|
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.
-30-
For information: André Lamarre
Press Secretary
(613) 943-1838
|
