Repeat After Me Fuck Queen And Country

With the likelihood of a provincial election in Quebec in the next year, and the good chance that Jean "Il s'appelle John, pas Jean!" Charest and his Liberal party will be replaced by the pro-independence Parti Québécois, another referendum on Quebec independence is starting to be discussed.
As usual, I feel the need to express my under-informed opinion and throw my 2 cents in where it's not wanted.
The last referendum was extremely close: 50.58% "No" to 49.42% "Yes". I dare say results were skewed in favour of the federalists by the pure insanity of the question:

"Acceptez-vous que le Québec devienne souverain, après avoir offert formellement au Canada un nouveau partenariat économique et politique, dans le cadre du projet de loi sur l'avenir du Québec et de l'entente signée le 12 juin 1995?"

"Do you agree that Quebec should become sovereign after having made a formal offer to Canada for a new economic and political partnership within the scope of the bill respecting the future of Quebec and of the agreement signed on June 12, 1995?"

I think there needed to be a third option on the ballot; Yes, No and What the fuck?

However, even if the Parti Québécois were to provide a more simple way of wording their intentions, I believe I have an idea that will prevent them from ever getting close to a majority in another referendum (which they claim they would hold should they win back power at the next election). My idea couldn't be simpler and more sensible. It is republicanism.

For a country to have a monarch as the head of state in the year 2006 is ridiculous.
Monarchies are medieval at best and at worst the stuff of fairytales. And for a country to have a foreign monarch as their head of state is even more absurd. Especially when such a massive percentage of the country does not have any Anglo roots. And I mean this across the whole country, not specifically Francophones. However, whilst those who have immigrated to Canada have done so in knowledge of the country's constitutional make up, for Francophones in Canada (not just in Quebec, but for the significant communities in New Brunswick, Ontario and Manitoba as well), every time they reach into their pockets to pull out a coin or a $20 note and see the face of Queen Elizabeth II they must feel a sense of being "owned", and that they are disconnected for the heirarchy of the country (this goes for the First Nations as well). Now I'm fully aware of the cultural and "distinct society" aspects to Quebec's independence movement, but surely Canada becoming a republic would make those in Quebec feel like that have a more equal status in the country? C'est trés facile, non? The power-makers within the country do have an idea of this as why else was the search for the current Governor-General conducted almost exclusively within Quebec? (kudos to Canada for the last two appointments of Govenor-General though) I do think that Canada becoming a republic would stifle enough separatist sentiment in Quebec that any referendum held would be guaranteed to fail. Becoming a republic would kill two birds with one stone; Quebec separatism AND absolute fucking absurdity. It's win win!