|
The Flag and Canadian pride
May 31, 2002
An open letter is attached which Minister Stéphane Dion has sent to
newspapers regarding the presence of Canadian symbols in Quebec.
| For information : |
André Lamarre
Director of Communications
Telephone: (613) 943-1838
Fax: (613) 943-5553 |
The Flag and Canadian pride
On May 6, I stated that I had never met a single Quebecer who had changed his
mind about Canadian unity simply because he had "seen a sponsorship."
Since then, that statement has been cited in both the French- and
English-language media as an indication that I contradicted Prime Minister Jean
Chrétien.
But my comments did not contradict the Prime Minister : rather, they
contradicted a simplistic interpretation of his remarks. According to that
interpretation, the Prime Minister is proud of having "sold" Canada to
Quebecers, somewhat like how one might advertise a commercial product. I find it
a great pity that one would belittle what Prime Minister Jean Chrétien has
done for Canadian unity by likening it to advertising hype.
I understand the scepticism behind this interpretation. It is quite right to
say that seeing a flag is not enough to kindle love of country in the hearts of
its citizens. Rather, it is when citizens take their country to heart that they
fly its flag with pride.
But we must consider the context of Quebec. We have a secessionist government
whose avowed policy is to do everything in its power to ban Canadian symbols
from Quebec soil. That government is determined to take Canada out of Quebec, if
it cannot take Quebec out of Canada.
It is even prepared to squander taxpayers’ money to ban the Canadian flag,
as it did at the 1999 Quebec Games (Le Soleil, March 13, 1999, A1), or
with the renovation of the Jardin zoologique and the Aquarium du Québec in
2001. At that time, the PQ government preferred to pay out $18 million rather
than to accept a federal investment and tolerate the presence of the Canadian
flag, which Mr. Landry notoriously referred to as "bits of red rag"
on January 23, 2001.
I appreciate that people are sick and tired of this flag war. But who started
that war, if not the PQ government that wants to ban the Canadian flag? The
Government of Canada, for its part, is proud of both our flags, the Maple Leaf
and the Fleur de Lys alike. In February 2001, Bernard Landry went so far as to
ask Quebec’s then Justice Minister, Ms. Linda Goupil, to remove the Canadian
flag from civil wedding ceremonies. "This shows you how deeply this man
cares for Quebec," Ms. Goupil fawned to PQ supporters in Lévis on
February 25, 2001, apparently seeing this rampant sectarianism as the ultimate
expression of Quebec patriotism.
So do we just lie back and take it? Do we let ourselves be intimidated and
return to the time not so long ago when some Quebec federalist leaders referred
to Canada as little as possible and avoided associating themselves with its
symbols? After the 1995 referendum, the Prime Minister of Canada, in his overall
plan for unity, decided to call unabashedly for the presence of the Canadian
flag and symbols whenever it would be relevant and legitimate to do so. I
believe that this decision has helped many Quebecers to display in turn their
pride in being both Quebecers and Canadians. Canada will not let itself be
driven out of Quebec and Quebecers will resolutely show their will to stay in
Canada.
Naturally, none of this can justify turning a blind eye to administrative
errors or possible misdealings that may have taken place in the administration
of certain federal programs. By turning to the Auditor General as well as the
RCMP, and by issuing new directives, the Government of Canada has acted as it
should have done in the circumstances. The Prime Minister is determined to get
to the bottom of things, because no value is more dear to him than honesty.
Comparative studies rank Canada among the countries where sound management
and integrity in the use of public funds are most respected. Our Prime Minister
is resolved to further strengthen this reason for being proud of Canada.
|
