Canada: The State of the Federation 2005 Quebec and Canada in the New Century New Dynamics, New Opportunities Edited by Michael Murphy Institute of Intergovernmental Relations School of Policy Studies, Queen’s University McGill-Queen’s University Press Montreal & Kingston • London • Ithaca SOTF2005Prelims 1 5/16/07, 2:37 PM Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Library and Archives Canada has catalogued this publication as follows: Canada, the state of the federation Annual. 1985- Continues: Year in review (Kingston, Ont.), ISSN 0825-1207. ISSN 0827-0708 ISBN 978-1-55339-017-6 (2005 edition ; bound).—ISBN 978-1-55339-018-3 (2005 edition ; pbk.) 1. Federal-provincial relations—Canada—Periodicals. 2. Federal government— Canada—Periodicals. I. Queen’s University (Kingston, Ont.). Institute of Intergovernmental Relations II. Title: State of the federation. JL27.F42 1985- 321.02’3’0971 C86-030713-1 rev The Institute of Intergovernmental Relations The Institute is the only organization in Canada whose mandate is solely to promote research and communication on the challenges facing the federal system. Current research interests include fiscal federalism, health policy, the reform of federal po- litical institutions and the machinery of federal-provincial relations, Canadian federalism and the global economy, and comparative federalism. The Institute pursues these objectives through research conducted by its own staff and other scholars, through its publication program, and through seminars and conferences. The Institute links academics and practitioners of federalism in federal and provincial govern- ments and the private sector. The Institute of Intergovernmental Relations receives ongoing financial support from the J.A. Corry Memorial Endowment Fund, the Royal Bank of Canada Endowment Fund, the Government of Canada, and the governments of Manitoba and Ontario. We are grateful for this support which enables the Institute to sustain its extensive program of research, publication, and related activities. L’Institut des relations intergouvernementales L’Institut est le seul organisme canadien à se consacrer exclusivement à la recherche et aux échanges sur les questions du fédéralisme. Les priorités de recherche de l’Institut portent présentement sur le fédéralisme fiscal, la santé, la modification éventuelle des institutions politiques fédérales, les mécanismes de relations fédérales-provinciales, le fédéralisme canadien au regard de l’économie mondiale et le fédéralisme comparatif. L’Institut réalise ses objectifs par le biais de recherches effectuées par son personnel et par des chercheurs de l’Université Queen’s et d’ailleurs, de même que par des congrès et des colloques. L’Institut sert comme lien entre les universitaires, les fonctionnaires fédéraux et provinciaux et le secteur privé. L’Institut des relations intergouvernementales reçoit l’appui financier du J.A. Corry Memorial Endowment Fund, de la Fondation de la Banque Royale du Canada, du gouvernement du Canada et des gouvernements du Manitoba et de l’Ontario. Nous les remercions de cet appui qui permet à l’Institut de poursuivre son vaste programme de recherche et de publication ainsi que ses activités connexes. © Copyright 2007 ii SOTF2005Prelims 2 5/16/07, 2:37 PM CONTENTS v Foreword ix Contributors I Introduction 3 1. Introduction and Overview Thomas J. Courchene II Setting the Stage: Quebec Society and Politics 25 2. A New Chapter or the Same Old Story? Public Opinion in Quebec from 1996–2003 Matthew Mendelsohn, Andrew Parkin and Maurice Pinard 53 3. One never knows... Sait-on jamais? Guy Laforest 83 4. The Stalled Realignment: Quebec’s Party System After the 2003 Provincial Election A. Brian Tanguay III Challenging the Quebec Model 109 5. A Policy Network Perspective on the Quebec Model: Moving Beyond Simple Causation and Fights over Numbers Éric Montpetit 131 6. Globalization as a New Political Space: The End of the Quebec-Quebec Debate? Pascale Dufour 153 7. State Restructuring and the Failure of Competitive Nationalism: Trying Times for Quebec Labour Peter Graefe iii SOTF2005Prelims 3 5/16/07, 2:37 PM 177 8. The Politics of State/Civil Society Relations in Quebec Rachel Laforest IV Quebec/Canada Relations: New Dynamics, New Opportunities? 201 9. Quebec and the Canadian Federation: From the 1980 Referendum to the Summit of the Canadas Thomas J. Courchene 233 10. Breaking the “Vicious Cycle:” A Retrospective and Prospective Examination of Quebec/Canada Relations John Richards V Chronology 257 11. Year in Review 2005 Aron Seal iv SOTF2005Prelims 4 5/16/07, 2:37 PM FOREWORD In the period leading up to the Institute’s annual conference in 2003, the deci- sion was taken to revisit on an old but enduring theme in Canadian federalism – Quebec-Canada relations. Several factors influenced this decision. Following the 1995 referendum the country witnessed a steady decline in the intensity of the sovereignty debate. Public exhaustion with the issue and the apparent suc- cess of the Clarity Act in Quebec combined to deprive the Parti Québécois and Premier