Marc Garneau hopes to keep Canada together

CTV.ca News Staff
December 4, 2005 4:10 PM ET

Liberal candidate Marc Garneau has represented Canada in space, but now he wants to represent a riding in Quebec to keep his country together.

"I'm not going to sit by here in Quebec while people start talking seriously about trying to separate and tear my country into what would be three pieces," Garneau told CTV's Question Period.

Garneau, 56, became the first Canadian to reach the stars when he flew aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1984. He went on to become head of the Canadian Space Agency.

He also has strong roots in Quebec, and cares deeply about national unity.

"I pulled out my family tree last night and I'm an 11th generation Quebecer on my father's side," Garneau said. "And on my mother's side, my roots come from Nova Scotia. I'm a very, very proud Canadian."

Garneau said he believes Quebec separation returned as a significant possibility after the sponsorship scandal, and that the movement had been fading in importance.

"It was going the way of the dinosaur before the sponsorship scandal," he said.

"It will never die here in Quebec. It's important to realize that there will always be a small group of very zealous people who want to take Quebec out of federation. But it was really on its way out before the sponsorship scandal."

Garneau said he wants to reach out to people who voted for the Bloc because they were angry at the sponsorship scandal, and show them that the Liberal party has much to offer.

"Those are the people that I want to bring back into the federalist fold with their vote on the 23rd of January," the former astronaut said.

He will be running in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges riding, one of a few that Liberals are targeting as their best hopes of gaining seats in Quebec. Garneau said he is well equipped to run for office, despite having limited experience.

"I have felt strongly about politics just about all my life," Garneau said.

"And despite the fact that I have been in the space program, it doesn't mean that I don't have political opinions. And now I'm going to put my money where my mouth is, because I believe very strongly in fighting for the Liberal party in this campaign."

He added that his political naiveté could be an asset, because he prefers to speak his mind and is idealistic.

"I've always been a straight shooter," he said. "I'm very principle-driven. And when I speak to (voters) I'm not going to be speaking out of the other side of my mouth. I will speak from conviction."