LARRY ZOLF:
Martin and ethnic groups
CBC News Viewpoint | July 26, 2004 | More from Larry Zolf
The Toronto Star headline on Martin's new cabinet was a bold one: "Paul Martin Leans to the Left. New look cabinet: former NDPer to get key health job." The Star noted that the appointment of former NDP B.C. premier Ujjal Dosanjh was "a nod to the left-leaning side of the ruling party which the Prime Minister played up heavily in the latter days of the election campaign." Dosanjh "with his extensive provincial government experience will be the main man at the Prime Minister's side when the premiers hold their big meeting this September to grapple with health care."
What the Star didn't say is that the appointment of Dosanjh reflects Martin's unparalleled strength with Canada's ethnic groups, a historic first. Martin was determined to reward his loyal ethnic following in caucus and he has done so on a grand scale. Albina Guarnieri has been named minister of veterans affairs. Joe Volpe is in human resources, taking over David Collenette's position as the top political minister for Ontario. Joe Fontana becomes housing and labour minister. Joe Comuzzi is minister for Northern Ontario. Judy Sgro keeps her immigration post. Liza Frulla takes over heritage and Tony Ianno becomes secretary of state for seniors. Justice Minister Irwin Cotler is Jewish. Raymond Chan is multiculturalism minister. Toney Valeri takes over the key house leader job and the daily steering of the Martin minority government in the Commons.
This ethnic contingent is no surprise to watchers of the Martin family. Paul Martin Sr. did yeoman work among the ethnic groups in Canada in the '30s, '40s and '50s; he had the support of most ethnic delegates to the Liberal convention of 1968.
In his feud with Chrétien, Martin had the support of the ethnic MPs in the caucus who felt that Chrétien was not giving them their proper due and recognition. They massively supported Martin in the leadership race. They were his backbone core of support. Now the ethnic groups are getting their share of power in the second Martin cabinet.
The ethnic groups in Canada are now what Samuel Lubell in his classic The Future of American Politicspredicted ethnic groups would be in post-Second World War America.Lubell said they would dominate American politics. Now years later in Canada, the ethnic groups are playing out their game with the skilled hand of Paul Martin. The ethnic groups are a key to victory in the next election. Their numbers are now large in the cities and suburbs of Canada.
The ethnic groups in the Liberal party are the main hope for a Martin victory in a run-off election. They constitute a large number of the 75 Ontario seats carried by Martin in the 2004 election. They also hold the key to a large slice of the 21 Quebec seats Martin carried in 2004.
These are political people who have gone far beyond the strictures of multiculturalism and have taken power in their communities. That power they have entrusted to Paul Martin. It is with these ethnic groups that Stephen Harper ran against in the 2004 election. Unable to relate to them, he went down to defeat, despite having the sponsorship scandal and fatigue with the Liberals going for him.
Ethnic Canadians see in Paul Martin their rightful place in Canadian politics being assured.
It is these same ethnic voters who provide Martin with a less than thrilling endorsement of same-sex marriage and abortion rights. But they do not see their stands on social issues as conflicting with their ties to the Liberal party. To them, the Liberal party is a big enough tent to include gays like Scott Brisson and MPs leery of gays and gay rights. Minority government adds to the stress in the Liberal caucus on matters of social conservatism, but Martin has been careful in signalling that while he does not want gay marriage he will respect Charter rights delivered by the courts. Here too, Martin with three vacancies on the Supreme Court to be filled, will do so with parliamentary input, but will find judges he knows will do a fair job.
Chrétien's impact in the ethnic game of Canadian politics was brilliant in his choice of Adrienne Clarkson for governor-general. A person of Chinese background, yet who is a perfect WASP, she worked wonders for the Liberal party. Still, Clarkson is not the prototype ethnic supporter of Paul Martin. Perhaps too, the governor-generalship is not really an ethnic position and will next go to someone in the anglophone or francophone spheres of influence.
Paul Martin's cabinet has been criticized for not giving Ontario too many senior posts, but that surely is a good thing, because Ontario overall has a strong contingent in the cabinet. Ontario's ethnic diversity is well rewarded. Martin is not forgetting who saved his bacon in the election.
Martin can't help but return the ethnic love and affection for him and he has done so in his minority cabinet. He realizes the ethnic vote is a fundamental of Liberal politics and he must cater to it if he wishes to survive as prime minister.
Martin must also be careful not to go too far in his love affair with the ethnics. Too much ethnicking can be seen by anglo Canada as offensive and it is anglo Canada that rejected much of the Liberal heritage in election 2004. Ethnicking with the Quebecois in Quebec could mean the difference between minority or a majority government next time around. Martin needs to rebuild his Quebec base. The ethnics in his party know and understand this.
Still, it's nice to have the ethnics on board the good ship SS Paul Martin. The ethnics make good and loyal ministers. They bring with them a joy of life and a culture of winning. Martin could use a bit of both to survive in the months ahead.
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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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