Chris Selley: Anthony Housefather’s place is not with the Tories

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At time of writing, it’s presumed that Montreal MP Anthony Housefather continues to be contemplating his future throughout the Liberal Celebration of Canada. “I didn’t really feel like some members of Parliament, or lots of members of Parliament, understood the existential risk that Israel faces and the fears of Jewish Canadians because of what’s taking place domestically, what’s taking place overseas,” Housefather advised reporters after Monday’s vote within the Home of Commons on Palestinian statehood.

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He conceded the amended movement that handed was higher than the unique, which had proposed the Home acknowledge Palestinian statehood as a actuality fairly than as a objective. However then, Housefather famous, “we give a standing ovation to the NDP member (Heather McPherson) who sponsored the unique movement, and I’ve to mirror now.”

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His choices are many. Little doubt the Conservatives could be pleased to have him, and he didn’t “rule out” crossing the ground when requested about it this week. He may also have a shot of holding his using for the Tories within the subsequent election. Conservative chief Pierre Poilievre doesn’t appear all that fussed about Quebec, actually, however Mount Royal could be a hell of a prize: Pierre Trudeau’s using, Irwin Cotler’s using, as Liberal because the day is lengthy since 1940.

But when I had been Housefather, I’m undecided I’d see the attraction.

He appears to be in politics for unusually principled causes. On Quebec’s Invoice 21, the pointless conflict in opposition to the hijab (and different spiritual symbols, however actually simply the hijab) within the public service; on Quebec’s Invoice 96, the pointless conflict in opposition to languages aside from French; and on Quebec’s conflict in opposition to Montreal’s anglophone universities, Housefather has been a remarkably constant voice of old-school Trudeauvian Liberalism in the very best sense. This, whereas Justin Trudeau and his Quebec lieutenant, the lighter-than-air Pablo Rodriguez, stroll on egg shells.

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To his get together’s everlasting disgrace, Housefather was the one MP to vote in opposition to Invoice C-13, which basically acceded to Quebec’s Invoice 96, together with its supposedly heretical “pre-emptive” use of the however clause.

Within the brief time period, the Conservatives are fairly understandably targeted on one factor, which is profitable the following election. And that seems to require pretty strict obeisance to the chief’s needs and whims, even once they make no earthly sense. Poilievre’s baffling objection to the Canada-Ukraine free-trade deal over its meaningless carbon-pricing verbiage curiously appeared to rub off on each single Conservative MP and senator, all of whom voted in opposition to the invoice (which handed this week).

You’ll not persuade me that Michael Chong, Poilievre’s overseas affairs critic, truly opposed that invoice for that cause. You simply received’t.

In the long term, Conservative MP Anthony Housefather might need a tremendous profession. He could be a shoo-in for a cupboard place, one would suppose. However on the problems he’s identified to care about, there isn’t all that a lot conspicuously awaiting him on the blue workforce. Invoice 21 is legislation. Invoice 96 is legislation. The anglophone-university crackdown is actuality. If solely as a result of Quebec actually isn’t a precedence for the fashionable Conservatives, it’s affordable to imagine Housefather would haven’t any extra clout in combating the great fights.

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As for Israel and Hamas, there’s nothing any Canadian politician can actually do about that aside from decide a facet and advocate for it. As appalled as many are by the movement that handed Monday, nobody thinks it makes any actual distinction in Jerusalem or in Rafah. It’s not even clear whether or not we have now or haven’t stopped supplying weapons to Israel. Regardless, Israel can get them someplace else.

It appears to me the place Housefather might make the most important distinction could be at residence in Quebec, the place the totally adrift Liberals are in search of a brand new chief. The closest there’s to a declared candidate at this level is the maddeningly irrepressible buffoon Denis Coderre, final seen dropping the Montreal mayoralty to Valérie Plante after which being humiliated making an attempt to win it again. And final seen earlier than that taking a jackhammer to Canada Publish property as a result of, not so way back, within the earlier than occasions, residence mail supply was truly someway a number one Canadian political challenge.

Worse than all that, Coderre has averred that Invoice 21 is “right here to remain” beneath a Quebec Liberal authorities led by him — regardless of the very fact the however clause defending it must be renewed each 5 years. He’ll promote out every thing the Quebec Liberals are supposed to face for, and get nothing in return: If Legault loses the following election, it’s going to nearly definitely be to the Parti Québécois beneath the much more nationalist Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. A principled old-school Liberal voice like Housefather’s could be most welcome in that race, even in a misplaced trigger.

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