HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1987-02-11, Page 4One of these things is not tike the other... one of these things doesn't belong
Opinion.There's just no fight left
It's tough to be
friends all the time
When Brian Mulroney promised to end the arguing, to make
Canada and the United States best friends again, to bring
harmony between the provinces and Ottawa, Canadians, tired
of the Pierre Trudeau administration, gave the Progressive
Conservatives hearty support at the polls.
But nearly three years later Mr. Mulroney’s promises have
been turned against him by his critics because there is as much
or more argument between Canada and the U.S., as much
squabbling between Ottawa and the provinces as there was
during the Trudeau years.
Canadians arc ready to believe that Pierre Trudeau was the
causcol'theanimosity becauseitwasanice simple solution: get
rid of Trudeau and you get rid of the problem. One can hardly
blame the genial Mulroney of bringing on these problems by
being too intransigent.
Mulroney had tried so hard to make the provinces happy that
he signed away a piece of Canadian sovereignty on the softwood
lumber deal with the U.S. to keep British Columbia Premier Bill
Vander Zalm happy. He made a healthy cut in federal oil and
gas re venues to give Albert a its way. He speaks of giving
Quebec a veto on some constitutional issues in order to tempt
Robert Bourassa into signing the constitution for his province.
And still the provinces are so angry that this week they may hold
a premiers’ conference to battle Mr. Mulroney over the
fisheries issue.
The sad fact today, as it was in the Trudeau years, is that it is
in the political interests of the provinces to be at odds with the
feds. Battling the feds can do for a premier in trouble what the
Falklands war did for Margaret Thatcher in Britain: unite
people against a common, perceived outside threat. Blaming
Ottawa for everything that goes wrong is a handy safety valve
fora premier in trouble. Given those circumstances, harmony
between the provinces and any prime minister will always be a
fleeting thing.
Similarly, living beside a huge, aggressive neighbour like
the United States gives Canada three choices: it can be a
doormat doing American wishes; it can be completely ignored;
or it can fight for what it believes right which in turn will get
Americans saying nasty things against us.
Nobody can accuse Brian Mulroney of not trying to be
friendly with the U.S. but the results show just how far
friendship really goes when the Americans are pursuing their
own interests. Even Mr. Mulroney has been known to shout
back at the Americans. In truth, ifthereistobeahealthy
partnership between Canada and the U.S. there will probably
always be unkind words spoke. Each side must stand up for
what it believes and often those beliefs will come into conflict.
To expect no conflict between Ottawa and the provinces or
between Ottawa and Washington is the belief in the fairy tale
ending of people living “happily ever after.’’ Anyone who has
been married knows that even the most loving couples have
their embarrassing spats.
Nostalgia for the 1960’s is big business these
days as an aging generation of baby boomers
tries to recall the good days of its youth.
Memories often seem to be the only thing left
though as the rebellious, non-materialistic
generation settles in to the prosperous rut of
middle age.
But if it’s a little sad to see the fight go out of
these people who once protested about every
injustice they could find, it’s even sadder to see
the submissiveness of the people of our part of
the country these days. Huron county people
once ground the regional government push of the
provincial government to a halt, once stopped
hospital closings, once called cabinet ministers
up on the carpet before public meetings of
farmers to get policies changed. Today there
seems to be a quiet air of resignation, of there
being no use to fight.
Our neighbours are going down the drain
financially? Sad but inevitable. Companies want
to take the rail lines out? How can we fight it? The
government is going to close our post offices?
Too bad but what can we do?
The lack of anger and action over the whole
post office debacle is beyond amazement.
Municipal councils don’t discuss the subject.
Organizations like the Federation of Agriculture
ignore what could be a real hardship to their
members. There aren’t even letters to the editor
in the paper about the subject.
Listen all you government bureaucrats and big
business planners, the message is clear: if you
want to push something through on Huron
county now’s the time to do it. People may
remember days when they took control of their
own lives but like the music of the 1960’s, it’sjust
a pleasant memory.
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 Fili
bustering Society. Since not just
everyone can partake of these
deliberations we will report the
activities from time to time.
MONDAY: The gang was talking
again this morning about that
fishing deal with France off the
east coast where the Canadian
government gave the French the
right to catch a whole lot of extra
cod if the French would take the
territorial argument about who
owned what piece of ocean to the
world court.
Hank Stokes was saying that
maybe with Brian Mulroney and
his government in so much political
trouble we could pull our own
Falkland Islands routine and take
overSt. Pierreand Miquelon. Julia
Flint said she didn’t think we had
enough army or navy to do it but
Billie Bean said we’ve got all those
unemployed seal hunters out there
and if they’re as vicious as the
animal rights people make them
out to be they should be able to take
the islands with nothing but their
clubs. And if that doesn’t work.
Hank says, Brian Peckford could
always talk them into submission
... even if they did only understand
French.
Ward Black, who’s a little
sensitive about all this said he
wasn’t sure what all the fuss was
about anyway. It wasn’t worth
going to war over a few codfish.
Hank said he wasn’t too sure
about the French quota on cod but
they sure seemed to have filled
their quota on suckers.
TUESDAY: Tim O’Grady was back
at the session this morning after
taking a quick week’s vacation in
the south.
“You know,” he said, “the
worst thing about taking a vacation
is having to come back to work.’’
“If you don’t like coming back
there’sasimplesolution,’’ said
Billie. “Next time go to Beirut.’’
WEDNESDAY: Tim was asking if
people had heard that great new
comedy team from the States
called Reagan and Yeutter. Rea
gan is the straight man who sets up
the jokes by saying how much he
likes Canada and Yeutter is the
comic who says he wants both
countries to risk their culture in the
free trade talks. Tim says he can
hardly wait to see the day people in
California wear Canadian touques
and watch reruns of “The Beach
combers’’ while they eat pancakes
and maple syrup.
THURSDAY: Hank says he was
Continued on page 5
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