As Quebec Premier Jean Charest calls on Maclean's magazine to apologize for its cover story this week which proclaimed Quebec “The Most Corrupt Province in Canada”, members of Parliament are trying to craft the wording on an all-party resolution to express its concern about the issue.
I am informed that there was considerable discussion about this during the weekly Conservative caucus meeting this morning. The Conservatives, including, I am told, the prime minister, is concerned that the article and its presentation represents an attack on a “minority” which the Conservatives believe is never right in Canada.
The motion, should it come to the floor of the House of Commons, possibly as early as this afternoon after Question Period, is expected to be tabled by Bloc Quebecois MP Pierre Paquette.
UPDATE: The motion did not make the floor of the House of Commons today but may be ready for Thursday afternoon.
UPDATED AGAIN: MPs did, in fact, vote on this late Wednesday night. Bloc MP Pierre Paquette rose at the end of a series of other votes and, as Prime Minister Stephen Harper and many other MPs was leaving, asked for “unanimous consent” of the House to adopt his motion. He read the motion and MPs on all sides of the House (which was about half full at that point) rose to applaud. When the applause died down, independent MP Andre Arthur hollered “Non!”. Paquette hollered something back at him — as did many other MPs — and Arthur left the chamber. Paquette asked again for “unanimous consent” and, receiving it at that point, the following motion was passed.
“Que cette Chambre, tout en reconnaissant l'importance des débats vigoureux sur des sujets d'intérêt public, est profondément attristée par les préjugés véhiculés et les stéréotypes employés par le Magazine Maclean's pour dénigrer la nation québécoise, son histoire et ses institutions.”
“That this House, while recognizing the importance of vigorous debate on subjects of public interest, expresses its profound sadness at the prejudice displayed and the stereotypes employed by Maclean's Magazine to denigrate Quebec nation, its history and its institutions.”
Maybe it's irrelevant, but when it comes to the relations between Quebec and the ROC, it may have some significance … the French version reads “la nation québécoise” so maybe the English version should read the “Quebecois nation” rather than “the Quebec nation” which might be interpreted as the geographical definition, something carefully avoided in the wording of the 2006 nation motion: “That this House recognizes that the Québécois form a nation within a united Canada.”
What will be reported is the unanimous consent and not the half empty house. Sad, and empty, when the House of Commons stoops to censuring a magazine.