Canadians’ choice

Press, 22 February 1980, Page 12

Canadians’ choice

When Canadians ' returned Mr Joe Clark and his Progressive Conservative Party to power last year they seemed to be tired of the style of Mr Pierre Trudeau who had ruled them more as a president than as Prime Minister and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1968. Now, apparently, the electors find that Mr Trudeau’s style is considerably better than the impression of no style at all which came from Mr Clark. Mr Trudeau’s clear majority seems to assure him of an uninterrupted five years in power. The swing against the Government indicates that it was a Government being voted out rather than the Liberals being voted in. Mr Clark’s term was interrupted because his Government was defeated in a Parliamentary vote after only six months in office' The voters used the opportunity they were given to pronounce on what they thought of his Government in a manner that is not to be misunderstood.

He had had a tough six months in office. Inflation was high and unemployment was higher than it had been since the 19305. These difficulties, Combined with an impression of welching on election undertakings, and general ineptitude, were unkind to Mr Clark. The price of oil was going up but Canadians thought Mr Clark’s rises too high. Canadians had been promised tax cuts but instead had their taxes increased. In a move that some say was an attempt to please Jewish supporters but others say was because he did not know there was a problem, Mr Clark proposed moving Canada’s Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Not even American gratitude and support for the protection of American diplomats in the Canadian Embassy in Teheran served to rally, the support of Canadians behind Mr Clark. Mr Trudeau appears to think that there is little political support to be had in Canada from closely identifying Canadian aims with those of the United States. Canadians feel the cul-

tural and financial force of the United States more, probably, than any other country. His victory speech was an interesting mixture of friendliness towards the United States and the assertion of not only separate identity for Canada, but separate aims. The United States, he said, was Canada’s best friend: Canada wanted peace between the super-Powers; and achieving that peace was an important part of Canada’s role in the world. He is not going to have Canada follow the United States in : boycotting the Olympic Games in Moscow unless the move finds support in the Third World. It would seem that, not for .the first time, Mr Trudeau is going to seek a special relationship with the developing nations.

One of the causes dearest to Mr Trudeau’s heart is that Quebec should remain part of the Canadian federation. The assertion of Canadian independence from American pressures will go some distance towards satisfying aspirations within Quebec. He takes office shortly before Quebec holds a referendum conducting negotiations for a greater separation from the rest of Canada. Over the coming weeks he is likely to concentrate on that issue, seeking at the same time something of his old role in world politics. He has played a considerable part in holding the federation together previously and in creating a favourable ■ image for Canada throughout the world. Whether this will keep Canadians’ attention away from their pressing domestic problems remains to be seen. Mr Clark, for his part, seems unlikely to remain as head of his party for long. His short Government is in danger of being forgotten. Mr Trudeau recognised this when he said: “Such warriors should not be counted out of the history of this-Parliament,. or indeed out of the history of Canada.” Victors can afford to be gracious: few victors manage their graciousness with the same style.