debate martin defends

Prime Minister Paul Martin Defends Canadian Values
January 09, 2006
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Prime Minister Paul Martin emerged from the January 9th English-language leaders’ debate as a leader with a vision of Canada as a united society built on compassion, generosity, sharing and understanding which recognizes the United States as our neighbour, not our nation.

“I don't believe that Canada was built on American conservative values,” said the Prime Minister. “It was built on compassion, on generosity, on sharing and understanding.

”America is our neighbour. It's not our nation. We have our own set of values, and that's why we're so strong in this country.”

The Prime Minister also put forward a bold new plan to protect the rights of Canadians, suggesting Parliament should eliminate the federal government’s ability to invoke the Notwithstanding Clause in cases where individual rights and equality rights are at stake.

“Unlike most Canadians, Mr. Harper has said the Charter of Rights has serious flaws. His Justice Critic has said we should use the Notwithstanding Clause to take away the rights of Canadians,” said the Prime Minister.

“I think the Charter defines Canada…the first act of the Liberal government will be to be to strengthen the Charter…by supporting a constitutional amendment to remove the federal government’s ability to use the Notwithstanding [Clause] to overturn the Supreme Court of Canada and take away Charter Rights.”

Prime Minister Martin also directly confronted Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe on national unity. The Prime Minister made a strong defence of Quebec’s place in Canada, clearly recognizing the unique contribution its culture and language make to Canadian identity.

“Nearly 150 years ago we came together and we recognized that we would be a far greater nation if we could pull together than if we pulled apart,” said the Prime Minister. “Quebec is entitled to respect for its place in Confederation, recognition of its specific character, its language, and its culture, and this is a huge asset for our country.”

For his part, Mr. Harper dropped the moderate approach he had projected for the first four weeks of the campaign, proposing a radical right-wing plan to protect property rights in the Charter.

“I think the Charter should be strengthened. I think there should be property rights protection in our Charter,” said Mr. Harper.

In the U.S. such right-wing thinking in the 1920s and 30s led to the elimination of workplace safety law, child labour law, and minimum wage law. Mr. Harper’s proposal to “protect” property rights would leave left workers, children, the poor and the environment to fend for themselves.

Mr. Harper also tried to mislead Canadians into believing he had disclosed all of his leadership campaign donations.

“The lists of contributors were made available some time ago, in fact, in some cases a couple years back. I'm not sure why suddenly this question is coming up tonight,” said Mr. Harper.

Mr. Harper has never provided a full list of who funded his 2002 campaign for the leadership of the Canadian Alliance.

Tonight’s debate made it perfectly clear that there is a vast difference in values between Prime Minister Paul Martin and Conservative Leader Stephen Harper. On January 23rd, it will be up to Canadians to decide whose values reflect their own.