Editorial
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘he
      opinions
      expressed
      in
      this
      column
      do
      not
      necessarily
     
     
      eflect
      those
      of
      the
      staff
      of
      this
      production
      or
      the
      Student
     
     
      Jnion.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      be
      renewed
      on
      the
      basis
      of
      the
      agreement
      reached
      on
     
     
      August
      28,1992?
     
    

    
     
      r/ou...
      :
     
    

    
     
      \cceptez-vous
      que
      la
      Constitution
      du
      Canada
      soit
     
    

    
     
      enouvelée
      sur
      la
      base
      de
      l’entente
      conclue
      le
      28
      aout
      1992?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘)
      0
      you
      agree
      that
      the
      Constitution
      of
      Canada
      should
     
    
   
   
    
     
      here
      it
      is,
      fellow
      Canadians:
      the
      question
      we’ll
      be
      asked
      in
     
     
      he
      referendum
      vote
      in
      all
      its
      bilingual
      glory.
      The
      referen-
     
     
      um
      is
      fast
      approaching,
      October
      26
      to
      be
      precise,
      and
      we
      all
     
     
      ave
      to
      make
      up
      our
      minds
      as
      to
      whether
      or
      not
      we
      approve
     
    

    
     
      f
      the
      proposed
      constitutional
      changes.
      It’s
      a
      big
      decision,
     
    

    
     
      ut
      unfortunately,
      it
      may
      end
      up
      being
      simply
      the
      latest
      ina
     
     
      cemingly
      interminable
      series
      of
      frustratingly
      futile
      at-
     
     
      ‘mpts
      to
      redefine
      the
      constitution
      of
      our
      country.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      he
      referendum
      question
      is
      unquestionably
      difficult
      to
     
     
      nswer,
      buta
      reluctant
      *‘yes’’
      vote
      would
      probably
      be
      the
     
     
      ‘Sser
      of
      the
      two
      evils.
      The
      new
      deal
      definitely
      has
      prob-
     
     
      ‘ms:
      contentious
      issues
      are
      every
      where,
      including
      transfer
     
     
      f
      powers
      to
      the
      provinces
      (which
      many
      fear
      will
      weaken
     
     
      ederal
      power
      and
      undermine
      the
      standards
      of
      current
     
     
      ational
      programs
      if
      provinces
      are
      given
      the
      option
      to
     
     
      \dividually
      control
      them),
      aboriginal
      self-government
     
     
      vhich
      many
      fear
      will
      further
      erode
      Federal
      authority
      and
     
     
      irther
      burden
      taxpayers
      by
      creating
      a
      third
      level
      of
      govern-
     
     
      ‘cnt
      within
      Canada),
      and
      concessions
      to
      Quebec
      such
      as
      a
     
     
      larantee
      for
      Quebec
      of
      25%
      of
      the
      House
      of
      Commons
      seats
     
     
      perpetuity
      and
      three
      of
      the
      Supreme
      Court
      posts,
      not
      to
     
     
      cation
      a
      veto
      option
      on
      bills
      concerning
      French
      language
     
     
      1d
      culture,
      and
      black-and-white
      recognition
      of
      that
      old
     
     
      lcech
      Lake
      chestnut,
      ‘‘Distinct
      Society.’’
      There’s
      more
     
     
      ‘an
      a
      few
      controversial
      points
      in
      this
      deal.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      should
      keep
      in
      mind,
      though,
      that
      dispute
      is
      a
      natural
     
    

    
     
      ‘tt
      of
      compromise,
      and
      a
      compromise
      is
      the
      one
      thing
      that
     
     
      's
      deal
      most
      definitely
      is.
      If
      we
      think
      back
      a
      bit
      we
      can
     
    

    
     
      €
      that
      this
      deal,
      flawed
      or
      not,
      was
      the
      culmination
      of
     
    

    
     
      ars
      of
      debate,
      negotiation,
      and
      research,
      and
      it
      was
      en-
     
     
      tsed
      by
      the
      most
      impressively
      wide
      array
      of
      elected
     
     
      Presentatives
      of
      Canadians
      that
      any
      constitution
      of
      ours
     
    

    
     
      ‘S
      ever
      enjoyed.
      You
      can’t
      really
      get
      a
      much
      stronger
     
     
      ‘Asensus
      than
      the
      one
      this
      deal
      got,
      and
      it
      leads
      one
      to
     
     
      onder:
      what
      the
      blazes
      do
      Canadians
      want
      from
      the
      consti-
     
     
      ‘on
      anyway?
      There’s
      no
      way
      to
      give
      every
      group
      every-
      .
     
