Musings of a Canadian Slacker

Sunday, October 30, 2005
 
Today is the 10th anniversary of the Federalist rally that may well have turned the tide against separation during the 1995 referendum in Quebec. The Montreal Gazette has an instructive editorial on the impact of the referendum and on Mr. Martin's baffling silence on the question of sovereignty in Quebec. (hat tip to Paul Wells)

There was an interesting point in the editorial to the effect that Quebecois were not swayed by arguments based on 'Dour economic Calvinism', which is not an unreasonable point. During that referendum campaign, up to the point of the rally, I had thought that as a non Quebecois...it was not my problem, that Quebec would decide and then we would work out what needed to be done afterwards. The rally changed all that. It made me realize that there was something important at stake for all Canadians and that it was up to us to persuade Quebecois on a visceral level that there was something worth saving here. In this country. And ten years later, it remains. And is still worth it. So, where are you, Mr. Martin? And you also, Mr. Harper?