Should Stephen Harper speak out against the PQ’s fantasies?

In 2006, the Conservative Party campaign slogan was "Stand up for Canada".

By that, the Tories meant standing up for the taxpayer, for everyday Canadians.

Well, it looks like Canada needs somebody to stand up for them again. This time against the sovereignists in Quebec.

In the past two days, Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois has said that she wants her own country independent of Canada, wants travelers in both 'nations' to be able to go back and forth without borders and passports, wants to use the Canadian dollar, will seek a seat at the Bank of Canada and will study the issue of offering dual citizenships to Quebecers.

Quebec Liberal leader Philippe Couillard appropriately responded suggesting that the premier was living in some sort of fairy tale.

"The PQ always tries to take us to an imaginary world, Alice in Wonderland, where everything is going to be so great. No borders, no passport, it’s fantastic. Everybody’s going to be great friends," Couillard, said according to the Globe and Mail.

"Of course in an imaginary world you don’t need borders. It’s a fantasy world. They’re trying to drag Quebeckers into their fantasy. She said herself: Minimum of five years of disturbances. We’ve had enough of this mythology, enough of this false reality."

[ Related: An independent Quebec would be among the West's most indebted countries ]

Bravo to Couillard. But isn't it time that someone in the federal government stands up for Canada?

According to another report in the Globe and Mail, there is a growing chorus of voices asking for Harper to say something.

"The hope is that people will think about the issues and vote accordingly, instead of having the federal government sit there like a sphinx on the sidelines," Brent Tyler, a lawyer and defender of anglophone rights in Quebec, told the Globe and Mail in an interview, adding that he'd like the federal government to let Quebecers know that secession wouldn't be easy.

"Clarity should be the name of the game here."

Yahoo Canada News asked the prime minister's office for a comment on Marois' recent statements.

Here's how Jason MacDonald, the prime minister's communications director responded: "We will not be getting involved in or commenting on the election campaign in Quebec."

Shouldn't Stephen Harper or Thomas Mulcair -- or both as a united front -- stand up and say 'no Madame Marois, you can't have a seat at the Bank of Canada and there will be borders'?; there will be ramifications.'

[ Related: Is Pierre Karl Péladeau the next Lucien Bouchard? ]

Most would agree that, in 1995, the federal government dropped the ball and didn't get involved in the referendum until it was almost too late.

What is very clear today is that if Marois PQ' wins a majority in this election, they will have consultations on separating, they will create wedge issues to buoy the separatist movement and they will aim to hold a referendum.

Shouldn't Harper act now before it's too late?

Shouldn't he stand up for Canada?

What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

(Photo courtesy of the Canadian Press)

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