Lucien Bouchard of the winning conditions for a third and final referendum. Unable to advance the nationalist agenda, and weary of negotiat- ing the fractious internal politics of his own party, Bouchard resigned from politics in 2001 and the sovereignty struggle had lost its most eloquent champion since René Lévesque. Succeeding Bouchard as leader of the Parti Québécois, Bernard Landry proved equally unsuccessful at reviving the sovereignty agenda. Quebecers were seemingly more concerned about health care, education, employment and economic development, security, and the environment – the same issues dominating the public agenda in the rest of the country. Completing the picture, in the 2003 election the Parti Québécois was replaced by a Liberal government committed to federalism and a more con- structive relationship with the federal government. Could it be that we were on the verge of a fundamental transformation of Quebec society and politics, and a critical realignment of Quebec’s relation- ship with Canada and the rest of the world? Perhaps we were witnessing the rise of a new generation of Quebecers for whom the issue of sovereignty no longer constituted a viable or compelling challenge? Might the abatement of overt nationalist sentiment be attributed to the success of nationalist policies themselves, particularly those relating to the French language? Or perhaps fundamental change was not afoot in Quebec and it was only a matter of time before the right constellation of political circumstances once again fanned the flames of separatism? On 31 October 2003, the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations invited a group of established and emerging scholars to assess these new dynamics in Quebec society and politics, and to examine their implica- tions in the context of intergovernmental relations in Canada. The conference attracted over 25 speakers, and an audience of close to 100 academics, stu- dents, government officials and interested members of the general public. The v SOTF2005Prelims 5 5/16/07, 2:37 PM Keynote Address was delivered by M. Benoît Pelletier, Quebec’s Minister for Canadian Intergovernmental Affairs and Native Affairs. Canada: The State of the Federation 2005 gathers together a selection of these conference papers which have been peer-reviewed and substantially re- vised for publication. If there is an overall message in the volume it is that the national question continues to be central to Quebec’s internal politics and Quebec-Canada relations, but the tone and complexion of the nationalist de- bate is showing signs of change, and this may present fresh opportunities for constructive engagement between Quebec and the other members of the Ca- nadian federation. Viewed in the context of recent events, the essays in this volume are more timely than ever. After an extended period of absence, the national question was abruptly, and unexpectedly, thrust onto the public stage during the 2006 federal Liberal leadership race, soon to find its way even more unexpectedly into Parliament in the Harper government’s (ultimately successful) motion to recognize Quebec as a nation within a united Canada. With these events in tow, we now find ourselves on the eve of a Quebec Pro- vincial election pitting the frequently embattled Liberal government of Jean Charest against Parti Québécois newcomer André Boisclair, and ADQ leader Mario Dumont – still searching for a breakthrough with a new generation of Quebecers. Quebec will also be a key battlefield in the looming federal elec- tion. Under new leader Stéphane Dion, the federal Liberals will strive to rebuild their support base after the debacle of the sponsorship scandal, but will face a freshly invigorated Conservative party that seems increasingly within strik- ing distance of an elusive majority government. With both parties looking to pick up seats in Quebec, the depth of support enjoyed by the Bloc Québécois and its sovereignty message will also be on trial. For those with an interest in the future of Quebec and its place in the Canadian federation, this volume should prove to be stimulating and informative reading. Credit is due to a number of individuals and organizations, without whom the conference and the book would not have been possible. First and foremost a warm thank you to our generous sponsors for their financial and logistical support: the Privy Council of Canada the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Government of Quebec, and the Canadian Network of Federalism Studies. A very special thanks to Harvey Lazar for his work in developing the thematic architecture of the conference and for host- ing the event with such skill and good humor. Thanks also to Daniel Salée for his contribution to the intellectual development of the project, for his edito- rial assistance, and for an excellent job as a rapporteur on the final day of the conference. As ever, Mary Kennedy and Patti Candido carried the weight of the conference organization on their shoulders, and played a vital role in see- ing the volume through to publication.