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Driven To Distractions©
The Sound of One Hand Clapping©

A rchive Date
[ 02-11-2000 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Canada ]
      [Prez to separatists: Why?
      Clinton delivers 'great message on federalism'
      By STEPHANIE RUBEC - Ottawa Bureau
      October 9, 1999

      MONT TREMBLANT, Que. - U.S. President Bill Clinton stole the stage back from separatists yesterday, questioning why Quebec would want to leave one of the best countries in the world.

       Clinton's statements - clearly aimed at separatists - came during a lengthy, 40-minute closing address at the International Conference on Federalism, where he extolled the virtues of Canada and condemned sovereignty movements.

       He told a packed room of more than 1,000 federalists that sovereignty is only acceptable under extreme situations, such as oppression.

       Clinton said the assertion by ethnic, tribal or religious groups that they can only have a "meaningful communal existence" if they're an independent nation "is a questionable assertion in a global economy where cooperation pays greater benefits in every area of life than destructive competition.
       
      'SPOKE ELOQUENTLY'
       "I personally believe that you will see more federalism rather than less in the years ahead," Clinton predicted.

       His statement extolling the virtues of a united Canada was the flip-side of the coin from the famous "Vive le Quebec libre" statement then-French president Charles de Gaulle made in 1967 from the balcony of Montreal's City Hall.

       PM Jean Chretien beamed at Clinton during the speech. "It was a great message on federalism ... and he spoke extremely eloquently about federalism as the best form of government in the world," Chretien said.

       For the past week, Quebec's separatist government has stolen the spotlight at the conference attended by leaders and representatives from more than 20 countries. Following a meeting with Clinton, Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard said he didn't take the U.S. president's speech to heart. Bouchard downplayed the U.S. president's remarks, claiming Clinton wasn't singling out Quebec. However, Bouchard admitted that Clinton probably had the Canadian situation in mind in the speech.


      World Fact Book (CIA)]]


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