From: clamen+@CS.CMU.EDU (Stewart Clamen)
Subject: Re: The partition of Quebec (from an APEC pamphlet)
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 03:23:07 GMT
Reply-To: clamen+@CS.CMU.EDU
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In article <1992Nov7.211408.29426@julian.uwo.ca> wlsmith@valve.heart.rri.uwo.ca (Wayne Smith) writes:

   A while ago I got this pamphlet from APEC.

   -> Disclaimer.  I know very little about this group, other than the fact
      that, like practically all of the alternative parties in this country,
      they are portrayed as a bunch of rednecks, loose cannons, and not
      representative of how the majority of canadians might think on the
      wide variety of issues that these "fringe" parties seem to tackle...

APEC is a reactionary group that is anti-French.  I'll tolerate a
little discussion of their points though.

   I recently found the pamphlet, and it makes 3 points on Quebec separation...
   --------------------------------------------------------------------------
   PARTITION
   The geo-political consequences of Quebec Sovereignty

   Why partition?
   Canada must ensure her own future if Quebec decides to separate.

   What must remain part of Canada?

   1) Rupert's Land
   (picture a line from New Liskard (ont?) to Labrador City.  Everything north
    of this line in the PQ is indicated to be Rupert's Land).

   Rupert's Land is part of Canada's endowment.  When Canada became a nation
   in 1867, Rupert's Land was not even part of Quebec.  It is Canadian territory
   that under no circumstances should be ceded to a foreign country.

This is not clear.  If a negotiated settlement is not possible, (ie.
if CHQ demands repatration of Nouveau Quebec and Quebec refuses),
barring war, a body like the World Court would have to arbitrate.


   2) A Canadian Corridor
   (picture a corridor of land roughly 50 miles wide that runs down the middle
    of the St. Lawrence river  from Montreal to Quebec city, then runs along the
   south shore all the way to the Gaspe penninsula.  This roughly indicated
   corridor actually does isolate the extreme southern Quebec and the Gaspe
   penninsula from the rest of the province)

   Canada must retain a corridor of sovereignty with her maritime provinces and
   the Atlantic ocean, including the St. Lawrence seaway, the TransCanada
   Highway, the Canadian national railway, and the sovereignty to sustain her 
   transcontinental air and telecommunications services.

This is ridiculous.  Let's see...

	50 miles wide:
		Does APEC have plans for 50 mile-wide trucks that 
		I haven't heard about?

	The St. Lawrence Seaway:
		Since it doesn't mention Quebec, Canada would not lose
	 	rights of passage to the International Seaway.  

	The Atlantic Ocean:
		With the St. Lawrence Seaway, no access to the
	 	Atlantic would be lost.

	The Trans Canada Highway:
		... is not federal property.

	Canadian National Railway:
		Hmmm.  Funny they didn't mention the Post Offices,
	 	military assets, and other federal areas (eg. ports).
		
	Transcontinental air and telecommunications services
		Neither of these technologies require geographical
	 	continuity. 

Transportation rights across Quebec to the Maritimes would presumably
be negotiated (like the road to West Berlin in the past and the
proposed West Bank-Gaza corridor proposed by various Palestinian
representatives), just as transportation rights from Quebec through
the Maritimes to Iles de la Madeleine.


   3) Federalist Quebec:

   (picture 4 or 5 areas, which include the above mentioned isolated areas of
   extreme southern Quebec, an area that boarders Ontario, and an area directy
   under Labrador extending to include Anticosti Island)

   Canadians living in Quebec must be allowed to show, by regional
   referendums, whether their regions would choose to remain part of
   Canada.  If Quebec can legitimately separate from Canada, then
   Federalist regions can legitimately separate from Quebec.

Nope.  Quebec has self-government, Westmount does not.  What's a
region by the way?

   Is Partition Legal?
   Section 42(1)(f) of the Constitution Act, 1982, gives Canada the right to
   partition Quebec.

But 43(b) requires the Quebec government to ratify any border changes
affecting it.

   What can you do as an individual canadian?
   Contact your member of parlaiment and your member of your provincial 
   legislature and demand their support for the Partition of Quebec in the
   event that the Government of Quebec opts for independence.

   The future of Canada as a strong and viable nation has to be the
   bottom line.  If Quebec Nationalists aspire to create an
   independant state, they must clearly understand that such is
   achievable, BUT ONLY ON CANADA'S TERMS.

   ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Now I could also quote the last page, which gives the address and other
   relevant info about APEC, but lest I be labeled an APEC redneck, I won't
   post that info.

   They do mention a book, titled Partition - The price of Quebec's Independence
   by Dr. William Shaw and Lionel Albert.

   ------------------------------------------------------------------ 

   Well?  Do they make any credible points?

They bring up a number of issues that would obviously have to be
negotiated in the event of Separation.  Whether Canada can
unilaterally demand these is a different story.  They could, of
course, try to seize the land, but isn't that what the Serbians and
Croatians did?

Isn't it suspicious that after seizing Nouveau Quebec, 50 miles along
the St. Lawrence Valley, and some geremandered pro-federalist regions,
that there would be virtually no land (nor residents) left for Quebec?
I maintain that they drew the map first, and then came up with the
rationalizations.

If APEC had any serious political weight in CHQ, I would vote for
Quebec sovereignty.

--
Stewart M. Clamen			Internet:    clamen@cs.cmu.edu
School of Computer Science		UUCP: 	     uunet!"clamen@cs.cmu.edu"
Carnegie Mellon University		Phone: 	     +1 412 268 2145
5000 Forbes Avenue			Fax:	     +1 412 268 5739
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3891, USA
Newsgroups: can.politics