英國星期四爆出前外交部常務次官 Olly Robbins 【文首照片】隱瞞文德森（Peter Mandeslon）在駐美大使任命中通過不了安全背景審查一事，首相施紀賢（Keir Starmer）等閣員也是本週初才知道，但 《獨立報》政治編輯 David Maddox 在X說 ，他7個月前已爆料報導未能通過背景審查一事，而且在報導刊登前一天還就此事查詢首相府，唐寧街哪有可能近日才知道此事。
事緣推動魁北克省獨立的政黨魁人政團近日提出有關魁北克地位定議的議案，部份人視為為魁北克獨立鋪路，而總理哈珀（Stephen Harper）２２日突然提出一個全加拿大政壇完全意想不到的動議，將魁人政團殺個措手不及。魁人政團２３日變陣，再度提出另一議案。
不妨看看３個議案有何分別：
１／魁人政團原動議：魁北克人「自成一個國家」（a nation）
２／哈珀動議：魁北克人「在統一的加拿大內自成一個國家」（a nation within a united Canada）
３／魁人政團最新動議：魁北克人「目前在加拿大自成一個國家」（a nation that is currently in Canada，法文為nation actuellement au Canada）
在野自由黨原本想再修訂為「跟加拿大統一的國家」（a nation unified to Canada，法文應為nation unifie au Canada），但魁人政團堅持要有「actuellement」（即currently，目前）字眼下，自由黨撤回動議。
略懂政治學入門的人都應該知道，「nation」是一個很含糊的字眼，既可解作擁有自己一套獨特文化的「民族」（例如德國人身在可處，也屬於German nation），但也可解作擁有主權的國家（例如United Nations）。西班牙早前也為加泰隆尼亞地區是否一個「nation」（西班牙文為nacion）激辯，因為西班牙憲法訂明，西班牙是一個「Nacion」。（注意，是大楷Ｎ）
哈珀在２２日國會的發言說得很清楚：「我們的立場十分清楚。魁北克人在加拿大內自成一國嗎？答案是對的。魁北克人自成一獨立國家嗎？答案是否，而答案也將永遠是否。」（Our position is clear. Do the Quebecois form a nation within Canada? The answer is yes. Do the Quebecois form an independent nation? The answer is no and the answer will always be no."）
魁人政團則反擊，批評這動議意味，魁北克人要跟加拿大在一起才是「nation」，否則便是沒有自己「nation」的社群。他們強調，魁北克人「我們就是我們」（we are what we are），要求國會承認「他們就是他們」，不能有任何附帶形容詞，加拿大聯邦國會也無權越俎代庖，為魁北克人決定前途。
新定義也惹來部份「統派」不滿，他們認為，加拿大自己就是一個「nation」，很難想像一個nation內如何有幾個nations，並擔心先例一開，印弟安人、愛斯基摩人、中國人等，或紐芬蘭省、卑詩省等都可以要求自稱為加拿大內的一個nation。
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新浪留言
[1]
Interesting...........remind me of china mainland/ Taiwan. I don't quite know Canada, would you mind to talk a little bit more about the culture difference between Canada/ Quebec ?
作者 L | 24th Nov 2006 11:29
[2]
對不起，我對法語系和英語系的加拿大人的文化有何分別，也不太清楚 =______="""\
作者 simon/示芒 |28th Nov 2006 03:54
[3]
i hardly expect to see such news posed on here. quebec called as a nation is more than identity of french speaking province and certainly raise financial crisis and split of west and east.
in canada, the west coast including alberta has less saying in the federal level and often find depressed, even its economy has been prosperous since oil price rised. the west coast has long looked for more independence from ottawa. this historical problem surely will once again rasied by identity of quebec.
next, its financial crisis will come out. as a nation, quebec's financial budget will catch all canadian's eyes. with such vague term, "nation", quebec will be independent on finance??? especially on medical system?? in canada, lack of money on medical system is one of the most major concerns. every year, most provinces depend on funding from federal government. as a nation, would quebec be able to get the same amount of money from ottawa?? interesting!!! the piece of cake will be the same???
stephen harper personally has intention on quebec identity. his minority government in ottawa has often been shaken by liberal party, former leader. harper obviously intended to gain vote of quebec which contains second largest votes in canada. his intention will win the votes??? it's a question! quebec is changing. it itself becomes less and less critics on the identity problem. its own party less emphasied on this problem in last election.
interesting....
作者 little tiger |14th Dec 2006 08:04