Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-08-22, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 1990. Premiers pick bones of strong Canada The provincial premiers meeting in Winnipeg last week showed one small step in uniting the country, buta lot more interest in picking the bones of what was once a strong country. In the final day of the meeting the premiers did approve a statement that they would work to free trade across provincinal boundaries but earlier many let it be known that the failure of Meech Lake may be just the excuse they needed to make a dramatic power grab. While Premiers David Peterson of Ontario, Clyde Wells of Newfoundland and Frank McKenna of New Brunswick called for restraint, western premiers led by British Columbia’s Bill Vander Zalm clearly saw the possible changes brought about by Quebec’s likely new demands for a totally different Canada after the Meech failure, as a chance for western provinces to get more power as well. Vander Zalm called for a “quantum leap’’ to a new federalism in which the provinces would take over many of the responsibilities of the federal government. “The status quois not sustainable” he said. * ‘The status quo is dead’ ’. He wants the federal government to give over many of its programs and the taxation power to support the programs. Asked whether he was putting his province first or the country, Saskatchewan Premier Grant Devine said: “Saskatchewan first, Canada always. ’ ’ Mr. Devine said the western provinces must form a bloc on important issues to be able to combat Ontario’s clout. One western official accused Peterson of “wrapping himself in the flag” to protect Ontario’s interests. In that may be the real problem of keeping the country together: regional jealousies. For a century now, Westerners have felt they have been abused by Ontario industries and Ontario-based federal trade policies. In some cases they have perfect justification in their resentment. In some cases they may have imagined more harm than there is. But this often blind resentment between regions is tearing the country apart. Often it seems that if Ontario supports something the over provinces feel it must be bad for them and so oppose it. The greatest attraction of Free Trade for Quebec and the West may have been that Ontario was against it. Even the fact Ontario’s government supports a strong federal government is taken for proof that a strong federal government must be bad for everyone but Ontario. This talk of new federalism may be attractive to some. They claim they still want a strong Canada; they just want government closer to the people and to the premiers, closer to the people is with them, not with local municipalities. But if each province gets more power and builds a society at the whims of the premier or that province, if the things that make us similar are reduced in favour of the things that make us different, how long will this new Canada of their vision last? We sit beside the most powerful country in the world, not just in its military might but in its cultural empire that extends around the world. With provinces trying to go it alone they may find too late that they can’t withstand the powerful influence to be sucked into the American federation and all those dreams of doing it their own way will be hollow. European unity hopeful ? While most of us have had our eyes on the decline of Communism, the decline of Canada through the Meech Lake disaster, or the Iraq crisis, the history of the world has been changing with the unification of Europe and few have taken notice. In a two-night documentary on CBC’s “The Journal” last week, many Canadians got their first indepth look at the changes taking place. On the surface unity of this diverse area where nationalism has led to two World Wars seems wonderful but there are disturbing aspects to the whole event. From a global perspective the danger lies in the potential for conflict within Europe as the rules change. With so many nationalities and ethnic divisions even within the current set up, what happens if one group feels it is suffering while another benefits from the new rules. Could we end up in civil disruptions that might bring back memories of the conflicts that led to World War I? Then too, there’s the fact that nearly all the impetus for the union has come from huge multi-national companies that want to rid themselves of the headaches of dealing with various governments and deal with only one. Already some of these companies have more power to affect the lives of individuals than do governments. Given a government unit that’s even larger than before and given the power to shape the international politics that these huge companies have, may not western Europeans end up feeling more helpless to shape their future than their eastern neighbours did under Communism? Waiting for action Mabel’s Grill There are people who will tell you that the important decisions in town are made down at the town hall. People in the know, however know that the real debates, the real wisdom reside down at Mabel's Grill where the greatest minds in the town [if not in the country] gather for morning coffee break, otherwise known as the Round Table Debating and Filibustering So­ ciety. Since not just everyone can partake of these deliberations we will report the activities from time to time. MONDAY: Hank Stokes said this “green” business seems to be really catching on with the politi­ cians in the provincial campaign. Everybody wants to get on the environmental bandwagon using recycled paper for their press releases and flyers and even recy­ cling campaign signs. “Yeh” said Billie Bean, “but I wish they’d draw the line at recycling the same old election promises they used last time.” Ward Black says it might be going along with the current fad but instead of recycling Premier Peterson he’d like to bury him, if not in some landfill, at least in a Tory landslide. “Sure” said Tim O’Grady, “but we’d really find ourselves in a blue box then wouldn’t we.” TUESDAY: Billie says he’s always known that Canada is a little behind the rest of the world but the current crises make the point a little to the extreme. “Here every­ body else is sending troops to Saudi Arabia to stop Iraq from invading and we can’t because we’ve got to keep them at home to fight the Indians. Didn’t the Americans get that over with 100 years ago?” WEDNESDAY: Julia says she’d almost see the hockey playoffs still on rather than have to watch the election ads for the next few weeks. “I get so mad after a while I could throw a brick through the TV screen.” Billie says he wished he had a franchise renting videos for the next while because between the Continued on page 22 The Citizen. L P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $19.00/yr. [$40.00 Foreign]. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisment will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright. Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. Editor & Publisher, Keith Roulston Advertising Manager, Dave Williams (♦CNA Production Manager, Jill Roulston Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968