Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Maybe Iggy Is Right, Sort Of...

Tar Sands booster Michael Ignatieff has lauded bitumen as a key to national unity.

Well Mike, it might just be a key to unlocking our fragile national unity and unleashing the hounds of separatism. Or is that not quite what you had in mind?

CBC News reports that Quebec sovereigntists are using Canada's abysmal greenhouse gas record and the climate change issue to argue for the breakup of our country:

...The Parti Québécois issued the sovereigntist call to arms on the hot-button issue Monday as Prime Minister Stephen Harper prepared to attend the environmental conference at Copenhagen.

The PQ argued in an open letter that if international sanctions are eventually imposed on environmental laggards, "Canada's irrresponsible position" could wind up hurting Quebec industry.

...One political scientist said the climate-change issue may have presented sovereigntists with an ideal wedge to drive between Quebec and Canada.

"There is a distinct disconnect here between the Quebec position and the federal position based on interests that are very easy to identify and understand," said Pierre Martin of the Université de Montréal.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought it was embarrassing when the Green Peace protesters erected their protest signs and it had beside Harper's name the name of Ignatieff, as if they might as well be the same person. What happened to my party that it now embraces, nay shouts its support for, the development of the oil sands? Shame!

The Mound of Sound said...

Well each of these guys does what he can. Harper embarrasses the country. Iggy embarrasses his party.

Jingles said...

Quebec is always looking for something to spew their need to split the country up. With control of Hydro power in the Atlantic Provinces, perhaps they feel they can use the Environment to finally make the split. Canada may not be in good stead regarding Global Warming but Quebec is always acting like a rabid dog.

Liberal Justice said...

More criticism from The Mound. There's a shocker. Iggy is just reaching out to new constituencies in order to form government. You can disagree with certain things but the Leader always deserves loyalty. That doesn't mean loyalty doesn't have its limits, but in most cases we should refrain from air our dirty laundry in public like this.

Jingles said...

Liberal Justice...to what in this world are you referring? What dirty laundry? How can two ways of living be separated when in public life? When a person enters into public life, it ought to be because they want to change what needs to be changed for the GOOD OF THE COUNTRY, not a person's personal gain or fame.

The Mound of Sound said...

LJ, what dirty laundry? Do you mean this fellow's clearly stated policies? Perhaps your Leader always deserves your loyalty and you're free to give it without a word of criticism from me for that. I won't support a leader whose policies I reject as truly bad for the country and for the party. I'll put Canada ahead of Mr. Ignatieff any day and that's my bottom line.

Liberal Justice said...

Fine, then you're helping elect Harper!

The Mound of Sound said...

What I'm actually doing LibJus is pointing out where your leader has parted company with Liberal values and liberalism generally. I don't think his neo-conservative leanings will do the LPC one bit of good in the short run or the long run.

Harper has tried to pull Canada's political centre far to the right. A Liberal leader should be pulling back not following Harper to the right.

I come from a province with a very conservative "Liberal" government. I know just how lousy that is. It's too bad more federal Libs didn't understand that being Liberal isn't the same as being just slightly to the left of the far-Right. Why not just name it the Democratic Party of Canada?

I may have had to hold my nose once or twice but I've always supported Liberal leaders since Trudeau's first election as prime minister. I simply cannot support a closet conservative to lead the Liberal Party. It's no accident that Mr. Ignatieff's polling numbers are far worse than Dion's and significantly trail the party's numbers.