Stéphane Dion, MP

The Honourable Denis Coderre

Dear Readers,

On May 29, 2013, on behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada and its leader Justin Trudeau, I delivered a short speech in the House of Commons to pay tribute to the Honourable Denis Coderre, marking his departure from the House of Commons after 16 years of federal political life serving Canadians.

Please find the text below.

Enjoy your read!

Stéphane Dion
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Hon. Stéphane Dion (Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, Lib.):

Mr. Speaker, I assume that our leader, the memberfor Papineau, and theLiberal caucus asked me to give this speech on the 16 years the member for Bourassa has spentin federal political life not only because we have been friends for more than16 years but also because I knew him in his previous life.

At that time, in the late 1980s, I was a youngprofessor. I had a quiet class; the students were studious and they listened.All of a sudden, we were joined by a student who was feisty and who could notbe ignored, and the class was turned upside down. Half of the studentssupported him; the other half did not. He had an opinion on everything and, ontop of that, he was a good student. When he came to my office, he never camealone. He always had his gang with him.

I must tellyou, Mr. Speaker, that they were federalists, and it was not because of me—Inever discussed politics at the university, never—but because of him.

I am telling this part of the story to explain thatthe member for Bourassa did notchoose politics; politics chose him. He fell into it when he was a little boy,and this is where his impressive size comes from.

An hon.member: Like Obelix.

Hon. Stéphane Dion: Exactly; he is a political Obelix.

In conclusion, I would like to say that thepersonality traits I saw when he was a student were also evident during his 16years here in the House, at the cabinet table and everywhere in Canada.

He is a manof sharp contrasts: both strong and whole, but also attentive andcompassionate; he works like the devil, but he is exuberant and a good friend;colourful, but cultured, even though he tries to hide it. He is committed,which is why he works so hard. He has the courage of his convictions; he is notpushy, but he is persuasive. He is a formidable politician. He is close topeople, a populist in the best sense of the word, but at the same time he is aman of principle. I have never known him to shy away from an issue. As he sayshimself, he is judicious and hard-hitting. He listens, but once he has heardthe facts, he will stir things up, as he did with sport and immigration and inall his other areas of responsibility.

I will conclude; otherwise I would speak for daysand days about the member for Bourassa. As for thefuture, I just want to say, as the member for Saint-Laurent on the island ofMontreal, Cavendish Boulevard is not completed. This is a shame, and it isabout time.

An Optimistic Conception of Power

Dear Readers,

On May 24, 2013, at the age of 91, died the great French sociologist Michel Crozier. I had the privilege of writing my Doctorate thesis under his supervision.

Please find below a brief testimony I sent to one of his closest collaborators, Ehrard Friedberg. The text was also published on the website established by Michel Crozier’s friends, at www.michel-crozier.org.

Have a good read.

Stéphane Dion
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An Optimistic Conception of Power

It is with great sadness that I learned of Michel Crozier’s passing away. As many others who had the privilege of studying under him, I cannot express how much I owe him. But I do want to send you this brief testimony. Please feel free to distribute it if you think it can be of some use.

I will say only this: he taught me an optimistic view of power. Here is that view, in my own words:

Power is a kind of relation that is specific to the human species. It arises from the fact that generally, human societies are not tightly programmed, leaving their members much room to manoeuvre or even better, a healthy area of freedom. Such leeway can be constrained but never totally removed. Every human being is left unsure of the behaviour of others, which leads to a need for power relations at all levels and in every aspect of social life. Absent the reality of these power relations, we would only have domination/submission- based relations.

In essence, power arises from freedom and freedom in society is only made possible by power relations. I have relied on this liberal way of thinking ever since Michel Crozier taught it to me. It helps me understand and act. It has guided me in my capacity as sociologist and politician.

As a onetime foreign student in France, I also wish to bear witness to Michel Crozier’s profound caring, compassion and humanity. He attracted students from all continents who came to Paris to study under him, and strongly believed he had a special responsibility towards them. He truly cared about us and really wanted us to succeed in our research activities and future careers. And he kept in touch with many of us.

Finally, Michel Crozier was also the inspiration behind a tremendous team, one that also revolved around you. Erhard, I am sending you some warm thoughts and assure you of my friendship in this difficult time.

Stéphane Dion

1980 Promotion, Cycle de sociologie des organisations
State Doctorate under Michel Crozier’s supervision (1984)
Professor of Political Science, Université de Montréal (1984-1996)
Cabinet Minister, Government of Canada (1996-2005)
Member of Parliament, House of Commons of Canada (1996 to …)

Does Bilingualism Have a Future in Canada?

Dear readers,

Does bilingualism have a future in Canada? To know what I think about it (along with a few facts and statistics), please find below, in both official languages, links to the text of a conference I delivered on May 1st, 2013 at McGill University.

As always, I will be very pleased to read any comment you might have.

Have a good read!

Stéphane Dion

Bilingualism – ENG
Bilinguisme – FR

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