CKNW Editorial
for November 26, 2001

I have long hoped that I would never have to say this. I’ve spent my adult life fighting for a better Canada. I have, admittedly, been a devout British Columbian but have never thought that to be any more disloyal than a person from Trois Rivieres being a devout Quebecker.

But I have learned – and I admit that I’m a slow learner – that my version of what a Canadian is does not jibe with the official version and that because I don’t subscribe to the Establishment’s accepted Canadian catechism that I’m badly out of step.

And what is it that I must say?

It’s time that British Columbians seriously contemplate an existence outside of Canada.

I must admit that the catalyst for this comes from the ridiculous statement by the Ontario MP, the parliamentary secretary, opining that there were some "nervous nellies" amongst the softwood lumber industry in BC. Now if one were to use insensitive remarks out of Central Canada as reasons to secede we would have left sometime around 1872. I place very little on this stupid remark and only note that he didn’t apologize nor was he required to by the Prime Minister. What this remark does, however, is to speak to the larger issue – is it worth British Columbia’s while, culturally, sentimentally, or economically to stay in Canada?

I stop short, today, of taking a position. I am not a separatist – yet. I only say now that this must be a legitimate political debate in this province. Especially for younger people.

Let me start by answering a question. Shouldn’t British Columbia, if it has grievances, deal with them within the federation? Should we not, as loyal Canadians, plump for change then, as good sports, simply accept failure as the rule of the majority, however oppressive that may be? I say no for a very good reason and I hope that you will remember this editorial, if you remember it at all, for this statement. There is no way the Canadian Constitution can ever be changed unless Central Canada agrees and since everything British Columbia wants and is entitled to results in a loss of Ontario and Quebec power, changes will never, ever be agreed to. I make that as a flat statement and that is how it is intended. Yes, there is, within the constitution, a provision where some changes can be made by agreement of 50% of the population representing 7 provinces, plus the federal government but even that faint glimmer of hope was dashed by Jean Chretien in December 1995 when he caused Parliament to pass a resolution where Ottawa would, if any of the five regions so demanded, reject a constitutional amendment. That effectively gave both Quebec and Ontario a veto over every change ever proposed.

Let me tell you what that means. It’s as simple as this – there is no possibility of any change within Canada that would remedy the grievances of British Columbia but, worse than that, there is no way any much needed reforms to the way the country runs itself will happen. I say that with particular certainty because whether it is the perpetual Liberal Party dominance or not, Quebec and Ontario will run this country precisely as they please forevermore.

If we think some sort of "unite the right" movement will change things we should be ashamed for not being able to understand how this country is run. There is no salvation – no Reform Party, no Canadian Alliance, no anything that will ever change the fact that the Central Canadian vision of Canada is the one that will always prevail. And here’s the real sticky bit - even if some time in the future more people live outside Ontario and Quebec than within those provinces. In fact, and note this well, no matter how badly Central Canada is outnumbered, nothing can ever change without the consent of both Ontario and Quebec.

Let me tell you some of the things that will not happen.

There will be no fair representation in the House of Commons for British Columbia – we will always be grossly underrepresented because it’s not in the interest of Ontario and Quebec to see fair play.

There will be no change to the Supreme Court of Canada – no matter what population changes happen, 6 out of 9 will come from Ontario and Quebec with at least three from Quebec and probably one French Canadian from outside that province. The Supreme Court will continue to be appointed by the Prime Minister, who will always now be from Quebec or a dear ally of same, and only centrist minded, politically safe appointments will ever be made.

Let me pause there lest you think I’m being dramatic. A few years ago, Michel Basterache, a French speaker from New Brunswick was appointed. And what was the principal reason given by Prime Minister Chretien? That he was a loyal Canadian as proved by the fact that he had co-chaired the national "Yes" Committee for the Charlottetown Accord Referendum! If Canadian loyalty is proved by support for Charlottetown, where does that leave the nearly 70% of British Columbians who voted no"?

There will be no upper house with proper regional representation, much less anything remotely representing "Triple ‘E’". Forget it. It’s not on. Quebec won’t stand for it and that ends that. The only way there would be any Senate change to happen is if compensatory power would be given Ontario and Quebec, further ensuring that all power remains there.

There will be no reform of the way the House of Commons is run, as a dictator, by the Prime Minister. There will be no power to the parliamentary committees much less power to individual MPs because that would weaken the power of Central Canada which controls the Prime Minister who controls the parliament. It goes without saying that there will be no reform of the election process such as proportional representation or a variation thereof. You will remember that when Chretien was set to topple the Tories in 1993 he promised that proportional representation would be the top item on his agenda – the words haven’t passed his lips since.

There will be Charlottetown revisited within a year of Jean Charest winning the next Quebec election. We will be told, in British Columbia, that we must, as good Canadians, support a special status for Quebec, a permanent Quebec veto over all constitutional amendments and a permanent 25% of the House of Commons for Quebec irrespective of population shifts in the country. That the inevitable and ongoing distortions this will present will be to the ever increasing disadvantage of BC will be pooh-poohed just as it was by Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney in 1992 at the time of Charlottetown.

The long and the short of it politically is that British Columbia, if it is to stay in Canada, must endure a system which will evermore and increasingly be dominated by Central Canada, where the Prime Minister must be French Canadian or at least speak French and where B.C. will ever be, as W.A.C. Bennett said so well 30 years ago, a goblet to be drained by the east.

Which leads, of course, to the economic side. We all have succumbed to the Ottawa, for which read Central Canadian, misrepresentation that Equalization Payments are to make sure that federal government services are properly delivered in the Atlantic provinces. The reality is that BC money goes to Quebec. Even more goes from Alberta and Ontario. We’re told that this is to ensure fair shares for the largest province with the second largest population but the reality is that this money is a government to government welfare handout to ensure that Quebeckers can, even though their job prospects may be lousy, stay in Quebec instead of moving to where the jobs are. This is a cultural thing where the Quebec government, using other people’s money, can keep the population from moving – as our forbears moved – to where they could make a better life for themselves and their families.

I will have more – much more - to say on this subject as the days pass. What I do say today is that British Columbians have the right – perhaps even the duty to those who follow – to examine their place in a federation where the government not only doesn’t give a damn about them but, much worse, has no reason to politically, now or forever more.