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Home , Bernard Landry, Jacques Parizeau, Lucien Bouchard, Pauline Marois, Politics of Quebec, Quiet Revolution

TO STAY OR GO: TEN YEARS LATER Introduction Could it happen again? On October 30, Mail found that 48 per cent of Quebec- Focus 1995, Quebec came within 55 000 votes ers would vote “Yes” to sovereignty if a In October 1995, of separating from . referendum were to be held immediately. Quebec came extremely close to were shocked that the vote was so close Another referendum in Quebec may separating from and relieved that, for the time being, be inevitable, but maybe the results will Canada. This News Quebec would remain a part of Canada. not be as close as they were in 1995. in Review story will Now that 10 years have passed, many Perhaps by examining the 1995 referen- examine the 1995 believe that Quebec dum we can learn why Quebecers were referendum and separatism is no longer a threat. But feeling so alienated from the rest of will explore whether or not events in Quebec over the past few Canada. Then all Canadians can work relations between months tell a different story. to improve relations between French English and French The Parti Québécois (PQ) elected a and . As well, since the Canada have new leader on November 15, 2005. 1995 referendum the federal govern- improved over the During the leadership campaign, atten- ment has passed The . This past 10 years. We shall also review tion once again became focused on act is intended to ensure that any ques- the election of the separation. The PQ is a political party tion posed in a sovereignty referendum new leader of the that advocates national sovereignty—or is clear and easy to understand. The act Parti Québécois. independence—for Quebec. The new also gives the federal government the leader, André Boisclair, stated during power to decide how wide the margin his campaign that if the PQ won the of victory would need to be before Definition next provincial election in Quebec, he sovereignty was declared for Quebec. Quebec sovereignty would hold a referendum on sover- And there is more reason for hope. A means independ- ence from Canada. eignty shortly thereafter. poll conducted by the Centre for Re- This term is used But right now, the Quebec Liberal search and Information in Canada in interchangeably Party, led by , is in power October 2005 indicated that more than with separation in Quebec. So does that mean Canada is 60 per cent of Quebecers agree that the because if Quebec “safe”? In the short-term, yes. But province benefits from being part of gains independ- Quebec will have a provincial election Canada. In particular, Quebecers feel ence it will sepa- rate politically from in 2008 at the latest, and, at that point, they benefit from Canada’s interna- Canada. the Liberal government may be de- tional stature, the Charter of Rights and feated by the PQ. And it appears that a Freedoms, social programs, and protec- large percentage of Quebecers are still tion from terrorism. Perhaps all Canadi- YV Sections in favour of sovereignty for Quebec. A ans can use these important shared marked with this poll conducted in October 2005 by the elements to negotiate and build a new symbol indicate Strategic Counsel for The Globe and future together. content suitable for younger viewers.

CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 47 To Consider 1. How might Canada change if the province of Quebec were to separate? Consider the following themes: Politically

Economically

Socially/Culturally

Militarily

2. How would the separation of Quebec affect the policy of bilingualism in Canada?

3. How would you personally feel if Canada no longer included Quebec? Explain in detail.

CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 48 TO STAY OR GO: QUEBEC TEN YEARS LATER YV Video Review

Watch the video Part I and respond to the 1. How close was the vote in the 1995 sovereignty referendum? questions in Part I.

2. Record the names of the leading contenders in the 2005 Parti Québécois leadership race, as well as their position on sovereignty.

Candidate name For or against sovereignty

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

3. One of the major changes in Quebec since the 1995 referendum is the growing support for sovereignty among recent immigrants to Quebec.

a) How much of a change has occurred?

b) List three reasons why this change has occurred.

4. Another major change since the 1995 referendum is the attitude of the business community in Quebec.

a) What was its attitude in 1995?

b) How does this community feel now and why?

5. How do citizens living in Quebec currently feel about the idea of a refer- endum?

CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 49 6. Do you think that André Boisclair’s admitted use of cocaine will hurt his electoral chances? Explain.

7. Should past drug use play a role in a politician’s political future? Explain.

Part II – Discussion and Analysis In the video you learned that former Parti Québécois leader angered a lot of people by blaming the defeat of sovereignty in the 1995 refer- endum on “the ethnic vote.” In small groups, explore what Parizeau said, what he may have meant, and analyze the potential impact of his comment. You may choose to view the video a second time before undertaking this exercise.

What he said “It’s true, it’s true that we have been defeated, but basically by what? By money and some ethnic votes, essentially. So all it means is that, in the next round, instead of being 60 or 61 per cent to vote ‘Yes,’ we will be 63 or 64 per cent and it will suffice. That’s all.”

