Monsieur, has
died. Jacques Parizeau was an architect
of the modern Quebec state, a key figure in the formation of the Parti
Quebecois and the government of Rene Levesque.
Parizeau was Prime Minister of Quebec himself from 1994 to 1995 and came
within one point of leading the province out of Canada in the 1995
referendum. Parizeau, with his
aristocratic demeanour, earned the nickname “Monsieur” as a result. He was one of those francophone nationalists
who often appeared to be more English in his personality than most
anglophones. One could almost imagine
Parizeau secretly having tea with scones and marmalade or Devon cream or being
a fan of cricket while trying not to openly look down with derision upon ordinary
Quebecers who enjoy poutine, Pepsi, and beer.
Parizeau’s lord of the manor style was likely something he adopted in
Britain when studying at the London School of Economics. He also came from a wealthy Montreal family
that had made a fortune in finance, an ironic achievement considering so many
nationalists once criticized the English establishment for denying francophones
the opportunity for wealth and social prestige.
Jacques Parizeau, even before revealing himself as a
separatist, made an immense contribution to the modern economy of Quebec. As an economic advisor to the Liberal
government of Jean Lesage, he was closely involved with the expansion of
Hydro-Quebec in the 1960’s which saw the government owned utility take over
almost all of the remaining private electrical utilities in the province. He created the Caisse de depot et placement,
the massive government pension fund, the Regie des rentes (the Quebec
equivalent to the Canada Pension Plan), and numerous other state enterprises
that saw partial nationalization of various industries, including steel and
asbestos. Parizeau believed in the
strength of government in the economy, and in most cases, he was very
successful with his efforts. Premier
Wynne in Ontario should pay special attention to Quebec and understand the
advantages of publicly-owned electrical utilities. Stephen Harper should see the advantages of
compulsory increases in government pension contributions and how they can significantly
multiply when properly invested.
Of course, it was Jacques Parizeau who was Prime Minister of
Quebec when the province narrowly voted to remain part of Canada on October 30,
1995. The campaign opposing separation
had been weak until the final days of the campaign, and the combination of
Parizeau’s intellect and aggression with Bloc Quebecois Leader Lucien Bouchard’s
charismatic personality almost led to a separatist win. It was only during the final weeks with a
major push from Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and a mass rally in
Montreal of 150,000 people supporting a united Canada did the scales narrowly
tip in favour of federalism. In
conceding defeat on the evening of October 30, an allegedly drunk Parizeau
blamed “money and ethnic votes” for the loss.
The racist remark ruined Parizeau’s career and he resigned from politics
the next day. Lucien Bouchard became the
new leader of the PQ and Prime Minister of Quebec.
The death of Monsieur
in a way represents a death of the separatist movement in the form it has
usually been practiced. Jacques Parizeau
and Rene Levesque were social democrats.
Pierre-Karl Peladeau is a right-wing capitalist. His presence will attempt to create an
independent Quebec where big business can rule, unlike the state capitalism of
his predecessors which attempted to create an economically egalitarian Quebec
where as many individuals as possible could benefit from the collective wealth.
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