Click me
Transcribed

The (Hypothetical) Republic of Quebec

THE (HYPOTHETICAL) REPUBLIC OF QUEBEC Pauline Marois' recent comments about Quebec separation have raised eyebrows from sea to shining (soon to be former) sea, with many wondering how Quebec will build its nation. In response, The True North Times has put together what we think a practical separation would look like. NUNAVUT Canada would retain control of the TERRITORY northern regions of Quebec on the grounds that the territory had been assigned (not transferred) to the Province of Quebec as the result of two motions passed by the Canadian government in 1898 and 1912, respectively. Canada could dispute ownership of territory south of the St. Lawrence, citing 18th-century claims of the then-colonies of New York and Massachusetts, which the British Crown consequently dropped following their capture of Quebec. There will likely be an effective treaty expediting trade through a Ottawa/Cornwall - Edmundston corridor, passing near Montreal, with Quebec retaining control of territory south of the St. Lawrence. HUDSON BAY MANITOBA NORTHWEST TERRITORIES NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE ONTARIO The St. Lawrence gulf would be an area of contention, successful separation would be a permanent agreement to share the Lawrence as a passage of trade, with shipping through the St. Lawrence to ROC being given express clearance to travel through QC. and another condition to QUEBEC NEW PEI BRUNSWICK Quabec * NOVA SCOTIA The Pontiac region of west Quebec, the lower north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the western part of the island of Montreal would be disputed on the basis that local populations are predominantly non-Francophone, and presumably therefore would be Canadian rather than Québécois in their loyalties. High chance for further referenda. USA ECONOMICS AND TRADE POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS United Nations: Quebec will certainly campaign for membership, and with Canada's blessing eventually gets a voting seat. Likely, Quebec's first aims will be an IOC seat and campaigning for an Olympics in Quebec City, and creating some sort of Council on the Status of Francophones to better represent francophone minorities worldwide (Morocco, Vietnam, etc). Capital: Quebec Population: 2.7m - 7.7m Debt: $314bn (91% of GDP) GDP: $345.842bn (1.1% growth rate) Annual Deficit: $9.53bn (2.75% of GDP) Credit Rating Outlook: Negative Unemploy ment rate: 7.7% Stock market: TMX Currency: CAD (temporarily), with Canada giving Quebec observer status on the Bank of Canada board. Quebec will likely form its own central bank to be able to better interact with international money markets, but CAD would remain accepted at virtually all establishments in Quebec. Bill Clinton was opposed to separation, and added a stipulation prior to the 1995 referendum that an independent Quebec would not automatically become a party to the North American Free Trade Agreement. Quebec could face harsh tariffs from all neighbours and may even be unable to export goods internationally. Everything will be up for renegotlation. Trans-Canadian pipelines: Oil from Alberta likely to be tariff free, though at international rates. Comprehensive agreement for foreign-owned corporations in Quebec: To prevent companies from leaving, Quebec would probably dial down business regulation and seek to establish firms in Quebec. Regarding border issues, those with Quebecois or Canadian passports will be waved through the Quebec-ROC border (with potential restrictions on dairy and agriculture) though questioned if American, foreign, or ethnic, Government borrowing: Without equalization payments from the rest of Canada (2.26% of QC GDP), a likely reduction in Quebec-Canada trade, and the intense capital costs in starting up a country, Quebec's deficit will likely skyrocket. As well, with Canada not backing QC debt, and after assuming 23% of Canada's overall debt (population-proportional), Quebec would campaign for international aid and loans from the IMF until investor uncertainty dies down. The guarantee of borders under international law would favour Canadian claims. An offically recognized Quebec independence must then be realized through an amendment in the Canadian constitution. As such, Canada must give explicit consent to separation, and could outline territorial changes as conditions in such an event. This seems even more likely when one takes into account the wishes of First Nations and Canadian populations residing in Quebec, who will inevitably call for the federal government to keep them within Canada. Telecom: Quebec would likely form a telecom regulation commission demanding additional broadcasts in French from major stations and networks, incentivizing Quebec-based television development. The government would create state outlets to fill any void. DEFENSE Taxation policy: All taxes formerly paid to federal government owed to QC government, notably income and sales, Banking: Quebec would likely encourage established Canadian banks to open dedicated Quebec subsidiaries, Quebec may assume command of all Francophone personnel (roughly 10,000 troops) or Canada could withdraw troops from Quebec before separation, as they did with fighter jets in 1995 as a precaution. The True North Times DESIGNED BY MARYSE THOMAS

The (Hypothetical) Republic of Quebec

shared by marysee on Apr 01
82 views
0 shares
0 comments
Pauline Marois' recent comments about Quebec separation have raised eyebrows from sea to shining (soon to be former) sea, with many wondering how Quebec will build its nation. In response, The True No...

Designer

Maryse Thomas

Tags

quebec canada

Category

Politics
Did you work on this visual? Claim credit!

Get a Quote

Embed Code

For hosted site:

Click the code to copy

For wordpress.com:

Click the code to copy
Customize size