Quebec's Continuing Woes

Most every Sunday I listen to CJAD's excellent political show, "The Insider with L. Ian MacDonald". Mr. MacDonald is an intellectual, in the best sense of the word (I often use the term to refer to someone who can't get a real job!) He always has an excellent panel of guests and they hash out the latest happenings in Quebec politics.

Here are some interesting factoids I pulled from this week's episode:

• 42% of Quebecers don't pay any income tax
• Quebec has the highest level of taxes of any province or state in North America
• Nova Scotia has the highest university tuitions in Canada and has the highest enrollment (per capita)
• Quebec has the lowest university tuitions in Canada and has the lowest enrollment (per capita)

This past week was an interesting one for Quebec because it was the first one that the new minority Liberal government had to make compromises with one of the other two parties in order for a new budget bill to pass. Unfortunately too many compromises were made that effectively it's the same old, same old in La Belle Provence. I'm convinced that a great number of Quebecers want to move into the 21st Century but it's going to take strong politicians who are thinking about the future more than just the next election, to take them there. So far there's no sign of this whatsoever.