I don’t know what all the fuss is. A suggestion that Quebec join in the constitution – after 25 years wandering in the wilderness with nothing but a far superior Charter of Rights to keep them warm – sparks this sort of reaction:
Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion has rejected suggestions by Quebec Opposition Leader Mario Dumont to reopen the Constitution, blaming Prime Minister Stephen Harper for encouraging the notion with unclear promises for more provincial autonomy. “The thing [Mr. Harper] needs to do to prevent a problem is to speak out and say very clearly which powers, which responsibilities, he wants to transfer from the federal government to the provincial government,” said Mr. Dion in an interview Sunday. “If he continues to be vague and confused, I think it’s not good at all for the country. He owes that to Canadians.”
I want a constitutional debate. And I want in, too – personal autonomy needs to be beefed up. The misguided will also want a kick at the can about property rights. And a place for First Nations and municipalities as semi-free states. And weakening or strengthening the courts so our rights will not be at the whim of politicians. Whatever.
Why not have a big national chat about it? The only down side is really the intense tedium. What people forget is not that the nation almost fell apart – it’s that the country almost ground to a halt in the 70s and early 80s with unending live TV coverage of hearings taking up all the channels. People from NS will also remember the embarrassment of seeing all the others laughing in the background whenever Premier John Buchanan decided to speak up. Now that we have more than three stations to watch I suppose that is not a problem. But really – don’t expect a lot of “amending formula” jokes. This stuff is mostly boring.