Pierre Elliot Trudeau
...featuring a series of essays written by Pierre
Elliot Trudeau during his time spent with the Federal Liberal party of
Canada. The emphasis of the book deals with the problems and conflicts
facing the country during the Duplessis regime in Quebec. While
Trudeau stresses his adamant convictions on Anglophone/Francophone
relations and struggles for equality in a confederated land, he also
elaborates on his own ideological views pertaining to Federalism and
Nationalism. The reader is introduced to several essays that discuss
Provincial legislature and conflict (Quebec and the Constitutional
Problem, A Constitutional Declaration of Rights) while other
compositions deal with impending and contemporary Federal predicaments
(Federal Grants to Universities, The Practice and Theory of
Federalism, Separatist Counter-Revolutionaries). Throughout all these
documented personal accounts and critiques, the reader learns that
Trudeau is a sharp critic of contemporary Quebec nationalism and that
his prime political conviction (or thesis) is sporadically reflected
in each essay: Federalism is the only possible system of government
that breeds and sustains equality in a multicultural country such as
Canada.
Trudeau is fervent and stalwart in his opinions towards
Federalism and its ramifications on Canadian citizenry. Born and
raised in Quebec, he attended several prestigious institutions that
educated him about the political spectrum of the country. After his
time spent at the London School of Economics, Trudeau returned to
Quebec at a time when the province was experiencing vast differences
with its Federal overseer. The Union Nationale, a religious
nationalist movement rooted deep in the heart of Quebec culture, had
forced the Federal government to reconcile and mediate with them in
order to avoid civil disorder or unrest. The Premier of Quebec at the
time, Maurice...
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