Do you think Canada would be in better shape had Meech Lake passed?

[windyman]

Meech lake was designed by Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservative government and ten provinces in 1987 to attempt to get Quebec to sign the Canada Act by introducing several different options for Quebec and other provinces, including designating Quebec as a "distince society" within Canada and giving it at least 3 judges on the Supreme Court.

Certainly had Meech Lake passed, Quebecers would feel there since of being Canadian and the separatists would've lost all legitamacy. However, it was not passed due to the failures of Manitoba and Newfoundland to adopt the accord.

Looking at what Quebec is now (the separatists led by Paulois are gaining strength), do you think that Canada would be a greater country had Meech Lake passed in 1990 or Charlottetown in 1992?

[seabee]

One should not forget, on this topic, the role of the First Nations via Elija Harper (no relation to the present PM). Some view his role as more determinant than that of Nfld or N-B.

[Leafless]

Your poll makes no sense.

The question you ask:

Yes, we would be united as one Canada

No, the Quebec would be unequal

How would Canada be more united with Canada in the superior position as a 'distinct society'?

How would Quebec be unequal if they were in a superior position as a 'distinct society'?

A superior postion cannot be seen as bad for a have not province.

It should be noted Trudeau did not agree with Quebec being a distinct society.

13. Former Prime Minister Trudeau, in his evidence to the Joint Committee, denounced the 'distinct society" clause as a threat to a unified federal authority

http://www.solon.org/Constitutions/Canada/...87/mlr-ch5.html

In my estimation Quebec is a distinct society anyways, since Mr. Harper designated Quebec as a 'nation within Canada' with distinct language rights Charter language rights Sec.16, Constitution Act, 1982.

Mr. Trudeau was correct as Quebec now possess rights that other provinces do not have i.e.-immigration, French charter, etc. and as a result Quebec does pose a threat to unified federal authority.

[Borg]

You left out one possible response.

Yes, because kebek would have finally found the gonads to leave canada - and taken their debt with them - whiners.

Leafless - this canada would have been a far better place if that traitor trudeau had never seen the inside of the parliament buildings. He created a deep divide in canada that is still wide open.

A huge number of western folks would pay good money to piss on that mans grave.

Borg

Edited February 2, 2008 by Borg

[jazzer]

Leafless - this canada would have been a far better place if that traitor trudeau had never seen the inside of the parliament buildings. He created a deep divide in canada that is still wide open.

Only because he wouldn't give in to Quebec. Hardly a traitor.

[seabee]

The word "distinct", according to dictionaries, both french or english, means only "different", with no allusion or connotation of superiority. Another formulation of the Meech clause could have been that both Québec and the rest of Canada form distinct societies. Suggesting that Québec was looking for a recognition of superiority rather than simply of the fact it is different is misinformed.

[Leafless]

The word "distinct", according to dictionaries, both french or english, means only "different", with no allusion or connotation of superiority. Another formulation of the Meech clause could have been that both Québec and the rest of Canada form distinct societies. Suggesting that Québec was looking for a recognition of superiority rather than simply of the fact it is different is misinformed.

To have Quebec 'officially distinct' as part of our Charter makes all the difference in the world.

Quebec could implement laws and policies based on different aspects of being 'officially distinct'.

Case in point. Federal official languages meant initially to be served in the language of your choice relating to federal services.

So look what happened.

It opened doors so that Francophones could work in the French language in the federal public service. IOW, it created an unjust, undemocratic, discriminatory French society within the federal public service resulting and to where it created conditions where federal jobs became mandatory bilingual and usually filled by Francophones, ignoring the fact the country is de-facto unilingual English.

Look what happened to some municipalities in provinces to date, OUTSIDE the jurisdiction of the federal government.

They adopted undemocratically again, a mirror image of the federal official bilingual policy making the French language compulsory in a city such as Ottawa, Ontario a majority English speaking city, resulting in stealing jobs from the English speaking majority and making employment difficult to for the majority unilingual English population of Ottawa to gain employment unless they became bilingual in a province that is NOT classified as being 'officially bilingual.

There are other bilingual issues I won't get into such as a proposed bylaw forcing private employers business signs mandatory bilingual in nature.

I would love Quebecers, like many other Canadians, if they are married to an obsolete French language to that extent and that they are unable to generate adequate French job opportunities for their Quebec French population to move to France or separate once and for all.

Where are the federal politicians who are allowing this to happen and are not supporting English majority rights both under their jurisdiction and out of their jurisdiction?

[Borg]

Only because he wouldn't give in to Quebec. Hardly a traitor.

Try making that argument in the lands west of the Ont / Man border.

Most wish kebec was gone - sooner the better - and never to be missed.

Borg

Edited February 3, 2008 by Borg

[seabee]

The stronger implementation of bilingualism in federal bureaucracy (and elsewhere) happened without Meech being recognized. Bilingualism laws are federal and existed before anyone thought of Meech. What more could have happened it had passed.

[Leafless]

Only because he wouldn't give in to Quebec. Hardly a traitor.

Meech Lake is about the only piece of Quebec legislation Trudeau was against for the simple reason he did not want to see Quebecers segregated.

Borg is right.

[Leafless]

Meech Lake is about the only piece of Quebec legislation Trudeau was against for the simple reason he did not want to see Quebecers segregated.

Trudeau was right about Meech Lake.

But with Quebec for years now, voluntarily and unilaterally implementing discriminating language laws and the rejection of federal type bilingual policies, they have succeeded in segregating themselves with no one to blame but Quebec itself.