Less than 12 hours after being elected to a minority government in Quebec, the PQ has announced it will cancel the socially and economically regressive tuition fee hikes and repeal the flagrantly unconstitutional Bill 78, which trampled on expression and assembly rights.
Quebec, long one of the most progressive socially and economically progressive cultures in our federation, is showing the rest of us once again what a stern devotion to progressive policies looks like.
Every NDP government or government in waiting needs to watch what assertiveness looks like.
And while we will likely see much discussion about language policies from Quebec [do, though, consider the history of oppression of the French in Canada when you assess things now; context matters], we see that a PQ minority will likely spend more time shoring up social pillars than pushing for a referendum. After all, a minority in the National Assembly and 32% of the vote is no mandate for separation. So that’s conveniently off the table.
And while Canada seems to be taking the lead in regressive social, economic and environmental policy, we need to illuminate good policy when it comes around.
And if you doubt how high tensions are in this country and what’s at stake, the shooting at the PQ party last night should let you know that we have a great deal of healing to do before we can steer our nation of nations in the direction of global moral and progressive leadership.
Guns at political rallies and the demonization of environmental activists as enemies of the state are the wrong way to go.
We must build the right way together!