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One of the most important duties of the prime minister of Canada is to defend the Constitution of the land. If he doesn’t, who will?
Justin Trudeau effectively indicated this week that the province of Quebec can write anything into the Constitution, and he will not lift a finger. The prime minister apparently has been advised that this is perfectly legal. Legal, perhaps. But politically, this change is fraught with turbulence and division. You don’t build a country by means of unilateral subterfuge, but with common understanding. The prime minister must know this, of course. But he has chosen not to challenge Quebec ahead of an election. Such behaviour is disheartening.
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Last Friday, I paid a visit to my old digs, Hochelaga–Maisonneuve. I was taking part in a documentary about Gilles Duceppe, who also grew up in this much storied neighbourhood. In fact, we were neighbours. Gilles was older than me and never noticed me strutting down the lane we shared, a lane that linked Pie IX Blvd. to Jeanne-d’Arc Ave. But I noticed him.
I found him handsome, with his large blue eyes, tall with lots of hair. But my friend was his sister Monique.
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A Harper dynasty and the end of the Liberals? How the 2011 election didn t change everything
At the time, the 2011 federal election seemed like it was ushering in a new era in Canadian politics. Ten years later, it looks more like the exception than a new rule.
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The federal election a decade ago turned out to be an outlier rather than a turning point in Canadian politics
Posted: May 02, 2021 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: May 2
On May 2, 2011, Stephen Harper led the Conservative Party to its first (and, so far, only) majority government since the merger of the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservatives in 2003.(Jeff McIntosh / Canadian Press)
Philippe J. Fournier: Ten years ago, the NDP won a remarkable 59 seats in Quebec. In our latest election projection, the party is at risk of losing its lone seat in the province.
If the party hopes to truly summon its late leader’s spirit, Jagmeet Singh should declare that the NDP is seeking to win power, rather than simply being content to be Parliament’s conscience