Pauline Marois’ Parti Quebecois government can forget about plans to assume control over areas like telecommunications, says federal Industry Minister Christian Paradis.
“We don’t have a mandate to dismantle the federation and we’re not going to do it,” Paradis told reporters on his way out of Question Period.
Nor is there any question of transferring control of part of the employment insurance system to Quebec, he added.
“It is clearly federal jurisdiction.”
However, Paradis said he is prepared to have a “constructive dialogue” with the Quebec government in a bid to have a good Quebec economy and a good Canadian economy.
“If there are administrative deals which can optimize good management we will do them but not at the risk of dismantling the federation.”
Paradis’ comments, which come on the eve of the swearing in of a sovereignist Parti Québécois government in Quebec, are some of the strongest indicators to date of how Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government plans to handle relations with Marois’ government.
During the election campaign, Marois pledged to quickly contact Harper with demands to repatriate programs like unemployment insurance and to assume power over language, culture and communications.
Among the PQ’s ideas is to set up a Quebec equivalent to the CRTC to govern telecommunications in Quebec.
Initially, in the wake of the election, Christian Paradis said relations with the new PQ government would be “business as usual.”
Last week, however, it became clear that the PQ government plans to cancel a $58-million loan guarantee that outgoing premier Jean Charest’s government gave the Jeffrey Mine in Asbestos. The heart of Quebec’s asbestos industry lies in Paradis’ riding of Mégantic-l’Erable and for years has fuelled the region’s economy.
Paradis’ comments also come a day after the U.S. hardware chain Lowe Companies withdrew its bid to buy Rona Inc for about $1.8 billion. Marois had opposed the deal and pledged to use Quebec’s Caisse de depot et placement provincial pension fund manager to protect companies like Rona from foreign takeover bids.
Paradis refused to comment on Lowe’s bid, saying it is now hypothetical because there is no longer any offer.
Original Article
Source: ipolitics
Author: Elizabeth Thompson
“We don’t have a mandate to dismantle the federation and we’re not going to do it,” Paradis told reporters on his way out of Question Period.
Nor is there any question of transferring control of part of the employment insurance system to Quebec, he added.
“It is clearly federal jurisdiction.”
However, Paradis said he is prepared to have a “constructive dialogue” with the Quebec government in a bid to have a good Quebec economy and a good Canadian economy.
“If there are administrative deals which can optimize good management we will do them but not at the risk of dismantling the federation.”
Paradis’ comments, which come on the eve of the swearing in of a sovereignist Parti Québécois government in Quebec, are some of the strongest indicators to date of how Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government plans to handle relations with Marois’ government.
During the election campaign, Marois pledged to quickly contact Harper with demands to repatriate programs like unemployment insurance and to assume power over language, culture and communications.
Among the PQ’s ideas is to set up a Quebec equivalent to the CRTC to govern telecommunications in Quebec.
Initially, in the wake of the election, Christian Paradis said relations with the new PQ government would be “business as usual.”
Last week, however, it became clear that the PQ government plans to cancel a $58-million loan guarantee that outgoing premier Jean Charest’s government gave the Jeffrey Mine in Asbestos. The heart of Quebec’s asbestos industry lies in Paradis’ riding of Mégantic-l’Erable and for years has fuelled the region’s economy.
Paradis’ comments also come a day after the U.S. hardware chain Lowe Companies withdrew its bid to buy Rona Inc for about $1.8 billion. Marois had opposed the deal and pledged to use Quebec’s Caisse de depot et placement provincial pension fund manager to protect companies like Rona from foreign takeover bids.
Paradis refused to comment on Lowe’s bid, saying it is now hypothetical because there is no longer any offer.
Original Article
Source: ipolitics
Author: Elizabeth Thompson
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