Rex Murphy: Justin Trudeau takes a knee to the 'nation' of Quebec

 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau poses for photos during Fete Nationale festivities on June 24, 2016, in Ste. Therese, Que. PHOTO BY RYAN REMIORZ/THE CANADIAN PRESS

Quebec can unilaterally alter the Canadian Constitution, the prime minister says. Especially around Quebec’s Bill 96 and the attempt to unilaterally alter the Canadian Constitution. After the bill’s introduction in the Quebec legislature, Prime Minister Trudeau almost breathlessly announced that it was «perfectly legitimate» for one province to alter the Constitution of the entire nation. In particular that Quebec, which did not sign the Constitution Act, is nonetheless endowed with the singular privilege of the power to amend it.

Neither the Senate, the provinces, nor the House of Commons need be consulted when a great change is to be made in the country’s prime document. Canada consists of nine provinces, three territories and the Nation of Quebec. Secondly, Canada is officially a bilingual country. Except in Quebec which will legislate monolingualism in its territory.

The rest of the country will continue to follow the laws and practices of bilingualism, which policy was originally introduced and subsequently enforced to placate French-speaking Quebec. French-speaking Quebec, in return, will nullify bilingualism, and go officially unilingual. Another question attends the matter of bilingualism more generally.

With a wave of the prime ministerial hand we see the Constitution itself being made a toy. We will see even deeper and angry dissent from the Western provinces which witness, once again as always, Quebec receiving deluxe treatment from the federal government — while they are being gutted, their main industry hobbled and made a target for shutdown by a green Liberal government. Finally, on the Quebec bill itself, it is compliance and electoral cowardice on all sides. Trudeau’s Batman since the election.

Source: Rex Murphy | NP