Kirjahaku

So begins this collection of Stephane Dion's speeches from 1996 to 1998. Organized around four central themes, Straight Talk shows the breadth and strength of Dion's convictions. Dion believes that Canada is first and foremost a nation of caring people, in contrast to the image projected by the endless, dry constitutional debate. He argues that the melding of diversity and unity that is the basis of this nation is possible only because of the particular federalism that Canadians have invented. This federalism, however, is far from perfect and it is the responsibility of government to continue to work to improve it, always remembering that its core must be the quality of service it provides to Canadians. Dion believes that the Quebec question is not a constitutional question but one that concerns identity: many francophones believe that their identity and culture are not respected in the rest of Canada and see the anglophone majority as a force for assimilation, while many in other provinces feel that separatists do not share the same values of openness and tolerance. He believes strongly that the secession process the Parti Quebecois has proposed - effecting independence on the basis of incorrect legal theory, an unclear referendum question, and a majority of fifty percent plus one - is difficult to reconcile with democracy and raises questions that must be discussed openly and resolved democratically. Straight Talk is a refreshingly honest and frank discussion about a matter that has been at the forefront of Canadian's thoughts for too many years.

So begins this collection of Stephane Dion's speeches from 1996 to 1998. Organized around four central themes, Straight Talk shows the breadth and strength of Dion's convictions. Dion believes that Canada is first and foremost a nation of caring people, in contrast to the image projected by the endless, dry constitutional debate. He argues that the melding of diversity and unity that is the basis of this nation is possible only because of the particular federalism that Canadians have invented. This federalism, however, is far from perfect and it is the responsibility of government to continue to work to improve it, always remembering that its core must be the quality of service it provides to Canadians. Dion believes that the Quebec question is not a constitutional question but one that concerns identity: many francophones believe that their identity and culture are not respected in the rest of Canada and see the anglophone majority as a force for assimilation, while many in other provinces feel that separatists do not share the same values of openness and tolerance. He believes strongly that the secession process the Parti Quebecois has proposed - effecting independence on the basis of incorrect legal theory, an unclear referendum question, and a majority of fifty percent plus one - is difficult to reconcile with democracy and raises questions that must be discussed openly and resolved democratically. Straight Talk is a refreshingly honest and frank discussion about a matter that has been at the forefront of Canadian's thoughts for too many years.

Le Canada n'avait pas connu de politicien de la trempe de Stéphane Dion depuis Pierre Trudeau. Ses réponses cinglantes aux déclarations du Premier ministre Lucien Bouchard sur la séparation ont rendu les souverainistes furieux. Et ses discours ont étonné les commentateurs, toutes tendances politiques confondues. Pour la première fois depuis longtemps, un politicien a eu l'audace de prendre à partie l'opposition. Comme Trudeau, Dion est un brillant universitaire, recruté par le Parti libéral du Canada en raison de ses profondes convictions et de son désir d'imprimer un nouveau dynamisme au fédéralisme canadien. Nommé ministre des Affaires intergouvernementales et élu au Parlement, il s'est retrouvé au coeur même des débats portant sur les grands enjeux en matière des relations fédérales-provinciales. Mais ce sont ses incursions au Québec qui ont attiré l'attention des médias. Ses lettres au Premier ministre Bouchard et au vice-premier ministre Bernard Landry ont défini pour la première fois le coût de la séparation. Il a irrité les séparatistes en déclarant que si le Canada était divisible, le Québec l'était aussi. Il a aussi irrité les anglophones en présentant la Loi 101, la loi du Québec qui porte sur la langue, comme une grande loi canadienne. Stéphane Dion parle avec clarté et passion de la complexité, de la beauté et des contradictions du Canada. Le pari de la franchise définit sa pensée en matière de réconciliation nationale.