Me, Chantal Hebert & the c-word

Who said it better?

"The word 'constitution' leaves a bad taste in many mouths, because of the experience of the Meech Lake and Charlottetown Accords - both of which failed as attempts to make some changes to it. Ever since, it's been a no-fly zone, politically. 'Don't even THINK about making any changes to the damn thing, because that way lies madness.'"

-?Me, Newstalk 1010, November 30

"Since the last round of negotiations ended in the spectacular and divisive rejection of the Charlottetown accord in 1992, a succession of prime ministers has treated as a given the notion that the best way to keep peace in the land is to steer clear of the constitutional minefield at all costs."

- Chantal Hebert, Toronto Star, December 10

"... Parti Quebecois MNAs are not taking their seats in the Legislature – the seats they were elected to be in – because they will not swear allegiance to King Charles III. And there’s going to be a resolution passed shortly to make that oath optional. Again, a workaround."

-?Me, Newstalk 1010, November 30

"... the Quebec National Assembly is disposing of the obligation for its members to swear allegiance to the Crown. The bill that makes the oath optional has enjoyed all-party support at every step of the way."

- Chantal Hebert, Toronto Star, December 10

"And yet, here we are, with multiple, ongoing examples of issues which tie directly back to the constitution. Matters of federal vs. provincial jurisdiction: who has the right to call the shots, and where? The constitution is the fundamental rule book of the country. If there are deeply-rooted problems with how the book works, isn’t it time we sat down and talked about it?

"And I'm not necessarily talking about a grand federal-provincial First Ministers conference. How about at least trying some lower-level, preliminary, exploratory discussions? I bet if you put Quebec and Alberta in a room right now, you’d probably find some common ground about how they feel about this stuff ...

"None of this is easy ground. And I sure wouldn’t bet that we could make some fundamental changes quickly or without a whole lot of carry-on. But as a mature democracy, shouldn’t we at least be able to discuss it?"

-?Me, Newstalk 1010, November 30

"(Those who say the constitution is carved in stone) have often been contradicted not so much by mutinous premiers as by the courts. By default, the latter have become the only venue for a constitutional conversation ...

"Looking at various unilateral moves in Quebec, Alberta and Saskatchewan these days, some analysts lament what they see as provincial acts of mutiny. But if that’s the case, it is in no small part because the federal government has abandoned ship."

- Chantal Hebert, Toronto Star, December 10