Angry in the Great White North

Bob Rae speaks in 1997, at St. Francis Xavier University at the Inaugural Allan J. MacEachen Lecture (in honour of the former Liberal minister Allan MacEachen):

One of the reasons that I wanted to accept this invitation (though I am sure there are many partisans in my own party who would say you mustn't go to some sort of Liberal party celebration for Mr. MacEachen), is because we shouldn't fail to at least salute from the other side those in other little platoons whom one respects and for whom one has affection. Nor should we neglect the fact that we define our politics in Canada by the fact that not only can we disagree as partisans but also we can agree and work together. I take great pride in the fact that as a New Democrat, I supported the patriation of the Constitution with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms when I was in the Opposition and Mr. MacEachen was the Deputy Prime Minister. I think Prime Minister Brian Mulroney showed great courage and great energy in his defence of the country and I fully supported his attempts to further reform the Constitution at Meech and at Charlottetown. I have not hesitated to say so privately, and I certainly would not hesitate to say so publicly.

Nine years later, MacEachen endorsed Bob Rae's candidacy for the Liberal Party leadership, and is the honourary chairman of Rae's campaign.

In any case, Rae supported Brian Mulroney's attempts, as divisive as they turned out to be, but then in May of this year, as a Liberal leadership candidate, he decided that he didn't really need to fix the Constitution after all:

Leadership Candidate Bob Rae, meanwhile, took his campaign to Quebec Wednesday, remaining vague about how he would get the province to sign the Canadian Constitution.

The former Ontario premier told 100 supporters about his support for the Meech Lake and Charlottetown accord.

"I have made a personal effort for a long time to ensure the total participation of Quebec in the federation and the country, and it's what I will continue to do in all ways.''

Speaking in support of the federal Clarity Act, which imposed conditions on a future sovereignty referendum, he said he "preferred clarity to confusion, that's all.''

While he said in French that the unilateral repatriation of the Constitution without Quebec must be fixed, Rae added in English that Canada "isn't something broken that must be repaired.''

Well, it depends on the audience, it seems. To French speakers, the Constitution must be fixed, but for an English audience, it could be left well alone.

The confusion continues. In August, at a forum with other leadership candidates in Quebec City:

In an all-candidates debate only five of the 11 contenders attended, Bob Rae, Stephane Dion and Scott Brison said there is a need to recognize Quebec as a nation within Canada.

"I always supported the notion that Quebec...is a nation, it is a distinct society, which we need to recognize in our Constitution and I have fought for that," Mr. Rae said. "The genius behind federalism is that we can be both a Quebecker and a Canadian."

A "need" to recognize Quebec? Sounds like he wants to amend the Constitution to recognize Quebec as a distinct society, a return to the Meech Lake formula of Brian Mulroney, roundly denounced by Pierre Trudeau.

Not exactly. We need to recognize it, but we can't do anything about it. But more to the point, Michael Ignatieff can't do anything about it:

During the third all-candidates' debate yesterday, Bob Rae confronted his main rival, Michael Ignatieff, head-on, warning against promising to recognize Quebec as a nation in the Constitution if the party is not sure it will be able to do it.

Mr. Rae was responding to Mr. Ignatieff, who said the country will eventually need to recognize Quebec as a nation. Mr. Ignatieff insisted there is a need to give Quebeckers hope that one day they will be able to say, "Quebec is my nation, but Canada is my country."

"In my view, it is dangerous for the Liberal Party to promise people that we will change the Canadian Constitution because, my friends, we tried it and, I can tell you from experience, it is not easy to do: the negotiations are difficult and ratification is difficult," Mr. Rae told Liberal supporters during yesterday's debate.

So when Michael Ignatieff makes an open-ended promise to one day amend the Constitution, it is dangerous. When Bob Rae makes the same promise, it's brilliant politics (except in English).

Actually, Bob Rae is full of dangerous ideas:

Political relations can always be improved, but a common currency and shared values clearly imply co-ordination and reciprocity, as they are doing in Europe.

These in turn will require common political institutions, like parliament and courts, with some powers independent of the member governments of the federation and common to all citizens. These common federal institutions can always be reformed. The appointed Senate will be abolished. Our relationship with the monarchy will be reassessed. Parliament itself can usefully change. But for all these changes, an underlying truth remains: the idea of Canada, a nation and civil society with a history of partnership and solidarity, remains as strong and vibrant as we care to make it.

Is it really so dangerous to talk about these things? Not to Bob -- these things "can always be reformed". Bob Rae loves negotiating. He thinks negotiating is as important as the result, perhaps more so. From his MacEachen lecture:

One of the most ironic descriptions of the anti-political approach was when Premier [Jacques] Parizeau came to Toronto, just before the Referendum, and in an effort to sell the benefits of sovereignty and of separation to Toronto said, "just imagine what it will mean." He was saying, look, you know you are all bored with the Constitution, you know you are all fed up with all this constant round of discussion and negotiation. "It's like an endless trip to the dentist," he said, this constant Canadian preoccupation with the Constitution. Imagine, if we vote "Yes," we'll have a few discussions, it will be all over, no more trips to the dentist. This is the ultimate anti-political fantasy. And what a total fantasy it is.

All of us in our common commitment to dental hygiene know that a trip to the dentist is not a bad thing. It happens to be something you have to do. It's something you do every few months. It's a way of taking care of your health. If you don't go to the dentist, your teeth tend to fall out. But, the other thing that Mr. Parizeau was forgetting, is that whatever form the Canadian dialogue takes in the next year or three years or five years or ten years, negotiation is not something to avoid.

Negotiation is life itself.

So which is it? Opening the Constitution and entering into negotiations on Quebec, the Senate, the Queen, Parliament, and everything else under the sun? Or leave the Constitution alone, since it seems to puttering along fine, and it's dangerous to say that negotiations must be re-opened?

Bob Rae -- all things to all people. Depending on who is listening and who spoke last.