CKNW Editorial
for December 28, 2000

The highly offensive Christmas comments by Prime Minister Jean Chretien about what he still calls "the West" would rankle if we didn’t see them simply as "suspicions confirmed." It is clear that he sees us as not understanding the national interest which is, of course, the provincial interests of Quebec and Ontario. He promises us "tough love" and apparently has dispatched Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Stephane Dion to administer "tough love" to us – something I had always assumed had been Ottawa’s gift for us for the past 129 years.

Never mind, though, we’re bears for punishment out here so we will receive Mr Dion with our customary courtesy.

On past performance, we can expect Mr Dion to be a guest on this show as he has in the past. I think – though this is against my customary practice – I will give Mr Dion a rough outline of the subjects I would like to discuss.

First off the easy stuff. It is annoying unto insulting that British Columbians should be told, when their polls close, who has won. Moreover, in this day of the internet the eastern votes are known out here before the polls are closed anyway. Will the government pass legislation postponing the publishing of results until the following day? This will annoy hell out of media outlets who love to flog advertising around the telecasts and broadcasts but would be fair.

Will Mr Dion guarantee that the Prime Minister will visit BC regularly and come on this show at least twice a year instead of seeking photo ops with 6 year olds and attending Liberal fundraisers? I personally couldn’t care less if I ever saw the prime minister again in my life but this show has the widest reach, is live and offers British Columbians the opportunity to put their questions and views directly to the Prime Minister.

On the more difficult side, will Mr Dion acknowledge that we have serious structural problems in our system of governance that need addressing. Does he agree that under our system, 50%+1 of the House of Commons has 100% of the power which effectively shuts out from power all but Ontario and Quebec?

Does he acknowledge that under our system MPs have become little more than powerless ciphers and that, as his former colleague Professor Ted McWhinney acknowledges, the Prime Minister’s Office has become all powerful and virtually untested by the House of Commons?

Will he agree that for British Columbians, government MPs have truly become toadies and lickspittles? That he may not like that terminology I accept, but will he at least agree that this is how it appears and that in politics perception is reality?

Will Mr Dion agree that the device which is supposed to be the way the Commons controls the executive, the parliamentary committee, has become a sham where the Prime Minister and the government whips, not the backbenchers run the show?

Will Mr Dion agree that there is, in a federated land mass like ours, the need for an upper house that reflects the regions? That BC having 6 MPs to Quebec’s 24 and Prince Edward Island’s 6 holds the Senate out as being about as democratic as an Iron Curtain Country’s parliament?

Will Mr Dion agree that because the system gives Ontario and Quebec sole control of the country that British Columbians are inadequately represented on Federal Boards, Commissions and Crown Corporations?

Will Mr Dion concede that this country is not based upon two founding nations – an historical myth – but is ten juridically equal provinces. And will he see that the December 1995 Commons resolution recognizing Quebec as a "distinct society" and giving her a veto over constitutional change is repealed? And will he not insult our intelligence by pointing out that BC also has a veto and acknowledge that we know that but are against any vetoes for anyone?

Finally, will Mr Dion work for change in the way we govern ourselves or is it his mission to simply try to explain to us that even though it doesn’t look at like it that British Columbia is fairly treated by the federation? Is he prepared to talk turkey about real reforms to our system or is he, as Mr Chretien seems to be saying, designated to tell us to get stuffed but in a courtly and pleasant way?