If there is one single lesson to be learned from the outcome of ‘The Election No One Wanted’, it is that a long-held Albertan belief has been proven correct: Quebec will never accept anything resembling ‘Alberta values’ in the national political arena.

The Conservatives, after successfully leading the longest sitting minority government in Canadian history, presented a platform and a sound, steady economic strategy to the voters.

With the global economy in freefall, the moves already made by the Harper government that have done wonders for insulating our economy from the storm, combined with the plans presented in the course of the campaign, won the confidence of Canadians from coast to coast, save a few socialist hotspots (and Newfoundland, where voters followed the Premier Danny Williams-led Anybody But the Conservatives policy. Great line by Tory Senator Marjory LeBreton: ‘I knew Danny when he was an adult…’).

All across the nation numbers for the Conservatives showed great increases over the results of 2006. Canadians have grown confident in Harper. They no longer buy the ‘scary’ label, long used by the Liberals and borrowed this time by New Democrat leader Jack Layton.

Heck, even the impenetrable Liberal fortress of Ontario caught the Blue Wave.

So with the national psyche rightly focused on the issue of the economy, with dock workers in B.C. and rig workers in Alberta and Teamsters in Ontario worried about their jobs and nervous over talk of unstable retirement savings, carbon taxes and the ‘Green Shift’, with Canadians looking for a strong, majority government in these uncertain times, what do our Quebec siblings do?

As usual, they put their own self-interest first.

First, they buy into the false claim that Harper was going to cut federal funding to the arts and culture communities (this is an actual issue?). Given that fact that funding for the Arts has gone up under Harper with a promise for further increases, perhaps this is evidence of the gullibility of Quebecers.

They take offense when Harper speaks the truth: the Arts aren’t top priority for most Canadians.

Then, they object to the Conservative plan to get tough on crime, including fulfilling the long-awaited overhauling of the farcical Young Offenders law. Only in belly-rubbing Quebec would citizens have a problem with a stronger criminal justice system.

Quebec voters showed their distain for Alberta-style moderate, centre-right conservative values at the ballot box, as they (save the 10 or so seats the Tories maintained in the province) create a new twist to the system: they do a pout-vote.



Quebec voters: pouted over alleged cuts to funding for the Arts.

They deny the nation the chance at a solid and stable government heading into the choppy financial waters. At least we know what they consider important in la belle province. Screw the economy – Quebec needs to pay the buskers!

They voted en masse for the Bloc Quebecois even though the Blocs primary reason for existence, Quebec separation, wasn’t even discussed in the campaign, and even though the Blocs ability to really represent Quebecers is forever limited due to the fact that they can never form the government.

They voted for the NDP and Jack Layton’s higher taxes. They even voted for the Adscam Liberals, proving that Quebecers have short memories, forgive easily, don’t mind being taken for fools, or prefer even the corrupt Libs rather than accept a ‘Calgary’ Prime Minister.

The policy of using bribes to appease has once again fallen flat.

Harper, already seen by some in his stomping grounds as giving Quebec too much in the attempt of capturing votes, offers the ‘nation within a nation’ status (effectively, the neo-Distinct Society). The Tories offer more provincial autonomy than any other federal party, which common sense says would appeal to Quebec voters.

Not to mention the purely financial bribes, such as numerous federal funding programs, the Equalization payments scheme, and other federal funding specifically for Quebec, such as the rumored $900 million for Quebec’s aerospace industry (Bombardier).

Quebec responds by turns up its nose. Considering all of this, the rejection of the Harper Conservatives is seen by many in the West as a rejection of us and our values.

The backlash in the West has already begun, with talk radio full of anti-Quebec rants from ever-frustrated Westerners. The usual and understandable theme of ‘Quebec gets our money and holds disproportionate power in Confederation’ fills the airwaves. Perhaps the sentiment is best described as one caller puts it: ‘Quebec screwed us again!’

It is obvious that Quebec and the rest of Canada will never, barring a miracle, be politically or socially copasetic. We keep making offers, Quebec keeps rejecting them. We keep sweetening the pot, Quebec says non. We write the cheques, Quebec cashes them and shuts the door.

If there is only one piece of advice from an Albertan that Quebecers will listen to, then let it be this: when the inevitable next referendum on Quebec separation comes around, for both our sakes, get it right and vote Yes.