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Canadian writer Denyse O'Leary wrote this in the most recent edition of the American Catholic newspaper Our Sunday Visitor about Quebec's proposed Charter:
"If the Parti Quebecois' stances sound like the politics of desperartion, there is an explanation: From the 1960s onward, Quebec declined from a fervently Catholic jurisdiction, whose high birth rate inevitably sustained French language and culture rights, to one of the lowest-ranking for faith or birth rate in the Western world.
"Politics in Quebec are now dominated by secularists who, in the absence of children to pass the heritage on to, seek to enforce it by legislation. The resulting harsh measures have spurred an exodus of professionals and entrepreneurs, and Quebec birth rate remains low despite generous government subsidies."
"From the 1960s onward, Quebec declined from a fervently Catholic jurisdiction, whose high birth rate inevitably sustained French language and culture rights, to one of the lowest-ranking for faith or birth rate in the Western world.
"Politics in Quebec are now dominated by secularists who, in the absence of children to pass the heritage on to, seek to enforce it by legislation. The resulting harsh measures have spurred an exodus of professionals and entrepreneurs, and Quebec birth rate remains low despite generous government subsidies."
Canadian writer Denyse O'Leary wrote this in the most recent edition of the American Catholic newspaper Our Sunday Visitor about Quebec's proposed Charter:
"If the Parti Quebecois' stances sound like the politics of desperartion, there is an explanation: From the 1960s onward, Quebec declined from a fervently Catholic jurisdiction, whose high birth rate inevitably sustained French language and culture rights, to one of the lowest-ranking for faith or birth rate in the Western world.
"Politics in Quebec are now dominated by secularists who, in the absence of children to pass the heritage on to, seek to enforce it by legislation. The resulting harsh measures have spurred an exodus of professionals and entrepreneurs, and Quebec birth rate remains low despite generous government subsidies."
It's not a very good article for several reasons.
For starters, she writes what is supposed to be a news article (normally you'd have the two sides to the story in there) but of the five or six people quoted not a single one is in favour of the charter!
Some other issues: one of the lowest-ranking for faith or birth rate in the Western world.
and and Quebec birth rate remains low despite generous government subsidies
It depends what you mean by low. It's higher than the Canadian average and one of the highest among the provinces, and higher than most western European countries. Not saying it is where it should be ideally, but these are not accurate statements.
in the absence of children to pass the heritage on to,
Yeah, there are no kids at all in Quebec today. Sure doesn't look like that from my vantage point. If so, them where did all that dirty laundry in my house come from?
The resulting harsh measures have spurred an exodus of professionals and entrepreneurs
Not sure what she is referring to here. For sure the proposed charter has not even been tabled in the assembly yet, so it's much to early to talk about an exodus because of it. If it's the late 70s and early 80s, sure there was a big migration of anglophones mostly, but that's old news now. Still, some of those who left I suppose were actually entrepreneurs and professionals, and some were not. Not all anglophones and anglophiles are entrepreneurs and professionals, and not all francophones (who tend to stay put) and immigrants oriented towards French (who also stay put) are non-professionals and non-entrepreneurs.
For starters, she writes what is supposed to be a news article (normally you'd have the two sides to the story in there) but of the five or six people quoted not a single one is in favour of the charter!
Some other issues: one of the lowest-ranking for faith or birth rate in the Western world.
and and Quebec birth rate remains low despite generous government subsidies
It depends what you mean by low. It's higher than the Canadian average and one of the highest among the provinces, and higher than most western European countries. Not saying it is where it should be ideally, but these are not accurate statements.
in the absence of children to pass the heritage on to,
Yeah, there are no kids at all in Quebec today. Sure doesn't look like that from my vantage point. If so, them where did all that dirty laundry in my house come from?
The resulting harsh measures have spurred an exodus of professionals and entrepreneurs
Not sure what she is referring to here. For sure the proposed charter has not even been tabled in the assembly yet, so it's much to early to talk about an exodus because of it. If it's the late 70s and early 80s, sure there was a big migration of anglophones mostly, but that's old news now. Still, some of those who left I suppose were actually entrepreneurs and professionals, and some were not. Not all anglophones and anglophiles are entrepreneurs and professionals, and not all francophones (who tend to stay put) and immigrants oriented towards French (who also stay put) are non-professionals and non-entrepreneurs.
You have read the article? Where has it appeared besides Our Sunday Visitor?
There was one person quoted in the OSV article in favor of the charter.
"Yet Lucie Martineau, president of a large Quebec civil union, supports the charter.
"We're obliged to keep our political opinions to ourselves', she said. 'We want that extended to our religious opinions.'"
I find it hard to believe that many people in Quebec keeps their political opinions a secret.
You have read the article? Where has it appeared besides Our Sunday Visitor?
That's where I read it. It was not hard to find.
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