To be Canadian is for most of the population a proud identity symbol. In Quebec, not so much. It might be interesting to know how many Canadians identify themselves first and foremost as Canadians, and then identify with their province. We're not known as a nationalist population, but we do appreciate the fact that we have the privilege of living in this country and being a citizen of it. There are so many benefits accruing to us from that simple, yet complex fact, whether by inheritance of birth or through immigration.

The country is waiting on the tenterhooks of suspense to see whether the Parti Quebecois, the ultimate separatist party, will prevail in achieving their goal to be transformed from their current status as a minority-governing party to another majority when the votes are enumerated on Monday. The province's politics of exclusion, division, resentment and entitlement has been a bleeding thorn in the side of Confederation since forever, adopted and adapted by the PQ in a strenuous effort to overturn the British victory over French forces at the decisive battle of the Plains of Abraham which designated later Canada as a majority English-speaking population to the outraged angst of francophones.

Should the Parti Quebecois retain power with a majority government they will impose stronger regulations on language, where even at the present time English is being strangled out of existence in the province, and English Quebecers and allophones along with their francophone counterparts are poorer for it. Language discrimination that would never be countenanced elsewhere in the country, much less other Western democracies is rife, entrenched, very well institutionalized.

Priding itself on its secular governing character, the Pequistes have waged an underhanded war on religious minorities in the population. The new bill that Premier Pauline Marois, leader of the Parti Quebecois would bring into law on re-election would see all Quebec residents who wear what the PQ term 'conspicuous' religious symbols fired from their jobs in medicine, education, security, and the public service.

Quebec is a province notorious for its institutionalized corruption, existing at virtually very level of both private industry (particularly the construction trades) and at the municipal and provincial governmental agency levels. Its ultra socialist agenda provides perquisites for its population well beyond what other provinces can manage to do, and mostly because other provinces' tax receipts rendered to the federal government is redistributed to the "have-not" provinces, principally Quebec which views it as a cherished 'entitlement' that Quebec insists it requires as an exceptional 'nation'.

Yet despite the social, political, emotional blackmail that Quebec foists upon the rest of Canada, much has been tolerated as those in other provinces have pleaded repeatedly that Quebec remain within Confederation. Separatists envision complete sovereignty, proclaiming Quebec a nation unto itself, unique and beyond special.

According to Madame Marois, however, borders between Quebec and the rest of Canada can be loose but with separate passports, free trade unions that the federal government has signed with other countries should be open to a separated Quebec, and Canadian currency should be Quebec's as well, with Quebec given a seat on Treasury Board. The etceteras are too numerous and risible to list. As is the aggravation.

So Canadians can be forgiven for succumbing to the irritation of deja vu and wondering: Is it really worth the bother?