Ontario premier vows to help redefine Quebec’s place in Canada
Ontario says it’s ready to contribute to redefining the particular place Quebec holds within Canada.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne stood before members of the National Assembly on Thursday and said she happily accepts the invitation launched in June by Premier Philippe Couillard, who has proven determined to relaunch the debate around what status Quebec would like within Canadian confederation.
A historic moment for Wynne, it was the first time a premier of a Canadian province has been invited to address members of the National Assembly within the panelled walls of Quebec’s parliament.
She didn’t hesitate to underline Quebec’s “distinct character.” Delivered half in French, her speech came during the seventh QuebecOntario joint meeting of cabinet ministers, which will lead to the signing and renewing of agreements between the two provinces.
On June 1, Couillard made public a document in which he recalled the history of Quebec nationalism and of the often tense relations between Quebec and Canada. The document listed Quebec’s traditional demands in order to protect its identity, language and culture and professed a wish to begin discussions with the rest of the country on the status of Quebec, opening the possibility of renewed constitutional negotiations.
“Countries are more and more in need of institutions and of the processes which protect people’s distinct identities,” Wynne said in her speech, affirming that she is ready to undertake discussions on the “unique place of Quebec within Canada.”
Quebec and Ontario are historic partners, forming political and economic power when they unite,” Wynne said, emphasizing the word “partnership,” which came up no less than 10 times in a nine-page document.
Leaders of different political groups were then invited to comment.
Quebec’s constitutional demands “are always current,” Couillard said, recalling the “still unacceptable” unilateral repatriation of the Canadian constitution in 1982 during his pointed remarks following Wynne’s talk.
Official opposition leader JeanFrançois Lisée noted Couillard’s efforts to ensure that “the nation québécoise” be one day recognized in the Canadian constitution. But, he countered, Quebec has passed “the point of no-return” and must become independent.
Couillard, meanwhile, showed his federalist colours.
“We believe in a Quebec which takes its place within Canada. That is our conviction,” he said.
During a lengthy portion of his speech delivered in English, Couillard addressed Quebec anglophones, present and past, saying some don’t feel at home in Quebec and that it’s time for that to change. He invited those who moved to Ontario in recent decades to return. He also announced that a special department with its own minister will be created for anglophones.
Climate change will be discussed by the two governments on Friday. In her speech, Wynne said she is committed, with Quebec and California, to creating “the biggest carbon market in North America.”
California Gov. Jerry Brown will be present at the talks on Friday.
Wynne also brought up “the long, tenacious history of francoOntarians,” of which there are approximately 600,000, and spoke of the long-standing efforts of the province to recognize the rights of its francophone minority.