My Canada includes Quebec

Over the weekend, I told myself that if there were no more stories about Nycole Turmel today on Google News, that I would just let it go. But, clearly there were and clearly I can't.

To start, for anyone who hasn't read it yet, I highly suggest reading Michael Taube's "Turmel in the BQ? Big deal" article from the Ottawa Citizen. Taube is Stephen Harper's former speech writer and has written the most sensible piece on the matter to date.

Now, moving onto my particular issues with this whole "scandal."

My first issue is semantics. Articles have constantly referred to Turmel as a "long-time member of the Bloc Québécois". A little over four years is a long time in politics to be sure, but what do we call her as a 20-year member of the NDP? A "Longer-time member?" Remarkably, this hasn't come up.

My next issue is the implication that joining a party is a tacit endorsement of everything to do with said party and is tantamount to swearing a blood oath to them. I need only point back to the election of Ed Stelmach as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in Alberta to prove that this is not the case. In 2006, Mr. Stelmach was elected as the leader and premier of the province and it was widely reported that citizens of Alberta were joining the PC party so they could get the premier they wanted. Many who belonged to other parties were hoping to get a more moderate leader and after casting their votes, had nothing to do with the party ever again. Clearly, people can be motivated for personal reasons to join political parties.

My last issue is the one that concerns me the most for the future of our country. I think most political observers would agree that Stephen Harper has coveted Quebec since his first minority government (and probably even before that). Before the 2011 election, most people would agree that a majority was impossible without Quebec, so logically, Stephen Harper targeted Quebec voters (including having two former BQ members in his cabinet)

I have to wonder, however, where did he think all these hoped-for new Conservatives votes would come from? Some of them would have to have come from former Bloq members for it to have worked out. What would have happened then? Would he have just said "Thanks!" and ignored his new converts for four years? What if one of the converts had decided to become more active in the party? What if he or she even fancied himself or herself leader one day? What then? Would the party have swatted him or her down simply based on his or her previous voting record?

To me, this has an odour of second-class citizenry. It seems to me that what Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are implying is that being a former member of the BQ makes a person less Canadian; that once a member of the BQ, a person can't ever do anything good for our country again; that somehow, "they" aren't good enough for the rest of "us." No matter what you think about the Bloq, that kind of mindset is dangerous.

This bothers me immensely. My Canada includes everyone. My Canada has room for different ideas and values. My Canada lets me change political parties daily if that's what makes me happy.

Who is included in your Canada, Mr. Harper?