Quebec a Nation?

So, this issue has been splashed all over the Canadian news, and I'm still not entirely sure what to make of it. For those not in the know, here's a synopsis: Several weeks ago, the issue pops up in the Liberal Party leadership debates; The Bloc Quebecois tables a resolution in the House of Commons declaring Quebec a "nation" to be debated today; The Tories preemptively table a resolution that declares Quebec is a nation inside a united Canada, to be debated before the Bloc resolution. That's where things stand right now as of 7:17 PST.

Anyways, I'm a bit confused as to why this is coming up at all. This may have been some kind of challenge by the Bloc to counter the Tories gains in Quebec by forcing them into the uncomfortable position of stating that Quebec is just a province of Canada. Of course, Canada's constitutional issues have not been resolved, but since the last the collapse of the Charlottetown Accord and the last referendum in Quebec, the issue has been in limbo for fear of opening up a can of worms. After all, didn't Brian Mulroney's government pay a political price when the Charlottetown Accord failed? Anyways, Canadians seem relatively content fudging the issue.

According to some political journalists, this appears to be a bold move by the Conservatives by throwing the issue out there. It seems intended to make Quebeckers believe that the Tories are the better federalist alternative in Quebec to the Grits in Quebec. Some soundbites from prominent Liberals, including Stephane Dion, seem to indicate that the Tory move is forcing the Liberals into the uncomfortable position of having to support the Conservative resolution in order to avoid losing support in Quebec. Seemingly, the traditional Liberal position was that Canada was a united country in which Quebec was a province and not a "distinct society".

IMHO, this seems all about semantics and no substance. Unless it appears in the constitution, these resolutions on whether Quebec is a nation have no legal weight. What seems certain is that constitutional issues will be central to Canadian political debate for some time to come. I'm less inclined to view this as a bold masterstroke by the Tories and more of a risky gambit. The Conservatives only won 10 seats in Quebec last election. While Quebec may be the key to winning a majority in the next election, (since it seems impossible that the Tories will win anything in the Greater Toronto Area any time soon) I think they risk alienating their political base in the West and suburban and rural Ontario. Most Canadians outside Quebec would rather not talk about constitutional issues. Furthermore, this whole issue stinks of pandering to Quebec. That was one of the reasons the Progressive Conservatives imploded and the Reform Party burst onto the scene as a protest movement.

On the other hand, the Conservative resolution could be just affirming the status quo that most of us refused to acknowledge. Maybe Quebec is a nation in a united Canada, just like Scotland and Wales are nations in the united United Kingdom (never to be confused with England). It all depends on what one means by "nation".

R