A renewed debate over Quebec's status as a nation has re-opened a political can of worms as federal parties are forced to deal, once again, with the divisive question of national unity.

In an impassioned speech Wednesday in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced a motion recognizing that Quebecois form a nation within "a united Canada."

Harper's motion was a response to one about to be tabled by the separatist Bloc Quebecois, which states that "this House recognize that Quebecers form a nation" - but not within Canada.

Harper said the Bloc's intent is clear: it's not about Quebec as a nation, he said. "It's about separation. For them, 'nation' means 'separation.'''

The opposition Liberals and NDP declared their support for Harper's motion, for the sake of a united Canada.

And the eight Liberal leadership hopefuls were unanimous in saying they couldn't support the Bloc motion because it doesn't mention the word Canada.

However, they remained divided over a resolution adopted by the Quebec wing of their own party to recognize Quebec as a nation within Canada -- and which calls on the party to set up a task force to advise the next leader on how best to "officialize" that status.

Flashpoint

The debate became a flashpoint in the Liberal leadership race when candidate Michael Ignatieff declared that Quebec should be considered a nation within Canada -- and that it should be recognized as such in the Constitution.

While many of his Liberal rivals support that view, they're not nearly as enthusiastic about dragging such a loaded debate into the party's convention next week.

Leadership hopeful Bob Rae, all too familiar with the failures of the Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords, said it would be hazardous to reopen a Constitutional debate; and that a question on Quebec nationhood would eclipse issues that are far more important to Canadians.

Stephane Dion, the lone Quebec leadership candidate and Chretien-era unity minister, called Ignatieff a "trouble-maker" for turning recognition of Quebec nationhood into a campaign issue.

Ignatieff, meanwhile, blasted Rae and others for portraying him as someone who would immediately, carelessly, kick off constitutional talks.

Other notables joined in the wide criticism of Ignatieff's position, including Justin Trudeau, who dismissed Quebec nationhood as an "old idea" ill suited to a modern, vibrant Quebec.

Professor Michael D. Behiels, an expert in Canadian federalism at the University of Ottawa, said former prime minister Pierre Trudeau realized long ago the divisiveness of the concept of Quebec nationhood.

Trudeau, who stood for the principle of "One Canada," was fiercely opposed to "Deux Nations" (Two Nations) - a policy proposed by the Conservative Party in 1967 as a way to reconcile the role of Quebec within Canadian confederation.

The phrase evolved into the "distinct society" concept in the 1980s, which lay at the heart of proposals to amend the Constitution during debate over the failed Meech Lake and Charlottetown Accords.

Trudeau used the fracas that the debate stirred up in the Conservative Party to his advantage, Behiels told CTV.ca.

"It drove a lot of Conservatives out of the Conservative Party and it allowed Trudeau, in a sense, to stand four-square for national unity and against separatists and against two nations. And that basically marginalized the Conservative Party for the better part of the rest of the century," he said.

The Trouble with 'Nation'

Many argue that the trouble for federalist politicians is that the concept of "nation" is too vague, and makes for a messy, divisive national debate.

In a cultural sense, the word is used in Quebec even by Premier Jean Charest, an ardent foe of separatists.

Liberal leadership candidate Ken Dryden, who says he will support Harper's motion, nevertheless said the debate is a "cause of divide across the country."

"The principle problem is you have a word like nation that's the same six letters in English and French, but have very different meanings," he told CTV's Question Period.

"In English, nation is a country - sovereign, independent and separate. In Quebec, nation can be absolutely something within a country.

There can be many nations in a particular country... leaving us with an open-ended definition that is trouble not just for (Liberals), but for everybody."

Sectional Politics

Behiels, meanwhile, said the question of Quebec nationhood was bound to bubble up sooner or later.

"It's deeply ingrained in the Quebec wing of the national Liberal Party" he said. "I think the Liberal party is basically seeing the results of 20 years of flirting with Quebecois nationalism, ever since Trudeau's departure in '84."

"The party really has not dealt with this issue clearly and forthrightly since."

A failure to deal properly with the Quebec secessionist movement, said Behiels, has led to the divisiveness and "sectional politics" we see in our political landscape today.

"Here we have two national parties -- the Liberals and the Conservatives -- which are no longer national parties. Largely because, in a sense, the separatists have come to dominate all of the political space in Quebec."

Critics say Harper's move to recognize Quebec as a nation "within Canada" will bolster the separatists' argument that they are not being recognized and strengthen their resolve to form an independent society; but supporters say the prime minister's move will protect federalists from being backed into a corner by separatists' demands.

The Tory move appeared to cool, for now, the heated issue facing their Liberal rivals who were wringing their hands over how to deal with the debate during next week's convention.

Liberal Leader Bill Graham said MPs have to "transcend" partisan differences to ensure Canada remains a united, strong country, and that it's up to MPs to fight for the rights of a united Canada.

Ignatieff, meanwhile, was beaming Wednesday as he wholeheartedly endorsed the prime minsiter's motion. When asked if he sees Harper's motion as a lifejacket to his leadership aspirations, he replied:

"I'm sure Mr. Harper is not in the biz of throwing me any lifejacket at all. We're political adversaries, we're always political adversaries. But you'll have to ask other candidates in the race how they'll react. I've been clear from the beginning -- and I'm gratified with the result."