Bridges and firewalls

Preston Manning's Uncle Tom sop to Liberal hegemony (Hats Off To A National Vision -- July 6) left me spluttering. Big Westerners under F. W. G. Haultain, Mr. Manning says, were "big thinkers" who "wanted the Northwest to be united as one big province," having equality with the older provinces. Precisely. But, as Mr. Manning himself adds, "The Laurier government rejected their principal demands." Yes, Mr. Manning: Laurier rejected, divided and conquered what he knew would be a political and economic powerhouse -- hobbling Westerners ever since.

Then, this nasty burn: "Little Westerners are more provincial . . . more inclined to build firewalls rather than bridges."

Stephen Harper, like Mr. Manning, said the West wants in. Is that not bridge-seeking? As for Mr. Harper's earlier talk of an Alberta firewall, he was merely calling for legitimate provincial jurisdictions -- just as Mr. Manning calls for "a rebalancing of the powers between the federal and provincial governments."

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