New Democratic Party MP Ryan Cleary speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa December 14, 2011.
Two years ago, Ryan Cleary said Canada faced two major problems: Quebec and Quebec. Five years before that, he complained that Quebec ruled the Prime Minister's Office, the Supreme Court and the federal bureaucracy.
Now an NDP MP, the Newfoundlander is not turning his back on his writings, arguing he was a columnist "stirring debate." He added in an interview his main concerns, as with most people in Newfoundland and Labrador, were related to a series of inter-provincial disputes over the Churchill Falls hydro-electrical development. He said he is also concerned about the historical lack of a single Newfoundlander on the Supreme Court, and said he worried about the protection of his province's culture and political representation.
"I wrote this as a columnist to stir debate. You have to look at the context," he said. "Have things changed now? I think that Confederation, and Newfoundland and Labrador's place in Canada, need a hell of a lot of work. That's a fact. But I also think it's worth fighting for."
Mr. Cleary's views are especially interesting given that he is one of the latest MPs to back the leadership bid of NDP deputy leader Thomas Mulcair, who is from Quebec and is a staunch defender of his province.
Mr. Cleary said he has discussed Quebec-Newfoundland relations with Mr. Mulcair, and is convinced that Mr. Mulcair will fight for his province's rights if he wins the leadership on March 24.
"Thomas has Newfoundland and Labrador's back in terms of the issues that affect us most. We made incredible gains in the last election and, with his leadership, we will make even more in 2015," Mr. Cleary said in a news release when he joined Mr. Mulcair's camp last month.
Mr. Cleary comments were posted on the Internet, but are now starting to circulate on Parliament Hill. A Liberal official alerted The Globe and Mail to their existence, as the third-placed party jostles with the NDP for the anti-Conservative vote, especially in Quebec.
A long-time journalist at The Telegram and The Independent in St. John's, Mr. Cleary has also written on a blog called Fisherman's Road.
In a post entitled "What runs through your head leading up to Canada Day?" on June 29, 2010, he said Canada was one of the greatest countries in the world.
"That's not to say we don't have our problems. I can list off a few. Here's one - Quebec," he said. "Oh, and here's another problem - Quebec."
In the article, he quickly made it clear his biggest concern was related to the development of the Lower Churchill, as well an old dispute involving the Upper Churchill contract involving Hydro-Quebec.
Mr. Cleary said he feels that the problem is the Quebec government, and not Quebeckers themselves.