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MINISTER DION EXPLAINS WHY A QUEBECER
WANTS TO KEEP B.C. AS PART OF HIS COUNTRY
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, October 17, 1997 – Stéphane Dion,
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, today told a Canadian Club audience in
Vancouver why he feels, as a Quebecer, that it is important British Columbia
remain part of his country.
Mr. Dion stated that he knows "there is no serious support for the idea of
separatism" in British Columbia. However, the Minister stressed that he
entered politics not only to fight separatism, but also to combat the idea that
it is acceptable to use the threat of secession as a bargaining chip. "In a
country as democratic, as tolerant, as rich, and as successful as Canada, there
is nothing to justify either secession or the threat of secession. Nothing in
Quebec, or in any other province or territory of Canada."
Noting the creativity that B.C. has shown in a number of public policy areas,
the Minister said that the province should "continue to bring its own
perspectives to bear on the challenges we face together." Among these
challenges, he highlighted the future of the salmon fisheries, an issue that
involves not only the loss of jobs, but of a way of life. Mr. Dion underscored
the importance of the fisheries for British Columbia and Canada, remarking that,
for British Columbians, "salmon swim not only in your ocean and rivers, but
also in the very soul of your province."
We must make sure that the fishermen of British Columbia get a fair share of the
salmon catch compared to their American counterparts -- and ensure that there
will still be enough salmon around to sustain the fishery twenty, fifty, a
hundred years from now," Mr. Dion stated. The Minister noted that while
this is a shared goal, there is no clear consensus on how to attain it.
"Tough talk and threats may make waves, but they don’t make
progress," he stressed.
The Minister pointed to a number of fields in which the governments of B.C. and
Canada have been able to work together constructively, including cementing
Vancouver’s role as a transportation hub and that of B.C. as Canada’s
gateway to Asia. He also pointed to important agreements signed in the spheres
of immigration and the fisheries.
"Your history, your culture, your innovative solutions to our national
problems, the potential you represent for the future. These are all aspects of
my country that I value . . . . We must all work together for a stronger Canada
and a stronger B.C.," Mr. Dion said.
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For information: André Lamarre
Press Secretary
(613) 943-1838
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