Four Little Words

Written By: eugene
Date: 2006-11-23 09:51:56
<a href="/article/145156994-four-little-words">Article Link</a>

Duccepe was outraged, that he had been upstaged by the PM. That his clever motion that was neither for federalism or seperatism was now reformulated to be a federalist motion. And by the fact that the PM had the audacity to lecture him on how it was not the place of parliament to decide Quebec's fate, but since Mr. Duceppe had brought it up he would be glad to address it.

And Jack Layton was far from non-partisan, getting his digs in reminding the house that Quebec is a social democratic society, but that had not always been the case. It once was dominated by the right wing dictatorship of Maurice Duplessis not unlike the politics of the current Conservative government. That Quebecoise would feel most at home in a Social Democratic Canada.

It was a 'historic moment' for Quebec and Canada. And in the making of a Prime Minister.

Of course this had nothing to do with it. Conservatives Support Slips – Most in Quebec

<a href="http://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2006/11/four-little-words.html">http://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2006/11/four-little-words.html</a>

[Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on November 24, 2006]

Ah yes, our tax dollars at work.

Now the separatistes AND Canadians are p...d off.

The separatistes because of the restricting amendmend, and Cnadians because it is another crack in the Canadian Federation.

Perhaps this IS Canadian politics....keep both sides equally dissatisfied.

"Liberal Leader Bill Graham was choked with emotion as he responded to the Prime Ministers speech, agreeing that this went beyond partisan politics."

Is this statement supposed to be a joke?

PM Steven Harper is my political adversary, but he has done exactly the right thing here. Canada is on a much firmer basis as a nation, and only Harper could have done this. Had a Liberal PM recognized Quebec as a nation, the outrage from Alberta would never cease. Like Nixon going to China, Harper's action is a move for national unity that only a conservative could convincingly make. An all round win-win for Quebecois and Canadians. When will people figure out that praising one's adversary when deserved only makes one's criticism of bad policies more effective?

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Brett Mann

Unfortunately, in my opinion, this is not exactly what Harper has done. If he had defined the Quebecois as a cultural group within all of Canada you would be correct. If you look at the entire context of Harper's speech he has clearly defined the term as something exclusive to the geographical boundaries of Quebec and left it up to the Quebec legislature to define the term. While he has included "a nation within a united Canada" he does not define what he means by that "united Canada" either.

In other words, all it takes is for the Quebec legislature to define Quebecker to make the province a "nation" in the eyes of Parliament and then to argue that since it relates to a geographical area it has the right to act as a state.

In fact, Harper has argued in the past for provincial "sovereignty" and even was willing to give Quebec the status of "state" within UNESCO.

I don't see this as clarifying the issue in any way other than to give the separatists a "hand up." It really has muddied the issue.

In addition, like the PQ the BQ has now also realized the potential "hand-up" the resolution has given separatism and will support Harper's motion. This renders the entire political reasons for the Harper motion null and recognizes a "special status" for Quebec "on the record" if not in legislation. 
 
<a href="http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/11/22/2446825-cp.html">http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/11/22/2446825-cp.html</a>