Archive for 10/27/2006

Justin Trudeau, son of the late former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, has spoken up against Ignatieff’s Liberal leadership platform plank which would see Quebec constitutionally recognized as a nation within a nation. Ignatieff may have developed this belief from his academia background but to bring it forward as a stand that he wants to see implemented should he become Prime Minister is just WRONG.

Trudeau referred to Quebec nationalism is an outmoded “idea from the 19th century,” a remark interpreted as a direct attack on leadership contender Michael Ignatieff’s pledge to formally recognize the province as a nation.

“Nationalism is based on a smallness of thought,” Trudeau, 34, said in an interview on CTV’s Canada A.M. “(It) builds up barriers between peoples, that has nothing to do with the Canada we should be building.”

If you’ve read some of my posts about the Liberal leadership race, more like a trot actually, it is no secret that I’ve seen Ignatieff as the most viable of the mediocre candidates to put themselves forward as leadership material.

When I read of his stated intent to reopen constitutional discussions with the intent of declaring Quebec a nation within Canada, I had to seriously reconsider where I stand on the candidates. In the end were I voting for leader I may end up holding my nose and supporting him over Rae BUT and that is a huge BUT.. the boy needs a serious reality check about Quebec.. or any other province for that matter… who wants to be seen as a nation within a nation.

Recognizing the French as a distinct culture within Canada is one thing, providing them with the title of ‘nation’, that is just plain divisive. In a sense our structure of federal and provincial governments provides a certain level of ‘nationhood’ within the dominion and Quebec has certainly taken that to the hilt with its reference to its provincial house as their “National Assembly” and the concessions on immigration and taxation which the federal Government has allowed.

To refer to a province as a nation while the rest of the provinces and territories remain provinces and territories is just plain dumb. It is long past time that Quebec needs to grow up and get with the rest of the country as part of the greater whole. That doesn’t mean giving up what makes them unique, their language and culture. It means being confident enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the country as equal partners instead of their perennial victimhood claims.

Trudeau senior had it right when he opposed Meech Lake and the ‘distinct society’ label and junior is just as right. So why didn’t you run for Liberal leader lad?