Bob Rae And The Liberal's Seat Redistribution Plan: What's Really Going On?

When Stephane Dion and Marc Garneau released the details of the Liberal's seat redistribution plan for the House of Commons, I have to say, I was shocked. Here's why:

Bob Rae cautious about more for West; move must consider Quebec - August 30

Asked if Canadians should consider revisiting the 25-per-cent offer to Quebec, he responded: "My own view is that we should have a very open discussion on the question of minimums and other things."

Harper will appease Quebec on seat distribution, Rae predicts - September 6

“I don’t think you can take Quebec for granted, and I think the prime minister’s going to have to look again at the question of the number of Quebec seats. It doesn’t mean B.C., Alberta and Ontario won’t get more seats — of course we will.”

But he said Quebec’s historic role as a nation, or distinct society, is “not something you can just dismiss with the back of a hand; it’s something you have to take into account.”

Rae wouldn’t say whether or not he supports the position of many Quebec nationalists that the province should be guaranteed 25 per cent of the seats.

Several provinces to get more Commons seats to reflect population growth - October 27

"We ought to be able to divide up 300 recognizing the principles that representation by population is important, recognizing the needs of other provinces is important, particularly, though, also recognizing the considerations that we need to have to Quebec’s position in the federation," said Rae.

CPAC: Scrums- October 27

"I think this is a better attempt than the two previous ones. We will be waiting to hear the representations of the provinces. Quebec has put forward a clear position to the Canadian public and I think it's a key position. They are insisting that their weight should be maintained in their representation in the House of Commons. At the same time, we recognize the principle that if the population grows in Ontario, Alberta and B.C. that it's natural that those provinces have more representatives."

Citing cost Liberals come out against expanding Commons - November 16

The Interim Liberal Leader told The Globe Wednesday morning “the question has be asked” as to whether the government increases the “overall size of the House with every census, or should we not do like every other democracy in the world and redistribute within an agreed number?”

He also said the Liberals “recognize Quebec’s special situation, and the constitutional limitations.”

So from late August until two days before the release of the Liberal's detailed seat redistribution plan, Bob Rae had been talking about minimums for Quebec, guarantees for Quebec, unique considerations for Quebec, the key position of Quebec's political weight in the House of Commons and Quebec's special situation.

Following the redistribution issue as closely as I have, it seemed impossible to me that the Liberals could come up with a plan that would be consistent with the statements of its interim leader and simply redistribute existing seats. And lo and behold, they couldn't. The guaranteed seat count offered Quebec and other provinces by the grandfather clause had to go in order to bring faster growing provinces closer to representation by population and cap the House at 308 MPs.

All of which raises the question: what's going on here? Why is Bob Rae pandering to Quebec nationalism, on the one hand, while two prominent Liberal MPs are preparing to unveil a policy that's going to be a tough sell in Quebec, on the other? If anything, as leader, Rae should have been trying to lower expectations in Quebec, not raise them. He should have been extolling the virtues of representation by population period. Instead, Rae was promoting Quebec as somehow deserving of unique considerations at almost every available opportunity. Something doesn't make sense!

Bob Rae is not a lone wolf, he's the leader of a political party. In this instance, however, he clearly acted as if he has his own agenda.

I leave it to you to decide what that agenda might be.