Federalism vs. separatism has been replaced by a new "'liberal-authoritarian' divide" as the main division in Quebec politics, argues a Quebec historian.
Quebec's new political divide | Montreal Gazette | Antoine Dionne Charest:
July 20, 2023 - "For the last 60 years, the main divide in Quebec politics has been whether the province should remain a part of Canada or separate. Supporters of staying in Canada backed federalism and the Quebec Liberal Party, while those favouring separation supported the Parti Québécois. This federalist-separatist divide was twice elevated as an existential battle during the 1980 and 1995 referendums.
"Since then, Quebec politics has changed considerably. In 2007, a third political party, the Action démocratique du Québec, became the official opposition. And in 2008, Québec solidaire [QS] elected its first member in the National Assembly. This shift in dynamics was confirmed with the CAQ’s election in 2018, which relegated the federalist-separatist divide to the background of the political debate. It also pushed the Liberal party and the PQ to the sidelines.
"What is, then, Quebec’s new political divide? It involves two opposing sides: one that leans 'liberal,' which is more reserved on state intervention and supportive of individual freedoms, and one that leans 'authoritarian,' which favours state intervention and is inclined to restrict individual freedoms in the name of the majority.
"What some call the 'liberal-authoritarian' divide is present in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada and western democracies. It ... does not involve parties or governments promoting the establishment of an authoritarian regime, let alone a dictatorship, or protecting individual freedoms above all other concerns. Instead, it suggests that authoritarianism and liberalism are today’s prevailing political tendencies.
"Political parties express one tendency or the other. This is particularly the case with the CAQ [Coalition Avenir Québec] government, whose policies, attitudes and actions put it on the authoritarian side of the spectrum. Consider Bills 21 and 96. Both invoke the notwithstanding clause that overrides rights and freedoms protected by the Quebec and Canadian charters of rights and freedoms. But what is most revealing is that Premier François Legault labels criticism of these bills as an assault on the Quebec nation.
"The notwithstanding clause is not inherently authoritarian. However, it becomes authoritarian when used without justification in the name of the majority and those who oppose it are labelled as anti-Quebec, which is exactly what the CAQ government has been doing. Moreover, the government’s cancellation of an anti-abortion event at the Quebec City convention centre under the pretext that it did not reflect Quebec’s values is another obvious example of the CAQ’s authoritarian tendencies.
"What about the liberal side? The QLP [Quebec Liberal Party] .. is the official opposition, and individual rights and freedoms are part of its core values. It has yet to recover, though, from the 2018-2022 election defeats and has begun rebuilding itself, which will take some time. QS has had more success positioning itself as an opponent to the CAQ, notably on climate change, housing and diversity issues. Still, voters perceive it for what it is — a very left-wing party with a tendency to tax, spend and systemically promote state intervention.
"It’s unclear where the PQ and Quebec Conservatives are positioned on the liberal-authoritarian divide. While the PQ is focused on surviving politically, the Conservatives’ ambiguous stance on Bills 21 and 96 — supporting the use of the notwithstanding clause for one but not the other — makes it difficult to know where they stand. At this point, no single opposition party has been able to capture and embody the liberal side.
"But if the liberal-authoritarian divide is the main driver of Quebec politics, and the CAQ represents the authoritarian side, the party that champions the liberal side will eventually replace the CAQ government."
Antoine Dionne Charest is a public affairs consultant who has contributed to political history books, including Legacy: How French Canadians Shaped North America (2016) and Canada Always: The Defining Speeches of Sir Wilfrid Laurier (2016).
No comments:
Post a Comment