404 Cram Pack - Chapter 4
From 1980 to our times – Societal choices in contemporary Québec
REDEFINITION OF THE STATE’S ROLE
Funding of social programs Neo-liberal policies
The 1980s recession sparked debate over the role of the state. Neo-liberals challenged the welfare state, which led
to:
To reduce the impact of the economic downturn & support people in difficulty, the welfare state normally invests
more in infrastructure, services, & social programs. This requires the state to go into debt to maintain services.
Many people believe these social programs are fundamental values of Québec society. They believe the state • budget cuts, &
should increase its revenue by increasing corporate taxes.
• the privatization of Crown corporations
Others, however, believe the government should reduce funding for social programs and intervene less in the (like Air Canada in 1988 & Petro Canada
economy. They argue that it’s more important to reduce debt. They also argue that corporate taxes should be in 1991).
lowered to promote economic development. The ideology behind this way of thinking is called neo-liberalism.
Social economy
Social economy projects were created to fight poverty & social exclusion. They promote equity & social
solidarity.
Civil society
Protest movements emerged in Québec in response to neo-liberalism, the withdrawal of the state & the negative
effects of globalization.
Civil society groups denounced not only the neo-liberal policies adopted by the governments, but also
government inaction in the face of social inequalities & the growing gap between the rich and poor.
Public consultations State neutrality
Receiving immigrants from more varied backgrounds has presented certain
challenges: francization, religious neutrality in the public sphere, reasonable
accommodation, etc.
INDIGENOUS RIGHTS
Constitution Act, 1982
Indigenous ancestral rights were recognized by the Constitution Act,
1982, & by a resolution adopted in the National Assembly of Québec
in 1985.
Oka crisis Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
The Oka crisis (1990) was a 78-day standoff between the Mohawk of Kanesatake Created in 2008, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) was
& the government of Québec, which wanted to expand a municipal golf course mandated to inform all Canadians about what children endured in residential
situated partly on Mohawk-claimed territory. A police officer was killed, and the schools. From 2008 to 2014, over 6000 testimonies were collected.
Canadian army was called in.
The objective was to expose the abuses, as well as to lay the groundwork for
This event made all Canadians aware of the sensitive issue of Indigenous rights lasting reconciliation across Canada.
and their relationship to the land.
Agreements and conventions
In 2002, the Paix des Braves agreement sought to promote economic development in the territory of northern Québec while respecting the Cree’s ancestral rights. The
agreement was concluded by two nations negotiating on equal footing: the Québec nation & the Cree nation.
GLOBALIZATION OF THE ECONOMY
Québec Inc. Free trade agreements
Québec Inc. is the name of the partnership that emerged during the Quiet Starting in 1989, Canada signed several free trade agreements, including NAFTA in
Revolution between the Québec government & a group of private businesses led 1994.
by Francophone Quebecers.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) eliminated customs duties
It had a significant impact on Québec economy. It created thousands of jobs and on most of the products traded between Canada, the United States & Mexico.
diversified the economy. The proportion of jobs controlled by Francophone
businesses increased.
Export sectors
Globalization affected the Québec economy in several ways: increased exports, relocation of certain businesses, development of innovative sectors, acquisition of
Québec businesses by foreign corporations, etc.
QUÉBEC’S POLITICAL STATUS
Referendum on sovereignty-association Patriation of the Constitution
In 1980, René Lévesque’s PQ government organized a referendum on sovereignty- In 1982, Pierre Elliott Trudeau negotiated the patriation of the Constitution, which
association (Québec wanted political independence from Canada while occurred without Québec’s consent.
maintaining economic ties).
The British Parliament approved the Constitution Act, 1982. This Act did not define
The NO side won with 59.6% of the vote. Québec’s status within Canada since the province’s distinct character was not
recognized.
Meech Lake Accord
Constitutional negotiations continued with the Meech Lake Accord, 1987.
Conservative PM Brian Mulroney attempted to reach reconciliation with Québec.
Liberal Québec premier Henri Bourassa set out 5 conditions for obtaining
Québec’s support of the Constitution. Among those was that Québec would be
recognized as a distinct society.
