Stephen Harper Doesn't Read My Blog
Prime Minister Stephen Harper moved to defuse a potential national unity time bomb yesterday by introducing a motion to recognize that Quebecers form a nation within a united Canada.
The surprise move in the House of Commons was a pre-emptive strike against the separatist Bloc Quebecois, which is set to debate its own motion today calling on Parliament to recognize Quebecers as a nation - but with no mention of Canada.
It also trumped the Liberals, who've been squabbling for weeks over their resolution calling for recognition of Quebec as a nation and for creation of a task force to look at the best way to make that status official.
But Harper, acting less than 24 hours after the Bloc forced the issue onto MPs' agenda, appeared to find the compromise wording that eluded the Liberals. He won a standing ovation in the Commons for his proposal and the support of most Liberals and NDP.
Harper's motion will likely be debated and voted on Monday, before the vote on the Bloc motion and just before the Liberal convention begins in Montreal.
The above is from The Canadian Press item in the Hamilton Spectator.
The Globe and Mail coverage warns that the separtists in Quebec see this as a first step to seperation:
Pierre Martin, a political science professor at the University of Montreal, said the exact meaning of the Conservative motion lies “in the eye of the beholder.”
Federalists will argue that it is a sign of openness and flexibility and a sign that federalism promises more future autonomy for Quebec, he said.
But sovereigntists could see it as just more empty talk on the federal stage, Prof. Martin said.
“If it is not accompanied by concrete measures that increase or delegate more powers or more jurisdiction to Quebec, then this can be interpreted as just wind, just talk,” he said.
“You can actually spin this, politically, saying that they're trying to buy Quebeckers' support with mere words but not with actual powers and actual improvement of Quebec's autonomy.”
Or, separatists may try to use the federal recognition to strengthen Quebec's sovereignty claims on an international level.
Perhaps it's a long shot, but some will see Mr. Harper's motion opening the door to that legal claim, he said.
“The recognition of Quebec as a nation might be understood as a first step toward opening that door in terms of international law,” Prof. Martin said.
Canoe simply put it down to Harper making some political mileage for his Conservative minority government.
The reaction in other media sources varies from good to bad and a
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The Cambridge Dictionary of American English defines nation:
noun -
a country, esp. when thought of as a large group of people living in one area with their own government, language, and traditions
The Compact Oxford English Dictionary defines nation:
noun - a large body of people united by common descent, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular state or territory.
The English language has a way of allowing the person using the language to add additional meaning to his words. Blog MyyyyyAsssss will agree that the French Canadian people are distinct, but it would also point out that people in Northern Ontario are distict as are folks in Newfoundland, British Columbia, Moncton New Brunswick, the folks who live on Yonge Street in Toronto - yup, they're distinct too.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it Quebec!
