Speaking to an interviewer on BBS Sunday Edition, Prime Minister
Chretien, referring to the demand of the people of Quebec to
exercise their sovereignty, declared: "This road to paradise,
via a mere vote for independence, must be put in a clear
perspective, and this is what we have achieved in the last two
months". Chretien's "clear perspective" is expressed in the
Calgary Declaration and in the letters of his Inter-Governmental
Affairs Minister Stephane Dion to Quebec ministers. According to
Chretien, these have created "an open and realistic atmosphere".
Referring to the government of the Parti Québécois, he also said:
"Before, they were selling dreams, now I think they must see the
reality as it is".
The "clear perspective" and "reality" Chretien refers to are
wishful thinking based on nineteenth century considerations.
Today is the end of the twentieth century and Canada is poised to
enter the twenty-first century. If there is one thing Canadians
have learned in the past one hundred and thirty years of
Confederation is to face reality by paying attention to the needs
of the times, not to the needs of the ruling elite to maintain
the status quo.
It does not take a genius to understand that the Calgary
Declaration, the letters of Dion to Quebec ministers and the use
of the Supreme Court to decide on the constitutionality of the
right of Quebec to exercise its sovereignty are part of a single
whole which aims to further negate the right of the Quebec people
to affirm their sovereignty. If words are to be given any meaning
whatsoever, the reality of the politics of threats and
intimidation against the people of Quebec and the attempt to
divide the entire polity between enemies and friends according to
whether they support or oppose Quebec's right to
self-determination, can be called self-destructive, but not a
"clear perspective."
Far from creating an "open and realistic atmosphere," the
activities of the Chretien Liberals for the last two months have
shown that they are trying to launch a campaign of chauvinist
hysteria. Quebec is accused of trying to break up Canadian unity
and the rules set by the Calgary Declaration for the
"consultations", under the hoax of using modern technology, will
further marginalize the people while lowering even further the
level of the discussion.
Chretien's statement according to which before Quebeckers
were buying the pipe dreams of he separatists, now they are
becoming more realistic is an open admission that his main
interest is to block the movement of the people of Quebec to
affirm their sovereignty. It is to say that the Chretien Liberals
will carry on with their politics of threats and interference in
the affairs of Quebec until the time the people of Quebec give up
their right to decide their own future.
Since a right belongs to the holder by virtue of his or her
being, and cannot be given, taken away, usurped or given up, and
the right of the Quebec nation to self-determination is such a
right, it is Chretien that seems to be very unrealistic. Anything
short of providing this problem with a solution will continue to
exacerbate the problem. Will Chretien smarten up? The clear
perspective is that this is not likely.
TML DAILY, 10/97
Shawgi Tell
Graduate School of Education
University at Buffalo
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
