#elxn41's "Other Quebec": A Conservative Disneyland

In the past 36 hours, much ado is being made over the legitimacy of the French language debate. Many say it was unnecessary. Among them a majority of those who constitute Stephen Harper's English Canadian base. Dismissing the second debate as a flawed exercise, they assert it reeked of overindulgence by placing an unwarranted focus on a "biased" province. They are wrong of course. Just as they are wrong about why Canada's "other Quebec" should be allowed to retain its own special status during this #elxn41. A privileged status that will see it's political culture emerge unscathed, unchanged, and quite possibly the most powerful political force in Canada after May 2nd.

Wedged between a more populous province to its west and some relatively insignificant provinces to its east (at least in terms of population and economic output), this "other Quebec", this monolith, is failing the rest of us. Having no desire to have other Canadians examine the true power and influence they wield over the Harper regime, this province's current federal incumbents are doing everything possible to avoid the media. A province with a tradition of ideological bloc voting that revels in its own political distinctiveness - it's leaders believe they are "right" to avoid the current electoral fray that is #elxn41.

Curiously, they are correct. For despite their abject blind allegiance to Stephen Harper, the power-brokers in this "other Quebec" really are relatively immune from any criticism on the national stage. The rest of the country, and our national media, just takes them for granted and lets them be. Comforted by this knowledge, they can and will continue to deliver the goods for Stephen Harper on election day. They are also sitting pretty because they know they are the absolute key to any hope that Stephen Harper has of forming a majority government. And, because of this, the province's current crop of MP's also know that, should Stephen Harper get his majority on May 2nd, they will, in turn, get everything they want from the federal government. All without having their values or their disproportionate sway over our national economy questioned. A sweet deal really, especially when you consider that all that is being asked of the "other Quebec's" MP's by Harper is to just: "Keep your frigging heads down... until May 3rd."

I am speaking, of course of Alberta. "Welcome to [the real] Conservative Disneyland"!

Discuss.