Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday October 25, 2017
Trudeau, Scheer and Singh do the math in Quebec and none champion an anti-racist stance
The tepid response from federal leaders to Quebec’s ill-conceived and offensive Bill 62 tells us three truths about Canadian politics.
They are not comfortable truths.
September 14, 2013
It tells us that all three major party leaders may harbour suspicions that the bill forcing face coverings to be removed while accessing public services may be more popular both inside and outside Quebec than what might be expected.
They may be right. This has all the trappings of a Donald Trump presidential run or a Brexit referendum in that the louder the protestations and the deeper the indignation of the mainstream pundits, editorial boards and the elite, the more popular the candidate or the legislation.
Secondly, it tells us that the further from power one is, the easier it is to be the champion of rights and liberties.
And thirdly, because it is Quebec, we know that any federal intervention is seen as a political third rail, which would not be the case if, say, a government in Manitoba or Nova Scotia had passed such legislation.
This is particularly true when the Quebec premier is a federalist.
No one wants to poke the hibernating PQ bear, everyone is leery of meddling in provincial jurisdiction, particularly when you have opposition parties who believe Premier Philippe Couillard’s absurd bill does not go far enough. (Source: Toronto Star)