Word: quebecs
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...said he refuses to negotiate with the Quebec government, which is seeking a mandate from Quebecois to negotiate political independence, and regrets that Quebec sees independence as the sole means to safeguard its unique French culture...
Clark faces considerable pressure from oil-rich Alberta's Conservative provincial Premier Peter Lougheed. Talk has now turned from potential separation by Quebec from Canadian confederation to the possibility of Albertan secession. Alberta has felt shackled by Canada's regional economic inequities. The wealthier provinces, particularly highly-industrialized Ontario, oil-rich Alberta and resource-rich British Columbia have traditionally offered support to the country's poorer regions. But the booming economy in Alberta has made Albertans impatient, headed by the outspoken Lougheed. The advantages of remaining in confederation have been increasingly eclipsed for residents of Clark's home province...
...Trudeau proffer his resignation in the first place? At the time, he attributed his action to a desire to pay more attention to his three sons. More likely, Quebec provincial Liberals convinced him his usefulness had expired. The Quebec Liberals triumphed in a handful of crucial by-elections, demonstrating a trend away from separatist sentiment. Trudeau's political raison d'etre, national unity, had faded; his Quebec advisers felt capable of repairing disunity themselves...
...BOTTOM line is that Canadians must confront an election a mere six months after going to the polls. Attitudes in Toronto this week ranged from disgust to, at best, martyr-like tolerance. The May 22 results clearly showed a polarization along East-West lines. The Liberals dominated Quebec, the Tories swept the West and the NDP chipped away across the country. Conservative primacy in Ontario swung the scales to the Tories, but this time a surge in Liberal sentiment seems certain in Ontario...
Which does not mean the larger questions have been sufficiently answered. Where, for instance, are the issues? Are parliamentary politics committed to convenience at the expense of policy? How long will Trudeau remain in office if elected? Who would succeed him? And what about Quebec and Alberta, not to mention inflation, unemployment, and energy? February 18 cannot determine answers. But talk of the country's "decline" is Canadian self-indulgence, particularly if viewed in the global context. The election, however, remains a test of Canadian parliamentary democracy's stability and credibility...