It's a good day. It's a good day for Quebec. It's a good day for Canada. It's a good day because the election result proved most Quebecers have a fundamental sense of decency. They were not swayed by the politics of division and identity. They are not buying into the separatist dream based on lies.
Pauline Marois reaped what she sowed.
And in the end, she chalked up the worst score for the Parti Quebecois since 1970. The defeat was stunning and so richly deserved. She could not hold onto her own seat. The campaign she ran was one of us-versus-them and suspicion of difference. The plan was to sail to a majority on the back of the charter.
That didn't work out so well.
The frenzy surrounding imaginary problems and threats was aided and abetted by PQ-friendly media. When the "Parti Quebecor" finally admitted that immigrant women and medical professionals would lose their jobs, and when it admitted its charter was likely illegal and a violation of human rights, well that too much for Quebecers, most of whom have a deep of sense of justice and fair play.
Pauline Marois was not gracious in defeat. And now she can fade into history. Her major accomplishment was that she was the first female premier of Quebec. But it ends there. She failed at everything else.
And the three so called wise men of the PQ -- Drainville, Lisee and Peladeau -- could not abandon their vitriol and politics of division. They were launching their leadership campaigns while the body was not warm but still breathing.
If the PQ is to reinvent itself, it must do so with someone new.
It would be sheer folly to count the separatists out. For a third of Quebecers, it is still the preferred option. The parrot is not dead. It is only sleeping.
But the PQ has some serious soul searching to do. If it ever wants to be true to the legacy of Rene Levesque, it must clean house and rid itself of the toxicity which infests it.
With Philippe Couillard we have someone who embraces Canada. Someone who is not afraid to speak of the benefits of bilingualism. And someone who is able and willing to reach out to minorities
“We are all Quebecers. We should all focus on what unites us makes us stronger. Let us say together with passion. We are all proud to be Quebecers,” Couillard said in his victory speech last night.
Churchill once said the problems of victory are more agreeable than the problems of defeat, but they are no less difficult.
The challenges facing Philippe Couillard are formidable. Our economy is struggling, we are drowning in debt and there is healing to be done.
But at least there is a now path that offers promise for a more prosperous future where all Quebecers feel equal.
Yes, the challenges are many but enjoy the moment. Indeed, It is a good day.
