Originally written Jan. 23rd, 2005;
Anyone who has been following federal politics of late knows that Paul Martin has said that he is ready to fight an election over the issue of same-sex marriage. Some people are understandably underwhelmed by his idealism, especially considering that it was apparently dormant for Jean Chretien’s term as Prime Minister. But regardless of his motives, his recent declarations on the subject mark an important chapter in the evolution of post-Charter politics in Canada.
Federal politics in the years following the repatriation of the Constitution and the establishment of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms have been primarily concerned with areas of ‘liberal’ political discourse.
By that I mean the debate has focused on questions such as taxation, finance, social programs, and of course health care. While each issue obviously has an “ideas” component, the debates are still steeped in liberal language. Questions of constitutionality, practicality, democracy and fairness have been the watchwords of policy debates. Now all of a sudden, the supposedly-honourable Mr. Harper has injected a new element into this discourse. His recent comments in an interview for The Hills Times speaks for itself.“We strongly support traditional values.”
This probably won’t come as a shock to anyone that voted for him, or anyone who follows Canadian politics. What perhaps WOULD be surprising is his sudden interest in the same-sex marriage debate. In that same interview, which is less than a week old, Mr. Harper commented that “The main thing right now is the economy.” Now, it is true that Martin has brought the issue to the forefront, but Mr. Harper has responded just as forcefully, and his response is cloaked in “values.”
So what are these values? I draw a sharp distinction between liberal and conservative values. The former are those values borne out of the liberal tradition. Rights, freedom, democracy, humanism and socialism (in its more abstract form) are all liberal values, because they are a part of the liberal tradition. Conservative values on the other hand are those that are borne out of the tradition of the same name. Fealty, obedience, loyalty, religious morality, and continuity are conservative values one and all.
Coming back to contemporary Canada, the discussions of ‘legal definitions’ and institutional continuity certainly sound good, or read well in the dailies, but they have little or no legal relevance. I’ve yet to see any lawyers present any support to the charges that polygamy would become viable should legislation on homosexual marriage come into law. And I don’t think I will, credibly, for several reasons. Mr. Harper (and those who support his new found zeal) are surely aware of this fact. The fact that they are choosing these avenues regardless gives me hope. Those who would deny Same-sex marriage in Canada know all too well that in spite of their best efforts, right now, Canadians are not quite ready to reject liberal political values. It is for that reason that the Conservative values that are being fought far are linked to more liberal concepts, such as legal definitions and the interests of society at large.
Canadians aren’t quite ready to take that last step towards government morality just yet; but we are certainly inching closer. Right now Canadians are rallying to Martin’s call: “I will defend the Charter (of Rights). I will not allow the rights of Canadians to be taken away and I will make that — the use of the notwithstanding clause — a question of confidence.”
However, he knows all too well that a free vote on the subject would be a close one. Close because there are a lot of conservative MP’s, and not all of them are sitting across the aisle. It would also be close because many Canadians share those values, and recent inroads in Quebec and Ontario by Harper’s Conservative party suggest they are multiplying. This is a troubling development in the war between liberal and conservative ideals. For the first time since the establishment of the Charter, our Federal politicians have staked their legitimacy on a “values” question; and the answer could very well decide the course of political development in this country for the next ten years.
Loading ...
