"We either accept the who does what part of our Constitution or we amend the Constitution, and no one wants to start that up again," he said.
"Let's accept the roles that we were given by those who first thought of an idea called Canada."
Mr. Klein said he and other premiers agree that federal and provincial responsibilities need to be clarified and streamlined to avoid duplication of efforts.
I agree Ralph, we need to accept the roles outlined in the constitution. However, it would help if Premiers practiced what they preached. I am pretty sure that foreign affairs is a sole federal jurisdiction, which makes these comments beside the above quotes all the more hypocritical:
"The Americans are our friends," Mr. Klein told a dinner organized by the C.D. Howe Institute. "We need to fix this important relationship, while cementing our unique Canadian identity."
"It hurt us in Alberta to watch the anti-American sentiment grow within the former Liberal government. Thousands of our sons and daughters are in America and many of their sons and daughters are in Canada."
The role of the Premiers isn't to advise the federal government on issues of foreign policy. The federal government decides when it is appropriate to go to war, and this sentiment is undermined when Premiers speak out of turn. So, unless the argument about constitution is just for convenience when it best suits Ralph's needs, I suggest he pipe down and worry about his jurisdictions. Ottawa will be fine without his constant advise that sends mixed messages.
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