Super Mario and the Autonomists

Uh oh....here come the klowns. Not just Super Mario and his army of hick Autonomists. But the ones in English Canada who think what happened last night is good news for the country as we know it.

When in fact it's the likely to be the second last nail in its coffin. With the last one being a Stephen Harper majority.

To understand that you first need to understand that Mario isn't a federalist commes les autres. And that his big night doesn't hurt Quebec nationalism..... it helps it.

".....Mr. Dumont and his ADQ have not signed nationalism's death notice; they have given it new life. The rest of Canada should consider itself forewarned."

Exactly. What would have happened if the Parti Quebecois had won last night, and had held another referendum? It would have been three strikes and you're out. Sovereignty would have been buried for a generation.

But Mario Dumont saved them from that. Now he's given Quebecers an option that most of them want......the status and power of a nation within Canada. If you want to know what that would look like all you have to do is read the Allaire Report, that he co-wrote with the ADQ's father figure Jean Allaire, back in January 1991.

"It would have left the Parliament of Canada with only five exclusive fields of jurisdiction: defence, tariffs, currency, management of the public debt, and equalization. Jurisdiction over Aboriginal peoples, foreign policy, fisheries, communications and the post office would be shared between the federal and provincial levels, while all other powers would be exclusively provincial...."

Now Mario wants to have a Quebec Constitution. And wants all who live in Quebec to have Quebec citizenship....and the Quebec government to have all those other 22 powers too.

Can you imagine what it's going to be like....with Charest being forced to act more like an autonomist ....and Mario Dumont looking over his shoulder egging him on. Or if he comes to power in the next Quebec election playing this guy...

Over and over again....

A few days ago at the University of Laval, Jacques Parizeau took aim at Stephen Harper's plan to buy votes in the province.....and at Dumont's autonomy platform.

He compared its aims to a gag by comedian Yvon Deschamps that Quebecers want an independent Quebec in a united Canada.
"It was a joke," Parizeau pointed out.

That got a big laugh......although it remains to be seen how funny English Canada will find it.....

But Parizeau conveniently forgot to mention two things:

One....that autonomy really is what Quebecers want. They don't like being forced to choose between federalism or sovereignty. They'd rather go for something in between: a strong almost independent Quebec in a united but weak Canada. And now thanks to Super Mario and Stephen Harper they can.

But the other thing Parizeau also forgot to mention is..... what happens if the Autonomists demand all these new powers and don't get them?

To find the answer to that one all you have to do is look up the Allaire Report....and the answer is.......(drum roll) ..... hold a referendum on sovereignty.

Yup. It always gets back to that doesn't it? Bottom line: Super Mario isn't a federalist.

"I hope that's not how they perceive me," Dumont told a news conference a day after his party won a staggering 41 seats in the provincial election.

"That would be a mistake."

Stephen Harper doesn't know what he's talking about. And if Dumont ever needs to hold a referendum to get what he wants....he will.

But then Quebecers know what kind of almost country they want to live in. More than sixty per cent of them voted last night for either autonomy or sovereignty.

The question is...as ever....

What kind of country does the rest of Canada want to be?

Oh yeah I know that sounds really boring...but just remember even if you feel you're on a treadmill going nowhere.

You can always have fun...

And get accustomed to the feeling...

Of having your country pulled out from under you....