Do you think 20 years later with hindsight being 20/20, that Canada would be better off today had the Meech Lake Accords to bring Quebec into the constitution accomplished its goal? Had it passed, it is unlikely that the Bloc Quebecois would exist today as a federal Canadian political party, and their large block of seats do significantly diminish the quality of our parliamentary democracy; both by putting the singular interests of a single province ahead of the greater good of the country, and by reducing the probability than any party wins a majority of seats.
I'm not trying to argue that the specific elements of the proposed Meech Lake treaty were awesome, but the 1995 referendum and now nearly 20 years of Bloc Quebecois later, maybe we'd be better off had Mulroney been successful. You could also argue that the Meech Lake initiative contributed to the Reform Party splitting away for the PC Party, giving Canada nearly a dozen years of Jean Chretien in a cash stuffed envelope.
Or does the greatest fault rest on the lap of Pierre Trudeau for re-writing the constitution? I was 8 years old when Meech Lake failed, so I do rely on the opinion of others who remember it better than I.
Meech lake failed because it included group rights. This was intended to get the special interest groups on side but really upset most of the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteThese are truly good questions, Iceman. But I think you have to go back to the period when Trudeau and Chretien were putting together the Canada Act. Even without Levesque on board, they went ahead with it anyway, as well as the NEP.
ReplyDeleteThe Bloc was going to get formed even if Meech passed. I think that we are better off today because some Canadians finally had to collective b*alls to stand up and say "NO!" to Quebec getting special treatment. It hasn't been an easy 20 years but hopefully we can find our collective voice once again and do it again, and again, and again until they either leave or start cooperating with the people who keep their province rolling in money.
ReplyDeleteIt was Premier Robert Bourassa who missed the boat with the earlier Victoria Accord. Claude Ryan, then editor of Le Devoir, waged a campaign against it and Bourassa caved.
ReplyDeleteIn large part Meech Lake failed because it too closely resembled PET's constitution both in form and the way it came to be. No one wanted the original constitution so why would anyone want some tinkering at the edge to include Quebec. In order to make Meech acceptable PET's brain cramp would have to be thrown out and the entire procedure start from scratch.
ReplyDeleteWilliam in Ajax said..IMHO
ReplyDeleteMeech Lake was a flawed accord, and yes it did have a lot to do with the split in the Conservative party, some of us saw it for the make work project it was.
Making it law would not have gauranteed Quebecs signing on to Trudeaus charter.
What it would have done was lock Canada into endless rounds of constitutional negotiation.
It was jobs, for lawyers and "experts" forever.
If negotiation was failing, then the accord called for more negotiation, by law.!
The Bloc came about because of that hated Trudeau charter, not because Meech failed.
The seperatists saw an opening and used the failure of Meech to gain power.
Thank your lucky stars it "DID NOT" become law, it would have cost us billions by now and I suspect Quebec would still be negotiating for a better deal.
Ps...who in their right mind would negotiate away the gravy train that is known as "equalization" in Canada, when your political lawyer pals can live high on the hog (negotiating) for the rest of their lives.
That would have been the legacy of Meech Lake,
Trudeau would have supported it if it had been his idea, it was exactly the kind of back door socialism he specialised in.
I was around then and I'll offer a piece of intellegence that has been staring us in the face ever since.
ReplyDeleteThe ruse would have continued even if QUebec was given special status. Their political power brokers have for decades, switched allegiences, double crossed, and out-right lied to achieve but one goal, to keep the great shake-down going.
The only thing Meech would have done would be to give Quebec politicians the constitutional power to enforce their demands.
If it was ever really about making the consititution better then Reform would have actually elected MP's in Quebec.
William in Ajax said...
ReplyDeleteThe seperatists saw an opening and used the failure of Meech to gain power.
I would add..
Mulroney was led down that path to Meech by Bouchard, the seperatists were organising long before Meech and saw it for the opportunity it was.
Whether it passed or not the Bloc was going to use it to announce their presence on the federal scene.
If it passed....Bouchards gang would have branded it arrogant that Quebecers should have to re-negotiate their entry into that anglo confederation.
If it failed....Bouchards gang would point to that as proof they weren't wanted in confederation...(which they did).
To Bouchard Meech was a mole hill ready to be made into a mountain.