|
The Minister of >> Joseph Facal will be in the eye of the unity storm in '99 by PHILIP PREVILLE
He speaks English with that same unmistakable, high-pitched accent, every syllable pronounced with great precision. And anglophones in Quebec and across Canada are about to become very familiar with that voice. Back in October, just prior to the election, Facal was appointed to Premier Lucien Bouchard's cabinet as the Minister Responsible for Canadian Intergovernmental Affairs. In other words, he's the PQ's point man on Quebec-Canada relations. "I'm in charge of relations with Ottawa and the other provincial governments," says Facal, explaining his job. "I am, in effect, the guardian of Quebec's constitutional rights and responsibilities. "It's not a portfolio where I get to manage heavy, expensive social programs. But it's a very politically charged portfolio." Indeed. Essentially, Facal is the Minister of Winning Conditions, responsible for twisting arms, picking fights with Ottawa at just the right time, massaging public opinion and coaxing more and more Quebecers to vote Yes. "This government has won a mandate to hold a referendum on Quebec sovereignty, once the winning conditions have been assembled," he says. "That is our task." Facal seems an odd choice the job. Support for sovereignty is highest among long-time francophones whose families have been in Quebec for generations, but Facal is far from pure laine. Born in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1961, Facal came to Quebec in 1970 at the age of nine. He's an immigrant. A nouvel arrivé. Why, he's.... an ethnic. Maybe that's why Bouchard chose him for the job. Facal makes an eloquent spokesperson for the cause. "I'm a nationalist, but my nationalism is not defensive. It's not a nationalism of resentment towards the rest of Canada. I just think it's the best, most logical, most sensible path for Quebec. I believe Quebecers aspire to it, and I aspire to it too, because I think it's a noble goal." Nice rhetoric. But just because he thinks sovereignty is "noble" doesn't mean he won't play some serious politics in order to win the next referendum. I ask him: how will he put his own personal stamp on his portfolio, and on the constitutional battle? His response: "Pierre Trudeau was once asked a similar question, and he answered 'Just watch me.' Well, my answer is the same as his. Just watch me."
|
Péquistes are familiar with Joseph Facal. As president of the Parti Québécois youth wing from 1990 to 1992, and as the MNA for the West Laval riding of Fabre since 1994, party members are accustomed to his round, Albert E. Newman-esque face, his casual wardrobe and his impeccable French, spoken with a crisp, deliberate accent.