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Archives - Press Room

Archives - Press Room


MINISTER DION JOINS JEWISH, ITALIAN, AND
GREEK COMMUNITIES TO PROMOTES
RECOGNITION OF QUEBEC

TORONTO, ONTARIO, November 26, 1996 – The President of the Privy Council and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Stéphane Dion, said today that "while non-Francophone Quebecers massively reject secession, a great many of them support recognition of Quebec within the Constitution of Canada." Mr. Dion spoke to an audience at Toronto’s Holy Blossom Temple which included representatives of the Quebec and Ontario Jewish, Italian and Greek communities, who had earlier released a statement in support of reconciliation, recognition, and renewal in Canada. Mr. Dion praised their efforts "to convince their fellow citizens to recognize Quebec’s difference."

Mr. Dion told his audience that their "communities have played a major part in the building of Canada, and of the two great cities of Montreal and Toronto." The Minister noted that Canada’s early experience of French-English duality helped create its current multicultural diversity. "The initial experience between the British and French in early Canada led them in turn to give a better reception to their new fellow citizens from every continent."

Mr. Dion stated that constitutional recognition of Quebec would not give Quebec special privileges or undermine the rights of others, but "would take the form of an interpretive clause in the Constitution, such as the existing section 27 of the Charter, which recognizes the multicultural heritage of Canadians." The Minister observed that "after fifteen years under the Charter, nobody would say that this clause has endangered the rights of a single Canadian. Why should the recognition of Quebec be any different?"

The Minister stated that recognizing Quebec’s distinctiveness would be "a giant step toward national reconciliation and unity," and emphasized that "we should remember all the major reforms of the past, such as votes for women, compulsory education, and progressive taxation, which were resisted for a long time before gaining public acceptance."

Mr. Dion stressed that non-Francophone Quebecers are "excluded by the secessionist option." In fact, the Minister noted, "secession is the only issue that is causing an unhealthy split between Francophone and non-Francophone Quebecers." Mr. Dion underscored that "there is a great contrast between the tolerance of Quebec society and the intolerance of the secessionist option," saying that the reason he is so opposed to Quebec’s secession is that it "would put tolerance at risk." Indeed, the Minister noted that, even with secession merely a possibility, Quebec has seen a worsening of its language debate.

Nevertheless, Mr. Dion said, as individuals, many sovereignists "share the same universal values that have brought us here today." Indeed, the Minister pointed out that it is because they "share those same values that we need to dialogue with them and explain that secession would jeopardize the kind of open society that they prize." Mr. Dion stressed that "we have to reach out to one another, rather than listen to the voices of division and animosity."

"Our country is perhaps the most humane country in the world, where the universal values of freedom, tolerance and respect for differences are perhaps most respected," said the Minister. The very dynamic of secession would, by contrast, "destroy, for a long time, the spirit of tolerance in Quebec society and would damage that spirit in the rest of Canada," Mr. Dion explained. "We are very much against secession precisely because we are very much for a vibrant Quebec society. Through secession, Quebec society would be renouncing not only Canada, but also the best part of itself. And we are also very much for constitutional recognition of Quebec precisely because we are very much for a strong Canada," the Minister concluded.

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For information: André Lamarre
Press Secretary
(613) 943-1838
 


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Last Modified: 1996-11-26  Important Notices