LARRY ZOLF:
Gays and western alienation
CBC News Viewpoint | May 17, 2004 | More from Larry Zolf
Stephen Harper and the media have publicly scoffed at Paul Martin's suggestion that he would try to end western alienation. Modern western alienation centred on Brian Mulroney's acceptance of a Quebec company's bid for a major Defence Department contract over a Winnipeg company's, though the Winnipeg bid was the lower. Western Canada went into a frenzy of hatred for Mulroney's pro-Quebec policies.
Several years later Preston Manning formed the Reform party and took away one of the two pillars of Mulroney Toryism. The other pillar went with Lucien Bouchard and the Bloc Québécois. The result of western alienation was the destruction of the Progressive Conservative party in 1993 and the ultimate new Conservative party under Harper.
The West has remained very poor country for the Liberals. Harper has said he cannot see any western seats going Liberal, certainly none in the rural parts of the country. A large part of Harper's present caucus is made up of rural members from the Prairies and British Columbia. Harper has his eye on the Edmonton seat of Anne McLellan, the
Calgary seat of Joe Clark and the Wascana seat of Ralph Goodale.
But Martin hasn't been scared off by Harper. Already Martin has reacted by luring Winnipeg's gay mayor, Glen Murray, to run in a Winnipeg seat. Glen Murray is a real catch for the Liberals as Murray is walking and living proof of the sincerity of Martin's pledge to deal with cities more fairly than any other prime minister.
Still, the gay aspect of Murray will have a rippling effect on all the ridings coast to coast with sizable gay communities. It will also take the pressure off Martin, who is supporting gay marriage reluctantly, and his social conservative caucus, which is in open
rebellion on the subject.
In his choice of Glen Murray, Martin will be the second liberator of gays in Canada. The first was Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Trudeau legalized homosexuality when he famously said that the state had no place in the bedrooms of the nation.
In Canada's most contentious riding of Toronto-Danforth, 22 per cent of the voters are gay. NDP Leader Jack Layton has come out for gay marriage. The sitting Liberal MP, Dennis Mills, cannot and will not support gay marriage. But Mills is a Liberal and gays trust the Liberal party over the New Democratic party at a margin of 2-to-1 says a poll of the riding. Mills can't help but benefit from Martin's popularity with the gay community who are looking to see Glen Murray in a Martin cabinet.
That Murray is mayor of Winnipeg is a true testament to his political talents and his courage to be an open gay. Winnipeg is the birthplace of violent western alienation. In 1919, thousands of Winnipegers walked off their jobs in support of One Big Union and a General Strike.
By outflanking the NDP in Winnipeg, Paul Martin has seen it all pay off in Toronto-Danforth and Toronto-Rosedale where the gay community lives. It will also pay off in the Vancouver and Halifax gay communities.
The argument one frequently hears in Toronto-Danforth is that Layton will win because he's a national leader of a party that supports same-sex marriage, while Mills is merely a backbencher on the wrong side of the issue. The argument goes that the wealthy parts of the riding will vote for Layton because they share his pro-gay views and Mills doesn't.
Still, Mills is likely to represent the government in power; the more affluent, gays among them, will press the Liberals to do a good job for them. Mills has certainly been doing that. Mills is the Hill Times MP of the Year.
Glen Murray makes it more possible for the Liberals to truly have a free vote on same-sex marriage and not shoot themselves in the foot doing it. Murray's choice may make the Conservatives look like the gay-bashers the media and the Liberals will try to make them out to be.
Murray's triumph in Winnipeg will be duly noted in Canada's gay community. They will see that the Liberal party has under Trudeau and Martin proved to be their best friend. They will vote Liberal in gratitude. Glen Murray being onside will enable Martin to ride out any difficulties the Supreme Court ruling will provide on same-sex marriage.
Martin has personally stamped the gay file as important to him. It gives him an urban community across western cities like Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Regina. Murray ended the isolation for the gay community in Winnipeg; he instead made it mainstream and Main Street at one and the same time.
Attracting a candidate of Murray's calibre reflects very well on Martin's leadership skills. In one fell swoop Martin has taken a big step towards ending western alienation for the Liberals; with his choice of Murray, Martin is now seen as a gay champion all across Canada. On the other hand, Martin has a big city mayor in his hip pocket.
Certainly Martin has pulled off a coup here.
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LARRY ZOLF
POLITICAL COMMENTATOR
Veteran journalist and Canadian political expert Larry Zolf is a regular contributor to CBC News Online. Larry has been a critic, reporter, producer and consultant for CBC news and current affairs since he joined the CBC in 1962. Born and raised in North End Winnipeg, the hotbed of general strikes and socialism, Larry has covered stories such as integration in Mississippi and the October Crisis in Quebec. He was one of the hosts of the CBC's flagship current affairs television show "This Hour Has 7 Days." He is now retired.
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