     
      'ng
      they
      want,
      realistically
      speaking,
      so
      we
      can’t
      expect
     
     
      Tfection.
      This
      deal
      gives
      at
      least
      some
      consideration
      to
     
     
      °St
      of
      the
      major
      players,
      and
      while
      it
      may
      not
      be
      perfect
     
    

    
     
      *
      ve
      never
      had
      a
      perfect
      constitution
      in
      the
      first
      place,
      as
     
     
      ade
      obvious
      by
      the
      fact
      that
      we’re
      sitting
      here
      trying
      to
     
     
      ‘tsform
      our
      present
      constitution
      in
      a
      few
      dozen
      places.
      Do
     
    
   
   
    
     
      we
      really
      want
      to
      waste
      a
      few
      more
      million
      of
      the
      tax
      |
     
     
      payers’
      dollars
      and
      what
      little
      patience
      Canadians
      may
      still
     
     
      have
      by
      going
      back
      to
      square
      one
      on
      this
      ghastly
      mess?
      How
     
     
      many
      constitutional
      corners
      can
      Canada
      paint
      itself
      into
     
     
      before
      it
      starts
      to
      run
      out
      of
      floor?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      There
      may
      be
      a
      lot
      of
      voices
      against
      the
      new
      constitutional
     
     
      package,
      but
      think
      for
      a
      moment
      about
      who
      they
      are:
      the
     
     
      Bloc
      Quebecois,
      the
      Reform
      Party,
      the
      Partie
      Quebecois,
      the
     
     
      Confederation
      of
      Regents
      Party,
      N.A.C.
      ...
      what
      do
      these
     
     
      groups
      have
      in
      common?
      Answer:
      while
      some
      of
      them
      may
     
     
      be
      well-intentioned,
      they
      are
      groups
      who
      are
      more
      concerned
     
     
      with
      thier
      personal
      agendas
      than
      with
      the
      welfare
      of
      the
     
     
      country
      as
      a
      whole.
      Some
      of
      these
      groups
      would
      as
      soon
      spit
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "How
      many
      constitu-
     
     
      tional
      corners
      can
     
     
      Canada
      paint
      itself
     
     
      nO
      7
     
    
   
   
    
     
      on
      each
      other
      as
      work
      together.
      What
      sort
      of
      Canada
      would
     
     
      be
      built
      by
      self-interested
      opportunists
      like
      Preston
      Manning
     
     
      and
      Jacques
      Parizeau?
      They
      offer
      no
      constructive
      option,
     
     
      and
      the
      new
      constitutional
      package
      is
      the
      only
      thing
      at
      the
     
     
      moment
      that
      does,
      warts
      and
      all.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      ideal
      thing
      would
      be
      for
      this
      whole
      fiasco
      to
      go
      away,
      to
     
     
      be
      conveniently
      forgotten
      so
      that
      we
      can
      concentrate
      on
     
     
      more
      pressing
      concerns
      like
      the
      economy.
      It
      seems
      to
      be
      too
     
     
      late
      for
      that,
      though;
      since
      we’ve
      opened
      this
      Pandora’s
      Box
     
     
      of
      a
      debate
      there
      may
      be
      no
      way
      to
      successfully
      close
      it
     
     
      until
      we
      reach
      some
      kind
      of
      decision.
      Of
      the
      two
      decisions
     
     
      we
      can
      make
      on
      October
      26,
      a
      ‘‘yes’’
      to
      the
      deal
      will
      at
      least
     
     
      give
      our
      elected
      representatives
      the
      go-ahead
      to
      work
      outa
     
     
      final
      resolution
      to
      the
      dilemma,
      while
      a
      ‘‘no’’
      vote
      will
     
     
      simply
      dump
      the
      country
      back
      into
      a
      cycle
      of
      internal
      strife
     
     
      and
      resultant
      political
      and
      financial
      instability.
      A
      ‘‘yes’’
     
     
      vote
      won’t
      automatically
      solve
      all
      our
      problems
      either,
      but
     
     
      it
      doesn’t
      have
      to.
      The
      ‘‘Charlottetown
      Accord’’
      we’re
     
     
      voting
      on
      isn’t
      law
      yet,
      and
      if
      we
      have
      to
      we
      can
      tinker
      with
     
     
      it
      later
      even
      if
      it
      is
      made
      law,
      just
      as
      we’re
      modifying
      our
     
     
      present
      constitution;
      plus,
      in
      case
      you’ve
      forgotten,
      a
     
     
      referendum
      isn’t
      legally
      binding.
      It
      won’t
      automatically
     
     
      lock
      us
      into
      one
      plan
      forever,
      so
      we
      shouldn’t
      hesitate
      to
     
     
      make
      a
      decisive,
      positive
      step
      forward.
      Canada
      deserves
     
     
      that
      much.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sean
      McQuaid
     
     
      Editeur
     
    
   
   
    
     
      P.S.
      My
      Canada
      includes
      Flacons
      de
      Mais.