Stéphane Dion is Right. 50% Plus One Isn't Enough

In response to Jack Layton and some of his Quebec MPs suggesting that 50 plus 1 should be enough to settle the separation issue, Stéphane Dion writes in the Ottawa Citizen:

There are two fundamental reasons why negotiations for secession should be contingent on a clear majority. The first is that serious and irreversible decisions that affect future generations should be made by consensus, not on the basis of a weak and uncertain majority, not on the basis of a result which might have been different if the vote had been held the day before or the day after. There is no doubt that secession is something serious and probably irreversible since it is nearly impossible to rebuild a country after it has been broken. Such an action affects future generations and has serious consequences for all of the citizens of the country being broken up.

The second reason is that, even with all the goodwill in the world, negotiating the separation of a modern state would inevitably be difficult and fraught with pitfalls. What must not happen is that, while negotiators are working on a separation agreement, the majority should change its mind and decide to oppose secession. That would be an untenable situation. That is why the process should only be undertaken if there is a sufficiently large majority that will last through the inevitable difficulties of negotiation.

Making it easier to tear apart our country is not the way to go.

And remember that when Layton was running in 2004, he promised that if elected, he would repeal the Clarity Act. Who knows what this man is thinking.

Now he and Harper are on another kick. They are going to give Quebec more seats. The whole idea behind giving Alberta more seats, was because they claimed that Quebec had too many.

I'm with NDP Charlie Angus on the issue of more seats in the House (more salaries, expenses, pensions)who called it:

"putting a little bit of paint on a leaky old boat and trying to pass it off as a new Bluenose." He argued the Commons needs sweeping democratic reform, not tinkering around the edges. In particular, he called for a system of "fair and open proportional representation so that people in Canada actually feel their votes are being counted."

Sounds like more political games.