MINER DETAILS — Thanks for the wakeup call

Brian Mulroney is certainly not the most admired person in Canadian politics. Regardless of his accomplishments, or lack of them, there’s something about his personality that just irritates people — a vast majority of people, judging by recent popularity polls.

Of course, that’s not unusual. Pierre Trudeau, someone who brought a very different style to the position of Prime Minister, aroused a similarly visceral disgust with almost as large a proportion of the electorate. Mulroney has been criticized for his “Irish blarney,” his irresistible need to overstate things. His infamous “single roll of the dice” comment scuttled the Meech Lake constitutional accord, and now his “tearing up the country” comments are accused of doing the same to the Charlottetown Accord. Mulroney had the audacity to say that a “No” vote in the Oct. 26 national referendum will promote Quebec separatism. But, as always, it’s style more than substance that really matters. With eyes ablaze, Mulroney stood at the podium and ripped in two the notes for his speech to emphasize what a “No” vote would mean to the country.

Such rhetoric seems to go against the Canadian character. Such passion and show of emotions are hardly in keeping with Canadians’ low-key, quiet and thoughtful approach to patriotism.

Even the right wing National Citizens’ Coalition chastised the Prime Minister or his “hysterical blustering” and “apocalyptic language.”

But that is exactly what we need. There is a time for Canadians’ penchant for quiet understatement, but this is the time to call a spade a spade. One doesn’t have to be a raving nationalist to appreciate that we have an enviable way of life. Yet this country will not continue if there is not the will to stay together, regardless of what documents have or have not become law. If that collective will falters, it is quite conceivable that this country will disintegrate, not with a bang, but a whimper.

Should this latest attempt to bring Quebec into the Constitution fail, we will be relegated to yet another round of negotiation that is bound to arouse even greater intransigence among all regions. The country will slowly degenerate into suspicion and mistrust as we argue about wording to satisfy every demand, every issue, every special interest.

Mulroney should be getting a pat on the back for making it clear just what is at stake here. This is the wakeup call that Canada, not just Quebec, needs. Mulroney can be criticized for many things, but he should be thanked for stating clearly and unequivocally exactly where he stands, even if his manner is a little shrill for our delicate ears.