A Toronto-based source with close ties to both Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Tool and Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet tells The Chronicle that the two men are open to the possibility of a coalition government — and would be likely to advance Quebec’s secessionist aspirations.
O’Toole wants to end ‘equalization’ payments — a constitutional provision that requires Provinces with large per-capita GDPs to transfer money to Provinces with low per-capita GDPs — to help alleviate Alberta’s deep economic recession.
Every year billions of dollars are transferred from Alberta to Quebec. But Quebecers — and French Canadians living in francophone communities in New Brunswick –would rather have independence from the Canadian confederation than equalization payments from Alberta.
The political stars might now be aligning to make it happen.
Francois Legault, who would serve as the head of government of an independent nation of Quebec, is quietly agreeable to the prospect because he does not want to upset Justin Trudeau until he becomes less popular on the Island of Montreal.
It’s unclear if Quebec will recognize Queen Elizabeth II and her heirs as its sovereign — or whether Quebec would choose to have a sovereign at all. In one political postulation, the Count of Paris (the hereditary claimant of the French throne) would be recognized as a ceremonial King of Quebec, in something of Bourbon Restoration.
But negotiations over such bold amendments to the Canadian constitution would be unavoidably complicated by indigenous liberation movements, regional tensions between east and west, and northern isolation.
“It would be hard to tell Quebec that it can go its own way without also allowing the Inuit to go their own way with Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories to go its own way,” one political operative contends.
“Would British Columbia want nationhood, too?” he asks. “I don’t see why not.”
I refer to the elite kweebeckers as francoPHONIES not at all interested in anything but hand outs and theft from Alberta that has been going on for decades. Let kweebec separate, tjhey are a net liability with leech elitist entitled leftist losers in the mix.
Many of Canada’s Urban Centers have been experiencing a well known phenomena, the managed escalation of housing prices, creating a glass dome over centers like Southern Ontario. Montreal, Vancouver and even Halifax.
Housing management in Southern Ontario, particularly in Toronto has been amateurish at best. When a Ontario Ministry or Media agent needs expertise and direction regarding housing it is an official from the Real Estate Sector that shows up.
The problem is that housing starts, price increases with extremely low housing stocks are all managed by Developers and Real Estate Organizations. Yet it is this sector that does not meet our populations requirements and also drives the price of homes in a upward direction. The scarcity of land in this area is also part of the problem. Developers hold ownership of many land area’s that are intended for development but not in the near future. Canada’s housing sector is booming through out the nation because of the Vancouver – Toronto Demand Belt. Investors and potential home buyers who cannot afford the million dollar plus price tag of metropolitan Toronto have gone elsewhere to buy. The process they experienced in Toronto, that of auctions, non transparent bidding has come along with them. A House that cost $125,000 in Halifax now costs over $300.000 . A home I saw in Thunder Bay on the lake shore that cost 188,900.00 sold recently for twice that amount. The Toronto Fever is spreading all over the nation, and with it the dreaded “Inflation” has shown its face.
The private sector has constantly spoken about a free market within the Housing Sector, and with it competition that will find a living level within the sector, Yet this system continually drives the price of housing upward. That is because this sector has no real competition from which low costing well made housing can drive the cost of housing downward, to a acceptable level.
So competition they want? Competition they should get. Let the governments of Canada get directly involved in the development and building of REAL “Affordable Housing”. Municipal, Provincial Governments led by the Federal Government should become partners and majority holders of House Building Leaders. To achieve well made, but affordable apartment buildings, townhomes and even houses. They would probably buy materials in the same price range as private firms, but the profit levels will be amortized over a very long term. Present day developers and Real Estate Agencies attempt to achieve near immediate or short term profits at escalated levels. The methods of sales carried out by many real Estate Agencies are very close to the methods of flimflam men and women of old. No transparency is offered to bidders, not any real accountability on how the process happens.
Create a large stock of affordable homes and the glass dome may disappear.
The costs can be managed if the various governments in Canada would offer the land plots they own as places to build upon. Also long term mortgages over 99 years can be arranged. Renters can be offered various options that would ensure occupancy of these properties. Rent to own, with transferable ownership. The various properties can offer communal bond options with reasonable interest to bring in revenue. Canadians would be building “Home’s” and Not investment opportunities.
Canadians must change the way they imagine housing. Costly homes can be owned by the wealthy. No problem, but a real affordable housing sector must be created. More homes being made, more people employed.
A Housing revolution is required in Canada.
Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
skaszab@yahoo.ca