 seats out of 300, there's likely to be another election in the not too distant future, and he'll be looking to pick up another 15 seats or so wherever he can. I think his comments will allow him to squeeze the Liberals to become the leading federalist voice against the Bloc Quebecois, while possibly also appealing to some of the softer separatist vote.

Actually, I think he's being entirely commonsensical - I have been to Quebec and it is clearly a distinct nation with a distinct culture. However, as Harper points out, it is also part of a greater nation, rather like Scotland or Wales within the United Kingdom. Nobody would deny they were nations but it does not follow that they should become independent.

[Hatman 🍁]

Just politics as usual in Canada. Harper is pandering to Quebec nationalists.

The vote in Parliament on it is tonight btw.

[Hatman 🍁]

the motion passed overwhelmingly with only 15 votes against (14 Liberals, 1 Independent- Garth Turner)

[Verily]

Of course, polls say 77% of Canadians oppose it. This will hurt the Conservatives (since Bloc voters always want more), and maybe the NDP, too. I like Garth Turner.

[Gabu]

Of course, polls say 77% of Canadians oppose it. This will hurt the Conservatives (since Bloc voters always want more), and maybe the NDP, too. I like Garth Turner.

No, the poll results were that 77% of Canadians outside of Quebec oppose it.  Meanwhile, 71% of Quebeckers support it.

You can get the Canada-wide results by figuring in the fact that 23.5% of Canadians live in Quebec for the result that around 66% of Canadiasns in total oppose it.

[Hatman 🍁]

Of course, polls say 77% of Canadians oppose it. This will hurt the Conservatives (since Bloc voters always want more), and maybe the NDP, too. I like Garth Turner.

Not going to hurt the Conservatives, since it's their base who are most likely to oppose it, and they aren't changing their votes any time soon.

[Verily]

I must say, if 77%, even outside of Quebec, oppose it, it's more than just the Conservatives' base in opposition; it's people from every part of the political spectrum. Of course, the Liberals won't be able to capitalize on that unless their leader is also opposed to it, and IIRC the only major leadership contender opposed was Kennedy.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

So will there be a new Reform party starting?