by John Trent
Acting President

How many times since the recent Quebec election have friends said to me, "Isn't it wonderful that the Liberals are back in power. Now we have a government we can trust and the separatist monkey is off our back." How short our memories are! I don't want to needlessly spoil the party but, unfortunately this is all wrong.

Although this is not the main point I want to make, it is worth remembering that because Canada failed to make the constitutional changes that would have taken away some of the fears of Francophone Quebec nationalists, we still have to worry that some day the PQ will be back. Countries which fail to learn from past problems, live to face them again. But, as I say, that is a story for another time.

Our worry right now is that English-speaking Quebecers will just assume that the Liberal government will look after them. Three experiences from the past will help dispel this illusion.

Let us not forget that it was a Liberal government that brought in language legislation in Quebec. Or that it was under the Liberals that our representation in the Quebec Public Service fell from the ridiculous three percent level to its present disastrous 0.7 percent - just 280 persons out of some 50,000. This is terrible for democracy. Any group that is not represented in the important corridors of power can expect to have their interests neglected. Then it was Bourassa's reactions to the constitutional failures and his sign law which forced some of his Anglophone ministers to resign and set the scene for the much-bemoaned 1995 referendum.

Is this a criticism of the Liberals? Not at all. It is a criticism of the English-speaking community in Quebec for ignoring some of the basic realities of politics. It is natural that any political party that wishes to be in power must retain the support of the majority of the population. Need we remind ourselves that in Quebec the vast majority are Francophones and the Liberals must serve them first.

This does not mean that English-speaking Quebecers have to be ignored. What it does mean is that as a minority, we have to marshal all our resources to be heard and to be listened to. We have to think and plan and organize and sometimes mobilize. To do this we have to have attentive leadership and effective organizations that are plugged into the Quebec political world.

If you agree with this, then the Regional Association of West Quebecers and the Quebec Community Groups Network need you. Then the rest of the Anglos can go out and play - while keeping a weather eye on political realities.
 

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