November 27, 2006
The "Is Quebec A Nation" Showdown Continues, CRTC Is Mean, Toronto Mobsters Unite!
Liberal leadership candidate Gerard Kennedy is the first to take a stand against the Harper-Duceppe motion to declare Quebec "a nation within a united Canada."
Kennedy states, "I respect the sense of identity shared by many Quebecers, reflecting a common culture, language, history and accomplishment and I will continue to promote that identity, rather than playing divisive political games with it."
BC Premier Gordon Campbell uses the hotly debated topic to promote his own agenda of recognizing the country's aboriginal peoples as an equal nation as well.
Two Canadian soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing in Kandahar, bringing the death toll of Canadian troops in Afghanistan to 44.
National television networks like CTV and Global ask the CRTC to loosen advertising restrictions, allow more commercial minutes per hour and to charge cable and satellite companies for their signal.
Toronto mobsters see an opportunity to profit after last week's arrest of 73 members of the Montreal-based Rizzuto crime family.
Darren Coogan was honoured at the Rexdale Sikh spiritual centre yesterday after rescuing Satwinder Bajwa from a burning vehicle earlier this month. In a time of cultural and religious turmoil, this is the type of thing that inspires the warm fuzzies. Oh, you guys!
Photo courtesy of flungingpictures on Flickr.
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But the native people are already a nation. I know that this topic has been argued to death, but there's a difference between a "nation" and a "nation-state". All Harper's saying is that the government should officially recognize the fact that the French-Canadians have a seperate and unique culture and identity.
Why not? I don't mind Québec being recognized as a nation similar to the First Nations, as long as it's mean as something to celebrate. The First Nations and Québec are crucial, integral part to our country's identity and I wish we celebrated them even more than we do (which isn't much).
Poorly defined and only being used as a political tool! That's all I'm saying!
The sad part is that it's not because Harper cares. It's more, "I'm losing power and I have to do some desperate pandering to get the Bloc on my side!" Harper and the ex-Alliance-Reform parties have absolutely no history of caring for either Québec or the First Nations. The Bloc is desperate for any crack to potentially drive a wedge through to further their independence agenda, so they'll lay down with dogs even if the promises are empty.
The motion does not seek to recognize "Quebec" as a nation, but instead the "Québécois". It's a small, but real difference.
That said, I find the whole affair rather sad and more than a little silly, especially Gordon Campbell's declare the First Nations a nation. Hint: as the name suggests they're already recognized as multiple nations.
Being part of Canada is good for Quebec and vice versa, and I think noone would come out a winner if Quebec does separate, especially not the rest of the French-Canadians.
CRTC not CTRC!!! [Fixed -- Ed.]
Don't the cable companies realize they'll only make the commercial-free "illegal" downloads even more appealing by running 20 minutes of commercials an hour?
Why do the networks for to ask the CRTC to charge the cable co? Why not just charge them?