Each provincial parliament had to approve the Accord through a vote of its
members no later than June 23, 1990.
The distinct society clause was contested. Manitoba & Newfoundland did not
approve it. The Meech Lake Accord ended in failure.
Bélanger-Campeau Commission
Robert Bourassa set up the Bélanger-Campeau Commission on Québec’s political & constitutional future. The Commission recognized the need to redefine Québec’s
political & constitutional status.
In 1991, it recommended a new referendum on sovereignty to be held and invited the federal government to come up with new constitutional proposals.
Allaire Report
Even before the Meech Lake Accord was rejected, Robert Bourassa set up a constitutional committee chaired by Jean Allaire to assess options if the constitutional
negotiations failed.
The 1991 Allaire Report proposed a new relationship between Québec & Canada that would give Québec political autonomy by significantly increasing its areas of
jurisdiction. The report also recommended that a new referendum on sovereignty be held if negotiations failed.
Charlottetown Accord Referendum on sovereignty
The 1992 Charlottetown Accord was a new constitutional negotiation organized between PM Mulroney’s In 1995, Jacques Parizeau’s PQ government organized
federal government and the provincial governments. a 2nd referendum on sovereignty.
The distinct society clause for Québec was part of this agreement. The NO side won again, but by a slimmer margin of
50.58%.
Canadians were asked to vote on the agreement. It was rejected by most Quebecers & Canadians.
Post-referendum action
In 1995, Liberal premier Jean Chrétien asked the Supreme Court of Canada to determine whether the law
allowed Québec to separate from Canada.
The Supreme Court responded that a province’s separation was democratically legitimate provided that the
question asked was clear, and a clear majority vote was obtained.
This ruling led the federal government to adopt the Clarity Act in 2000. This Act stipulates that the federal
government must approve the question presented to Quebecers in the case of a referendum on sovereignty.
It also recommended that the majority of votes required be greater than the “50%-plus-one” rule before
negotiations on sovereignty could begin.
SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE
Aging of the population
Since the 1980s, Québec has been experiencing the phenomenon of an aging population
related to a falling birth rate & rising number of seniors.
The aging population is exerting pressure on public finance.
Family policy
The Québec government has taken measures to raise the birth
rate and to increase the population through immigration.
Ethnocultural identity Public health
Since the 1960s, the government has relied on immigration, in addition to its The aging of the population requires more services at a growing cost to the
family policy, to prevent population decline & meet labor needs. government. This has led to greater government spending on public health.
Consequently, the aging of the population is exerting greater pressure on the
More & more members of diverse ethnocultural groups have joined Québec health care system.
society, with their own distinct cultural references (language, religion, origin,
occupation, etc.).
Living conditions of Indigenous peoples throughout Québec
Living conditions vary considerably from one community to another. The
Indigenous population has a higher unemployment rate & lower wages than
the non-Indigenous population.
Access to housing & healthy/balanced diets is complicated. More than other
Canadian citizens, they live in overcrowded & poorly built or dilapidated
housing. This impacts their health & life expectancy, which is significantly lower
than that of the general Canadian population.
GENDER EQUALITY
Pay equity & Parity
The Québec government has adopted measures that promote gender equality:
• The Pay Equity Act (equal pay for equal work) was
adopted in 1996.
• An act to ensure gender parity (equal number of men & women)
on the boards of directors of Crown corporation was adopted in 2006.
Work-family balance
Measures have also been taken to promote work-family balance, such as the Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) in 2006 which allows eligible workers to receive
income replacement benefits when they take parental, maternity, paternity, or adoption leave.
CULTURAL INDUSTRY
Funding of culture Dissemination of culture
In the early 1980s, artistic communities demanded that the budget allocated Québec enjoys a culture that is rich, diverse, & internationally recognized.
to the Ministère de la Culture represent about 1% of Québec’s overall budget.
Québec artists are active in music, song writing, performing arts, dance, films &
Some of the funding for the artistic community also came from the federal literature.
government, municipalities, donations, & private investments.
