Canadians can be cautiously hopeful that national unity will be strengthened under the federal Conservatives:

1. the Conservative Party’s unity platform attempts to address some of Quebec’s principal grievances,
2. the results of the election show that a shift away from the BQ toward the Conservatives was clearly underway on election day, and
3. Prime Minister Harper’s first moves since the election appear to augur well for relations with Quebec, and thus for Premier Charest’s fortunes. 

In addition, western Canadians who have previously felt left out of power circles in Ottawa will give a new government led by “one of theirs” the benefit of the doubt when dealing with Quebec.

Under the section entitled “Stand up for Canada” in the Conservative platform, short but clear sections appear under the following titles: “Open federalism – strengthening national unity”, “Fiscal imbalance”, and “Protecting and promoting official languages”. 

Some of the points are familiar from the election campaign (e.g. inviting Quebec to play a role at UNESCO), but other aspects appear rather ambitious, however well meaning.  For example, “A Conservative government will: Support the creation of practical intergovernmental mechanisms to facilitate provincial involvement in areas of federal jurisdiction where provincial jurisdiction is affected, and ENSHRINE THESE PRACTICES (this writer’s capitals) in a Charter of Open Federation…”.  Once involved in day-to-day governing, will the government really be able to pull together yet-to-be-achieved common practices into a coherent document?  For those who worry about centrifugal forces, will the Conservatives “give away the store”?  These worries are even greater in the international arena.  While applauding the open and cooperative tone struck by this first section, interested Canadians should be careful that too many federal powers are not compromised.

Regarding the “fiscal imbalance”, the Conservatives’ platform’s intention “... to achieve a long-term agreement …” is laudatory but also highly ambitious.  Especially when taken along with the intention to “…achieve with the provinces permanent changes to the equalization formula…”.  These are two cans of worms that have high potential for discord. However, after seeing the hurried individual deals made with provinces in the dying months of the Liberal mandate, it is difficult not to admire the positive and clearly stated intentions of the Platform.

We spoke above of the “shift away from the BQ to the Conservatives” in the election results, and of PM Harper’s first moves auguring well.  Much has been written in the days after the election about the Conservative breakthrough in Quebec.  It is clearly in Mr. Harper’s interest to increase this tendency by acting swiftly on the commitments made during the campaign.  Premier Charest has already had two dinners at 24 Sussex, and will – it is rumoured – be receiving PM Harper in Quebec City before too long.  We can be cautiously hopeful that these meetings will lead to concrete results in achieving some of the commitments made in the Conservatives platform.

(See http://media.conservative.ca/video/20060113-Platform.pdf
for a link to the Conservatives’ Federal Election Platform.)