Thomas Mulcair's potentially costly Quebec mistake

[CHIMO]

In a recent video, NDP leader Thomas Mulcair falsely interprets the Supreme Court of Canada on an issue that is both unsettling and important for all Canadians: how could a province lawfully secede from our country?

Mulcair took all of his cues from the flawed Bill C-470, a bill introduced into Parliament by Toronto NDP Member of Parliament Craig Scott. This bill would scrap the Clarity Act and change our laws so that secession could occur from just a single-vote difference between the Yes and the No sides in a referendum. So while the NDP’s own constitution requires a two-thirds majority to be changed, the party considers a single vote as sufficient to break up Canada.

This NDP bill contradicts the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling that a negotiation on secession would require a vote of “a clear majority on a clear question.” The test of a “clear majority” is important as the more a decision impacts on citizen rights and binds future generations, the more stringent democracy must be regarding the procedures required for such a decision to be adopted. Secession is a hugely consequential and probably irreversible action, one that affects future generations and has serious consequences for all Canadians.

Mulcair’s stance marks a shift within the NDP. In 2000, former NDP leader Ed Broadbent intervened in favour of the Clarity Act stating: “It’s now widely understood by ordinary citizens as well as experts that democracy entails much more than accepting 50 per cent plus one.” NDP politicians Roy Romanow, Bill Blaikie, Pat Martin and Gary Doer also strongly supported the Clarity Act.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2013/11/18/thomas_mulcairs_potentially_costly_quebec_mistake.html

[Kelvin Mace]

1. Canada has sessecionists?

Who knew?

[Joe Shlabotnik]

2. Dithering Stephane Dion illustrates

the familiar Liberal mantra "There is safety in ambiguity". Mulcair (from the video) cuts to the chase:

“We’re clear. Anybody who tells you because they’ve got a bill on so called ‘clarity’ that has no number in it, that has no question on it, theirs is anything but clear. Ours is,”

“I’ll take this one straight on. The day the Liberal Party tells anybody in this room what their percentage is, I’m ready to have that criticism levelled at the NDP."

Trudeau's glorious head of hair will make a wonderful floor mop at the debate.

[CanSocDem]

3. If the NDP...

...becomes the government, Quebec will have less interest in separation.

And they will learn to trust the federal government on a individual basis, without being caught up in the inflammatory "YES" and "NO" campaigns.

I think it's a great strategy.


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