Prime minister Jean ChrŽtien has made clear his strategy for dealing with the Reform party, the “government-in-waiting” in the new Parliament.
He will try to marginalize the party, refuse to recognize its legitimacy, paint it as unCanadian, describe it as an agent for destroying Canada. Presumably, New Democrat leader Alexa McDonough and Tory leader Jean Charest agree.
After all, Charest defamed Reform leader Preston Manning in the election campaign by calling him a bigot. McDonough lowered the bar of political debate by accusing Manning of promoting policies that would lead to civil war.
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So what is Manning’s sin? He does not accept the Liberal, Tory and New Democrat view that Canada is a union between English and French nations, with everyone else along for the ride.
Manning says that aboriginals and immigrants have an attachment to Canada because it assumes everyone is equal. The “founding nations” myth as the fundamental characteristic of Canada is out of date.
Critics may argue Manning is being hypocritical, given his party’s positions.That is a legitimate debating point. But the condemnation is based more on the concept than on Manning’s truthfulness.
Manning says his idea of Canada as a coalition of equal citizens and provinces is a modern contender in the field of ideas, part of a debate that will change Canada.
The three traditional parties see it not as debate but as treason, heresy in the Church of Canadian Unity. It must be ridiculed and eradicated. ChrŽtien made that plain election night when he praised Tory and New Democrat gains but did not congratulate Manning on his ascension to Leader of the Opposition.
At his first Ottawa news conference after the election, the prime minister made it even more clear.
He called tthe Tories and NDP parties with “a national vision,” which means a vision of Canada as a union of Quebec and the others. He dismissed Reform and the Bloc QuŽbecois as regional parties with a destructive view of the federation.
Both traditional parties are “moderate,” he said. “I’m very happy that the Conservative party and the NDP party … will be back in the House of Commons.”
This is a dangerous strategy for ChrŽtien, Charest and McDonough.
By insisting that Reform is an unworthy “dark force” in Canadian politics, these parties and their leaders are saying that:
- No unorthodox ideas are allowed in the Canadian debate.
- The 1.5 million western Canadian voters who supported Reform are either misinformed, unCanadian or stupid.
- The 2.5 million Canadians who gave Reform second place in seats and votes were supporting a dark force.
- The close to 900,000 Ontario voters who supported Reform – second only to the Liberals – were supporting the destruction of Canada.
- The 25 percent of Yukon voters who chose Reform second only to the victorious NDP were misguided.
It is a strange stance for a party to take as it says it is trying to represent a “national” vision and to govern for all Canadians.
