Standing On Principle

It is sad, and rather unfair to see a good man who had contributed much, exit the scene. Politics is a hard game that claims victims during times of elections when no one can quite predict, despite the over-use of polls and focus groups just how the electorate, that volatile beast, will cast its votes. Who could have predicted that the Quebec electorate would toss out the Bloc, and replace it with the NDP?

Perhaps it's feasible enough that French Canadians were fed up with the performance of the Bloc Quebecois in Parliament, with its constant posturing and prodding and percolating demands. Deciding in its stead to vote for a nation-wide party that would represent their interests. Pity that their interests do not quite mesh with those of the rest of Canada.

On the other hand, this past election of 2011 did demonstrate something very useful; that a majority government could be brought to office without the support of Quebec voters. A refreshing realization, one that has been too long in arriving on the scene. Quebec's national arrogance, and its entitlements and its rashness will come back to haunt it.

But it should never again be permitted to think of itself as the most important province in Confederation, one that could go on forever challenging the federal government for its favour, and believing that it held the key to government for any party that it deigned to favour. Quebec voters spurned the Conservatives but in the final analysis they have harmed themselves.

Out of spite a Member of Parliament whose function and performance was beyond reproach has been left out of this 41st Parliament. In his place a neophyte politician with a quaint attraction to medieval arms, a government employee with no past experience. Who won Lawrence Cannon's seat - the past Minister of Foreign Affairs - with a handy 9,000 vote advantage.

"I wouldn't change one iota from what we did. We stood on principle. Our overriding goal was to protect and advance the prosperity and the security of Canada and Canadians and to promote freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law around the world. That is a difficult, sometimes even dangerous, mission, but it is a noble and important one." Lawrence Cannon