A Blast from the Past

Thanks to the Wayback Machine, I found some post-election thoughts I once had from 2000:

It's My Country Too (or We All Have Our Crosses to Bear):

My fellow Canadians, it seems to me that our country has come to a cross-roads. With the recent Federal Election having turned into a historic third Cretien majority government, it is becoming more and more apparent the fractured state of politics in this country.

Let me be clear: I blame Brian Mulroney.

He was the man who tried to do what Trudeau had been unable to: get Quebec to sign the constitution. The problem is he went about it all wrong. In his zeal to make a whole country, he was willing to make compromises that instead shattered the country. The West, already feeling alienated by the NEP from the late 70s thought the concessions to Quebec were outrageous, meanwhile Quebec separatists got a taste of power and refused to let go. In the yelling, the Maritimes seemed to be lost and Ontario just resolutely rode things out.

Now we have a country where each region seems represented by a separate political party. Frankly, this stinks. This situation is breeding dis-content within each region, not to mention a contempt for others and a growing insularity. Canada is broken my friends, and something needs to change before it can be whole again.

There's some hope though. The defeat of the Bloc in Quebec by the Liberals says that the sovereignty debate is nearly dead (or at least Quebecois understand how it's damaged their provincial economy), and maybe, just maybe The Canadian Alliance will see their defeat as a chance to work together unifying Canada rather than simply holding the fort west of Thunder Bay. There's also Joe Clark. If he can make the PCs a national party again, he might well unite the country.

But before that will come to pass, a couple of things need to happen. First, Alberta and the west need to get over it. They have a booming economy, and it wouldn't kill them to be a bit less bitter about 'how rotten the East is.' Be gracious, and other's will be nicer to you. It's time to stop bitching and complaining and start supporting an idea of a united Canada.

Secondly, Ontario needs to stop thinking of the rest of the country as the poor country mice. Toronto isn't everything, and I hope the politicians in Ottawa can understand the West, and Atlantic Canada (not to mention Quebec) all need to feel like they contribute, and not just ride on Ontario's coattails.

Finally, the Atlantic provinces need to come into the 21st century. Yes, there's much work to be done in the Maritimes, and no, it won't be easy to build a new economy without destroying our way of life, but it's time to stop being a welfare state and begin building towards a better future.

But you know what? For all our problems here in this country, at least we can elect a new government without suing everyone in sight.

Oh Canada!

S.D. Campbell
whytwolf@spots.ab.ca
12/04/00

Looking back, it seems not much has changed. So much for a post-9/11 world.

Cheers,

Sean