Michael Chong resigned his federal seat today as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Sport.
The young MP from Wellington-Halton Hills quit rather than support the government's motion to recognize the Quebecois as a nation in Canada.
In words that may someday be as famous and as widely quoted in this country as Kennedy and Lincoln are quoted in the US, he said: "To me, recognizing Quebecers as a nation, even inside a united Canada, implies the recognition of ethnicity, and I cannot support that. I do not believe in an ethnic nationalism. I believe in a civic nationalism."
It is a long time since we have witnessed an MP act with honor and responsibility, and who chooses to resign rather than accept what his conscience tells him is unacceptable.
Chong spoke quietly in interviews, neither positioning himself as a hero nor casting aspersions on others who might disagree with him. In a straightforward way, he gave his reasons for his resignation, then departed the stage. He was a model of deportment, a picture of the mature, rational, reasonable leader we always look for and so seldom find.
There is real leadership in Ottawa tonight. It sits in the back benches of the government of Canada and it has set a standard of behavior that we have not seen in almost 30 years in Ottawa.
Hail Michael Chong. Your Party is extremely lucky to have you in its ranks.
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1 comment:
Grumpy
Interesting parallels between Parliament Hill and Queen's Park.
Chong who you described as the last honest man, committed a career ending move this week (His colleagues on the Hill have a different view on his claim that he was not consulted). Well so much for his influence in government when it comes to serving his constituents.
Likewise at QP and in the SAME riding Ted Arnott is essentially an outcast in the PC party (can't even make the front benches (or cabinet when the PC's were in government) for much the same reasons
Both Ted and Mike share the same gene. That gene carries the following characteristics:
a) Nice sincere smile
b) Shameless self promoters
c) Ineptitude on policy
d) Addiction to useless press releases (and repeating them endlessly) (see b above)
e) lightfooted (able to sneak up on colleagues and knife them in the back
Well... Wellington-Halton voters continue to send them to Ottawa/Toronto.
The only reason is....wait for it.. they are Conservatives. Voters repeatedly forget both are totally impotent. But it's not their fault it genetic...not they they have castrated themselves..or did they? "My genes made me do it"
Then again, perhaps their problem is infectious...got too close to Garth Turner
'Grumpy in Wellington Halton'
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