From today's National Post:
Among veteran Liberal insiders, it is believed that the several hundred Sikh convention delegates Bains and his allies led into the Dion camp (via Gerard Kennedy) came with a price: an end to the investigative powers contained in the Anti-Terrorism Act, which was opposed for predictable reasons by various Sikh, Tamil and Muslim organizations.
Indeed, I am informed by a well-informed source that the critical deals were cut months in advance, and were driven by [Sikh-Canadian Liberal MP Navdeep] Bains -- and, in the case of Muslim delegates, by Arab-Canadian MP Omar Alghabra -- through Kennedy, who'd been staked out early by ethno-politicians as an empty vessel into which they could pour their parochial agendas.
These machinations should not be confined to history's footnotes: The Montreal Liberal convention was a close-fought thing, and the mass migration of hundreds of well-herded delegates along ethnic lines was likely the deciding factor. If more information comes out about unsavoury deals, Dion's image as a squeaky-clean enviro-wonk will erode, and traditional voter suspicion about sleazy Liberal ethno-politics will bubble to the surface. Given the high stakes -- we are, after all, talking about a law that could help us learn the truth about the greatest terrorist attack in Canadian history, as well as prevent even greater carnage in the future-- the issue could prove explosive.
Explosive indeed. Two Liberal MPs were unwilling to vote just to help pay back Stephane Dion's political IOUs. For Irwin Cotler and Tom Wappel, the likely result of voting in favour of extending the terrorism provisions will be an end to their careers as Liberal MPs.
But for Stephane Dion, if Jonathan Kay's information pans out, and if the media starts asking some serious questions, there is a chance he will avoid a likely fate as a footnote in Liberal Party history. Not by winning an election, of course. But by having the label "notorious" attached to his name. Stephane Dion was Liberal leader for only a few months. Despite that, he will always be notorious as the Liberal Party leader who was willing to gut Canada's national security legislation in return for convention votes during his successful leadership bid.
Gee, I'd rather be a footnote.
One more thing -- this goes beyond Stephane Dion. For a lot of Canadians, this will cement a suspicion that Francophone Quebeckers cannot be trusted to defend Canada. I think that's grossly unfair, but it is true that when it comes to involving Canada in international politics, Quebec voters are heavily against any involvement. There is the demand for more than their fair share of defense contracts -- for miltary equipment they don't want to see in action. And, of course, there is the separatism thing. If Stephane Dion's position on the terrorism legislation is shown to be a function of his personal quest for power instead of a principled stand, many people will find their worst suspicions confirmed, and they will paint all Francophones with the same brush.
For a politician who was so instrumental in the fight against Quebec separatism, this would be a terrible legacy to leave behind.
