With a huge infusion of Quebec MPs now under his wing, Jack Layton has become very much a champion of Quebec's interests. But he is supposed to replace the Bloc, not replicate it, says Rex.
Read a transcript of this Rex Murphy episode
What's gotten into federalist Jack?
June 2, 2011
Next to the bite of a malarial tsetse fly (or Larry King specials) the prose of your average Throne Speech brings on the yawns, and leads to coma, faster than any other (non-pharmaceutical) substance known to man. Of course, we yet await the memoirs of my hero Herb Grey - which may change the rankings.
So tomorrow is going be a real test for the new Governor General, David Johnston. He has to stay awake while he unspools the yards and yards of verbal chloroform the government has pasted together for him to read.
You may tell I'm not particularly thrilled by the Throne Speech, especially from the Harper crowd. Despite all the paranoia about a “secret agenda” they are as predictable as rain on a long weekend.
What I would like to see, would line up and pay tickets for, is a Throne Speech from Jack Layton and his (really) new, New Democratic Party.
Now that it's an NDP with exciting new ingredients and almost triple the House of Commons cleaning power, I'd like to know how much its agenda has changed.
Particularly on such incidental stuff as referendums, the Clarity Act, the breakup of the country and what constitutes a majority that would legitimate Quebec's leaving the Confederation.
Mr. Layton has been saying some strange things since he was the beneficiary of a huge infusion of Quebec MPs a few weeks ago. He's become very much a champion of Quebec's interests. And on the matter of some future vote on separation he's easy with a simple 50 percent plus 1. He says 50 percent plus 1 is a “clear majority.” Which as Stephane Dion devilishly pointed out doesn't leave much margin for an “unclear majority.”
Curiously on this question Mr. Layton's position was the Bloc's position. It was Jacques Parizeau’s. It is the current leader, of the Parti Québécois, Pauline Marois' position.
How can this be? Jack (federalist) Layton's position on the all-important vote, cannot be the same as Jacque (separatist) Parizeau’s. And surely not the Bloc's. He supposed to replace the Bloc, not replicate it. That's why Quebecers kicked the Bloc out of the game.
How then can it be the federalist NDP's position - unless that huge orange surge in Quebec has not been taken into the NDP - so much as the NDP has been taken into it: to nationalist Quebec politics. A Trojan horse effect?
This election result puts a real test in front of Mr. Layton. Will he play soft on national unity for the next four years, urge everything the nationalists in Quebec hope for - save explicit separatism - merely to hang on to his one-time windfall from the volatile electorate.
There should be some areas of public life that are utterly outside any zone of partisan or political (small p) manipulation. One of them, surely, is the integrity of the country, especially as seen from the privileged position of Her Majesty's Loyal Leader of the Opposition.
For The National, I’m Rex Murphy.
