VIES THE SURPRISING and Sweeping Vicion of the Parti Quebecois [PQ] Quebec provincial elections last week was ine rur or two centuries or colonia. ist, imperialist and capitalist manoeuEver since Quebec was conquered il 1759, the strategy adopted first by Britain and then by the Canadian capitalist class nas centrec on a dear with ine traciona ruling groups of Quebec society The people of Quebec paid the price for this deal - - the continuing domination of most backward socials forcer ove their lives and the corresponding relative backwardness of their economic and social develooment. oday. or examore this is reflected in an unemployment rate of more than 10 per cent. But there was anoiner sice to une coln - ine breserva tion of the distinctive national character of the people of Quebec.
The rapid growth of the North American economy after the Second World War began to dissolve the old social instituof reactionary groups, and thus created an explosive situation.
Increasingly for nationa of the exploited groups, and in particula class. Moreover Quebec working class was tapiaiy bec oming the most militant in North America, its struggles surpassing heroic battles of the US working class in the 1930s.
But this economic militancy of the Workine class has norTouRe is Dollica expression — an area where the historic backwardness of Quebec continues to exert its dead weight. There is not even a serious social democratic party in the province, and the petty bourgeois adventurers of the PQ have therefore been able to capitalise upon working class disconTaking advantage of an archaic elect oral svstem wricn keor reactionar De ties in power for so long, the PQ ha managed to sweep to power with a large barnamentar maront ou ONLY 41 pe cent of the popular vote. Their victor was based on a demagogic opposition to unemproymen wastefulness of the Olympic Games.
Clearly the PQ does not represent an serious way forward for the workers o Pueec. out its vicion is sill a ceveros ment of the first importance. It is already beginning to soft-pedal those of its policies unar are most oolecuonaore to the Canadian capitalists - such as its promised referendum on independence.
It will take no more than a few years of government by this bankrupt clique for it to be exposed to the Quebec workers fo what it is, creating the basis for the working class to shed its political backwaraness and transfer Its economic militancy onto the political terrain.
In this turbulent situation a major role will be played by the Canadian supporters of the Fourth international, who have distinguished themselves through their active involvement in the major national struggles in Quebec and their intransi cent cerence or the ront or seit-determi nation of the Quebec people.