I find it absolutely bizarre that Jack Layton seems hell-bent on re-igniting nationalist issues in Quebec.
First the man threatens to impose language rules on federally regulated industries (I don't even know if this constitutionally allowed). Next he actually speaks out against the principles of the Clarity Act. His deputy is taking jabs at immigrants who don't want to learn French. And now to top it all off, Jack is pitching for more seats in Parliament for Quebec (which would effectively rob regions like Toronto of political clout).
Seems like Quebecers got a good deal voting for the NDP. The NDP has simply taken up the PQ's banner in Parliament, with new colours. Everybody else who voted NDP, not so much.
Jack Layton is trying to build a big orange machine in Quebec. To do this he has to get the people who voted for his party to continue to vote for his party, form riding associations, become members and donors, etc. Since he basically has no power in Parliament and the next election is far in the future, he does have the time to do this. He cannot get Quebec more seats right now. He knows this, but he needs to prove to Quebeckers that he has their interests in mind right now to keep the NDP popular there. He needs to start off on the right foot in Quebec. In four years this redistribution of ridings will be a non-issue. Ontario, Alberta, and BC will get their seats, Quebec will complain, and we'll all forget about it (just like we forgot about Harper's original plan to give new seats
only to BC and Alberta).
As for immigrants in Quebec having to learn French - I really don't think that will resonate in the ROC, especially with NDP supporters. It may become a problem for him if he starts preaching that "what is reasonable accomodation anyway?" crap that Quebec's obsessed with right now though.
The Clarity Act is a thornier issue. There are a lot of problems with it, and if Layton's going to continue courting the soft nationalist vote, he's going to have to address them. At its core, the Clarity Act is borderline anti-democratic. It's "clear majority" clause is of particular concern: 50%+1 is a win, it seems, in every Canadian election but referendums (a similar super-majority requirement was made necessary when British Columbians and Ontarians went to the polls to vote on PR). And what happens if Quebec votes "oui," but does not attain a clear majority as defined by the Parliament of Canada? I see two scenarios occurring:
1) A second referendum is held, in which the "oui" side would almost certainly win a clear majority due to a perceived denial of Quebec's right to self-determination, or
2) A PQ government uses the referendum, and its subsequent denial, as grounds for a unilateral declaration of indepence. This isn't constitutional, of course, but it would cause all of us a huge headache. What if Quebec's government were to set up border crossings? What if the international community got involved? What if it escalated into some form of violent conflict (as unlikely as that may seem now)?
Repealing the Clarity Act, or at least some parts of it, would remove a grey area that could cause us all a lot of trouble. It may even have the added benefit of assuaging the concerns of soft nationalists - the type who are more concerned with Quebec's right to secede than it actually separating. And afterall, the NDP had already endorsed this position before the orange wave to Quebec by storm. The left has often been sympathetic to the idea of self-determination. The Labour Party in the UK, for example, supported Ireland's right to leave the Union, and to this day maintains an alliance with the nationalist SDLP in Northern Ireland. In Scotland and Wales they've supported devolution, if not the separatist aspirations of the SNP and Plaid Cymru.
Just as the Labour Party is able to tap into the soft nationalist vote in Scotland and Wales, the NDP hopes to tap into the soft nationalist vote in Quebec. They know committed sovereigntists will continue to vote for the Bloc. They know committed federalists (in the Trudeau vein) will continue to vote Liberal. They need to become the default choice for the middleground that could go either way - and with the Liberals in shambles and the BQ headed for a long decline (the end of the per-vote subsidy will hit them particularly hard), they may have a chance of doing just that. Ultimately I think that will be good for the federalist cause in the long run. That is if it works - it is a game that carries huge risks (just ask Mulroney).
The idea that the NDP will become the new Bloc is hyperbole at best, although the NDP must remain mindful of the reason why they don't have a political party on the provincial level in Quebec anymore.