It's like a national game show, but we call it an election. Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe talks about unity for one province only. Reform's Preston Manning and Jean Charest of the Conservatives each compete to see who can yell the loudest that we'll get more with less. The topic dearest to the hearts of most politicians is national unity. Maybe because it allows them to be at their most florid best, shamelessly pushing emotional buttons without ever having to do anything.
National unity is the pork barrel of Canadian politics.
Go to Hull. It's the site of the 1997 Memorial Cup, the championship tournament of major junior hockey in Canada. Here, one can watch pockets of people from across the country - the teams involved this year are from Lethbridge, Alta., Oshawa, Ont., Chicoutimi, Que. Here, English Canadians are trying out their stilted French. Hockey, co-operation and a beer.