Is Canada broken? No, says Jean Chrtien, more united than ever

OTTAWA – Almost four weeks after the shutdown of the Eastern Canadian railways, former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien downplayed concerns that Canadian unity is at risk as protracted pipeline disputes, aboriginal rights and the need to take dramatic action to curb climate change drags on.

"We are more united than ever," said Chrétien Tuesday, urging Canadians to keep things in perspective.

Christian was speaking at a forum on Canadian prime ministers hosted by the University of Ottawa, during which he said he was worried about him 39; state of democracy in places like Poland, Hungary and Turkey, and of a political culture in the United States.

He noted that the Democratic presidential race was only halfway through and "they have already spent a billion dollars."

"It is no longer a democracy, it is a dollarocracy," he said.

In far-reaching remarks on his mandate, Chrétien said he was very proud to spend billions of dollars on scientific research and Canadian universities and to enact Canadian political finance laws.

When asked how he would advise Democrats to campaign against a president like Donald Trump, Chrétien replied, "I don't know, I'm not a psychiatrist (psychiatrist). I don't understand that they would elect someone like that, but that is none of my business. "

Despite this statement, the former prime minister was candid about his views on Trump. He said he told an American audience "there must be a problem" if the president is applauded by the leader of the Ku Klux Klan.

He also pointed out the difference between Canada, where "the worst insult" for a politician is to be accused of lying and risking being kicked out of the House of Commons, and America, where the 'Washington Post concluded that the president had lied 9632 times and there is no ripple. It is disturbing. It’s worrying. "

When asked if he was worried about Canada's unity in the midst of all the political clashes, Chrétien replied, "I'm still worried and not too worried."

He compared it to the height of separatist tensions with Quebec, when there were "bomb explosions in Montreal" and the FLQ had kidnapped the British high commissioner and assassinated Minister Pierre Laporte.

"It was quite worrying," he said. "It's been a few years, and we're still together, more united than ever."

The current rail blockade crisis requires more time to resolve, said Chrétien, but it will "not break the nation … because Canada is stronger than that."

"We are still facing the problem and solving it."

When asked if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had mismanaged the conflicting demands, Chrétien replied, "We will see when it is over." These things take time. "

He also rebuffed those who argue that Trudeau is not decisive enough in a crisis, noting that Trudeau does not have the power to order the police to do anything. "In the event of a blockage, the Prime Minister has absolutely no authority. It is the Attorney General of the province who has power over the police.

"So it's easy to blame the Prime Minister, but it's not up to him to decide," said Chrétien. "It is not what we hear on television. It is not fair."

Tuesday afternoon, there was at least one rail blockade south of Montreal in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake.

Other protest actions on behalf of hereditary chiefs Wet’suwet’en, who oppose a pipeline construction project on their traditional lands in northern British Columbia. have been phased out, including some in western Canada, which has resulted in delays in the delivery of grain and other products from the Port of Vancouver.

Chrétien also dismissed criticism from the Liberal government over its failure to reconcile Aboriginal concerns and its own climate change plans, with the lack of pipeline capacity to transport energy resources to different markets and a growing sense of Western alienation.

Chrétien said he recently debated former Prime Minister Stephen Harper over the Calgary pipelines and told reporters, "The separation of Alberta will not bring them closer to the Pacific."

“They will always have the pipelines to go through British Columbia. or the United States or the North and so on, so you can't blame Trudeau for that, "said Chrétien. “And the problems of the natives have always existed. It’s extremely difficult. "

When asked if Trudeau was trying to go too fast on climate change, Chrétien shrugged. "There will always be people who say you are too fast, others that you are not fast enough," he said. "There is never an easy course. And climate change is a huge concern, but the development of the nation is also a concern – how can you do it and with minimal pollution, and technology evolve and so on. I'm not here to tell them what to do. "

"I'm not the Monday morning quarterback, nor the stepmother."