Cultural policy
In 1992, the National Assembly adopted the Politique du Québec, under which several measures were adopted to support artistic communities, including the creation
of Crown corporations devoted to supporting culture, such as:
• the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ)
• the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEQ) .
LANGUAGE ISSUE
Language of signage Language of instruction
Following its adoption in 1977, Bill 101 was contested & amended Bill 101 required all children attend school in French, except for children whose parents
several times. Anglophone lobby groups were critical of the fact that had attended an English-language school in Canada.
Bill 101 only allowed French as the language of signage.
Most immigrant children were therefore required to attend elementary school & high
In 1988, the Bourassa government adopted Bill 178, and then, in 1993, school in French.
Bill 86, which permitted bilingual signage with French being
predominant. In 2000, linguistic school boards replaced denominational school boards. For example,
the PSBGM (Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal) became the EMSB (English
Montreal School Board).
Indigenous languages
10 Indigenous languages are spoken in Québec, and some 60 across Canada. The situation of each one varies, but all these languages are threatened with extinction,
except for the Inuit language, Inuktitut.
Indigenous languages are not specifically recognized by the Constitution Act, 1982.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Monitoring environmental standards Resource exploitation
Beginning in the 1970s, the Québec government established laws, Many groups have opposed projects associated with the exploitation of oil &
regulations, & organizations (such as the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur natural gas because of the environmental risks.
l’environment - BAPE) to monitor the impact of human activities on the
environment. Québec has continued to set up hydroelectric plants & wind farms.
Canada ratified the Kyoto Protocol at the United Nations Framework The government has adopted various measures to ensure the sustainable
Convention on Climate Change in 2002 and the Paris Agreement on climate development of forests & mining resources.
change in 2015, while Québec adopted an action plan on climate change in
2000.
DEVITALIZATION OF COMMUNITIES
Single-industry towns
Some communities, often far removed from
large centers, are facing devitalization.
Single-industry towns depend on the exploitation
or processing of a natural resource by one or a few
companies.
These towns are at high risk of devitalization.
Local services
Declining population in smaller communities can lead to the closure of certain local services, including the local grocery store, restaurant, service station, elementary
school, post office & bank.
Migratory movements
When a community becomes devitalized, part of the working-age population will leave in search of work.
Many youths who leave small towns do not return.
Next generation of farmers Political weight
Many constraints & regulations make it difficult for young farmers to The declining population in rural regions has led to a loss of their economic &
establish themselves: political weight.
• Farming income depends on the climate & can vary – this makes In Québec, the Electoral Representation Commission is responsible for establishing
it hard to secure loans. the boundaries of electoral districts.
• It is more profitable for farmers to dismantle their farm than to
transfer it to a young person who would like to take over. Rural districts that are too small can get eliminated from the electoral map.
• The cost of farmland is increasing rapidly.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Representation in international organizations and conferences
Canada has played an active role in international organizations & conferences as well as in economic & military missions.
Canadian army missions abroad Economic missions
Many factors prompt Canada to participate in these missions: Canadian economic missions have been organized by Global Affairs Canada since
1998.
• countries in crisis
• international crime & terrorism Members of these missions seek business opportunities & partnerships abroad.
• political, ethnic, & religious extremism
• search & rescue operations
• surveillance
• providing supplies
• peacekeeping, etc.
INFORMATION ERA
Internet use 24-hour news cycle
Starting in the 1990s, the transition to an information society along with, News is available to us 24-hours a day on news channels & the Internet.
among other things, the introduction of the Internet, changed our way of
communication & transformed the means of dissemination in the cultural This has profoundly transformed society.
industry.
Integration and concentration of mass media
The integration of several mass media industries (radio, tv, newspapers, magazines, etc.), communication groups (Internet and cell phone providers, advertising
agencies, etc.) & cultural industry enterprises (film, music, books) has resulted in the concentration of media.
This sometimes led to the homogenization of information with less diversity & fewer independent points of view.
This is still a problem today.
Prepared by Mrs. Drakopoulos
Westmount High School
