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. . . rose coloured glasses . . . |
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| Niagara Falls, Ontario, Thursday, July 5, 2007 by: Joe Hueglin |
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Stephen Harper 'says Canada most unified in 40 years'. (1) This view is best described through these lyrics of a song: "But these rose coloured glasses that I'm looking through Show only the beauty cause they hide all the truth".(2) Harper sees only the Liberal Senate holding up his democratic reforms. However, "Ontario and Quebec have joined New Brunswick in contending that the Harper government cannot unilaterally tinker with the make-up of the so-called chamber of sober second thought." (3) Minister Emerson's view concerning American softwood lumber complaints that: "It's always better than getting into another bout of litigation and arbitration." That statement was opposed by those in |
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the industry such as John Allan, president of the British Columbia Lumber Trade Council who said: "A plain-language reading of the agreement supports our position. There's an arbitration process provided for in the agreement and there's $10-million of our money being put aside to pay for [it]. We feel we have a strong position ... therefore use the process." (4) P.E.I. takes issue with Federal allocation of fishing quotas: "Island fishermen learned that their share of the region's halibut allocation would fall to less than 2%, while Quebec would get close to 60%. Island fishermen complain that they have been shortchanged in allocations of snow crab, Gulf shrimp and tuna." (5) Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador are alienated by broken promises in calculating equalization figures. A lawsuit arguing changes made to the Canadian Wheat Board: "must come through Parliament and not by amending regulations at the cabinet level." This position is being supported with $20,000 from the Manitoba NDP government and $30,000 from the NDP government in Saskatchewan. (6) Stephen Harper’s view is that Canada is unified because of his initiative in recognising the Québécois, the Quebecers, Quebec as a nation. The truth is different when not looking through his glasses. |
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| Reference: | ||||||||
1. Cheadle, Bruce, PM heralds 'national reconciliation'; says Canada most univied in 40 years (pdf) June 27, 2007, Macleans magazine |
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