[BRIEF NOTE] Long live the Newfoundland and Labrador Bloc?

[rfmcdonald]

The Canadian Press report caught my attention.

The government has demanded the Liberal party expel a senator over his musings about Newfoundland and Labrador separatism.

Sen. George Baker told a St. John's, N.L., radio station that Newfoundlanders may resort to separatism if they continue to feel discriminated against by the federal government.

He said perhaps the province should have a party similar to the Bloc Quebecois to defend its interests at the federal level.

Newfoundlanders are angry at the federal Conservatives over a budget they say will cost the province more than $1.5 billion in transfers.

"People will soon be advocating, you know, that we can't remain in the Confederation in which we're discriminated against and not respected," Baker was quoted as saying.

"How much are we going to put up with? You know, this should be reason enough to, to have a Bloc Newfoundland and Labrador running in the next election if this keeps up - and a real campaign to get them all elected."

[. . .]

Baker said his province contributes far more to the rest of Canada in per-capita exports than other provinces, and doesn't get the respect it deserves.

He offered an unequivocal response when asked during the show whether a Newfoundland block could be effective in getting a better fiscal arrangement within Canada.

Baker replied: "Well, let me ask you the question: What about the Bloc Quebecois? Have they been effective? Of course they've been effective. . . . And just imagine the clout that we could present to the Government of Canada. The Government of Canada wouldn't dare to put into their budget a measure that's in there right now, stealing $1.7 billion from the people of Newfoundland and Labrador."

Paul Wells' noted the possible emergence of Newfoundland separatism back in August, with NDP candidate Ryan Cleary's flirtation with Newfoundland separatism. So far, as the comments to Wells' post point out, Newfoundland's national identity--yes, it has one; with its separate development for centuries it's as much a nation as Québec--is mainly expressed as a strong regionalism, a local patriotism that's quite compatible with Canadian identity, upset over the economic issues that Baker highlighted in his radio interview. aibheaog's 2007 post exploring the absence of Newfoundland separatism seems as valid now as when it was written.

Nonetheless, lately the idea of Newfoundland separatism has been interesting me. Maybe it's because we've been studying Quebec's Quiet Revolution in Canadian history. Maybe it's because I'm sick of the Harper government, and tired of the Canadian government in general. Maybe it's because every time I turn on the Comedy Network, there's some comedian making a crack about Newfoundlanders (Three in the last week!)

Either way, my curiosity had been piqued, and so I googled "Newfoundland separatism movement."

Nothing.

"Newfoundland independence movement."

Nothing.

"Newfoundland Liberation Army."

Nothing.

Well, not nothing. I got articles that mentioned a Newfoundland separatist movement in passing. However, there was no website that presented an organized view on the subject. Apparently all this talk I hear of a Newfoundland separatist movement is just that -- talk. Everything you see around Newfoundland indicating a separatist movement -- the Pink, White & Greens hanging everywhere around St. John's; the "Free Newfoundland" and "Newfoundland Liberation Army" t-shirts; the newspaper titled The Independent, for god's sakes -- all mean nothing.

This may be changing. Maybe. We'll see. I just wonder, if Newfoundland does develop its own regionalist/separatist federal political party, which region will be next. Alberta? Nova Scotia? Nunavut? Toronto?