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Political stakes are high for Quebec’s new federalist premier

Political stakes are high for Quebec’s new federalist premier

The newly installed premier of Quebec has signalled that federalism is no longer a dirty word in the province.

Liberal Philippe Couillard was sworn in Thursday, after upsetting the minority Parti Quebecois government in the April 7 election.

“We believe that our full participation in the Canadian federation contributes to Quebec’s success,” Couillard said in a speech at the National Assembly following the swearing-in ceremony for MNAs, according to the Globe and Mail.

“Quebec will be a leader and an active participant in the Canadian federation and use every opportunity to help Quebec progress within it.”

The bearded neurosurgeon led the Liberals to a substantial majority, taking 70 of 125 seats while reducing the sovereigntist PQ to 30 in spite of Couillard's candid embrace of Canada.

While the PQ controls the separatist file, the Quebec nationalist vein runs deeply across party lines. Even past Liberal governments have been careful not to be seen cozying up too closely with Ottawa. A Quebec government is expected to defend fiercely the province's prerogatives and distinctiveness.

[ Related: Couillard says he's a Quebecer first, but unabashedly Canadian as well ]

Couillard's open support of Canadian federalism during the election campaign struck observers as brave, maybe even foolhardy. Would Quebec voters resent being reminded of their connection to the rest of Canada?

Luckily the PQ -- which, before calling the election, looked to be on track for a majority government -- ran one of the worst election campaigns in recent Canadian history. The ballot-box question became about the prospect of another referendum on sovereignty.

The results suggested many voters accepted Couillard's argument that Quebecers are better off in the federation than outside it.

In the campaign, Couillard was careful not to tip the scales too far, aware Quebecers don't see themselves as Canadians "comme les autres."

"We are Quebecers first but we are also proud to belong to the Canadian federation," he said. "But beyond the numbers and the billions, it's first and foremost for us the choice of a model of citizenship that is the envy of the entire planet."

Couillard has never made a secret of his unconditional federalism. As Maclean's noted when he ran to succeed outgoing Liberal leader Jean Charest in 2012, Couillard was the most unabashedly pro-federalist politician in decades.

"In the context of Quebec’s Liberal Party, which was led for four decades by strongly nationalist figures — Jean Lesage, Robert Bourassa and especially Claude Ryan — Couillard’s position is radical, especially for a man who seems likely to win the leadership with little bother and who will surely have been advised against rocking the boat," Maclean's columnist Paul Wells wrote.

[ Related: Meet Philippe Couillard, the man who will lead pro-Canada forces in Quebec ]

At this week's swearing-in, Couillard reaffirmed Quebec's attachment to Canada "which we have contributed to building."

But in politics talk is cheap, some might say almost worthless. Quebecers will be watching closely to see how successful Couillard is in implementing his vision of federalism.

It's about more than just tolerating a few more maple leaf flags. Implicit in the Liberals' victory is voter expectation that Couillard's government will work to renew the relationship with the federal government. That will require some receptiveness in Ottawa when the premier comes calling with his to-do list.

Couillard has staked a lot on his willingness to bring federalism back into the conversation in Quebec, to get its citizens to view Canada as part of the solution to their problems and not a reason for its troubles. If things slip into the familiar script of bickering over money and turf, the political consequences down the road could be dire.