What he may have meant Political scientists and others who analyze voting patterns refer to an “ethnic vote” as a vote where members of a given ethnic group strongly support a candidate or an option in a distinct manner. In Quebec, three linguistic groups exhibit specific voting patterns: francophones, anglophones and allophones (residents whose native tongue is neither English nor French). The anglophone (English-speaking) vote is largely federalist—roughly 95 per cent. The francophone (French-speaking) vote tends to split between the federalists and sovereignists—roughly 40 to 60 per cent. The allophone vote is largely federal- ist—roughly 92 per cent. In the 1995 referendum, the combined allophone and anglophone support for sovereignty was around 3 per cent.

The potential impact In your groups, discuss and record your thoughts on the following:

1. Is anyone in your group offended by Parizeau’s comment? Explain.

2. Why did Parizeau blame the defeat of the referendum on the “ethnic vote” rather than the anglophone vote?

3. Create a list that explores both the short- and long-term impact of Parizeau’s remarks.

CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 50 TO STAY OR GO: QUEBEC TEN YEARS LATER A Close Call

It has been said that in October 1995 return to a cause that he obviously felt Archives Canada reached the breaking point. And was extremely important. To explore audio- that is no exaggeration. The Canada you visual material on the two Quebec live in now was almost split apart by a Sovereignist Coalition Formed referenda, go to Quebec referendum on separation. Although Jacques Parizeau and Lucien www.cbc.ca/ When all the votes were counted, a Bouchard were at odds over the exact archives and view margin of less than 55 000 votes sepa- way to proceed with the referendum the files “À la rated the two sides. Let’s explore some campaign, their differences were put prochaine fois: The of the big moments that occurred in this 1980 Quebec aside when they joined forces with Referendum“ and tumultuous year. , leader of the Action “Separation Anxi- Démocratique party. This sovereignist ety: The 1995 Jean Chrétien Offends coalition, as it came to be called, of- Quebec Referen- Quebecers fered a partnership to the rest of dum.” “Quebec has about as much chance of Canada. It was this partnership offer, becoming independent as Jacques known as the June 12, 1995, Treaty, Parizeau has of becoming president of that formed the basis of the referendum .” question. Chrétien made this statement in January 1995 when Jacques Parizeau, leader of the Referendum Question Unveiled PQ, travelled to France to seek support for On September 7, Parizeau unveiled the an independent Quebec. Chrétien’s referendum question. The question was: statement angered some Quebecers, who “Do you agree that Quebec should were already feeling unsupported by the become sovereign after having made a Prime Minister. (When Chrétien was formal offer to Canada for a new eco- elected in 1993 he refused to re-open nomic and political partnership within constitutional talks between the federal the scope of the bill respecting the government and Quebec.) future of Quebec and of the agreement signed on June 12, 1995?” Returns to The “No” side quickly criticized the Politics question, saying that it was much too The extremely popular leader of the confusing and that the separatists were Bloc Québécois—a federal party com- trying to “trick” Quebecers into voting mitted to a sovereign Quebec—returned for separation. Jean Chrétien further to politics in February 1995 after almost angered some Quebecers when he dying from a rare disease. In December stated that because the question was so 1994 Bouchard had suddenly become confusing he would not accept 50 per seriously ill with necrotizing fasciitis, cent plus one as a majority vote in the also known as “flesh-eating disease.” upcoming referendum. To stop the spread of the disease and to Jacques Parizeau explained that he, save his life, doctors had to remove one too, would have preferred a clear ques- leg. His return to politics gave a huge tion, but that the question was phrased boost to the “Yes” campaign. People in a broad way to include all the allies were very moved that although he came for the “Yes” side, not just hard-line so close to death he had chosen to separatists.

CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 51 Bouchard Made Chief Negotia- they did this was to organize a Unity tor of the Deal Rally to be held in on October On October 7, Jacques Parizeau effec- 27, three days before the referendum tively turned over the referendum vote. An estimated 150 000 Canadians campaign to Lucien Bouchard by from all over Canada gathered at the making him chief negotiator of the deal. Place du Canada and listened to speech The “Yes” campaign had been stalled, after speech in favour of unity. Al- and Parizeau knew that Bouchard was though high-profile politicians and more popular than he was. This gamble celebrities attended, many of those who paid off, as interest in the “Yes” cam- went were high-school students who paign increased substantially. took long bus rides to Montreal.

The “Yes” Side Moves Ahead in Chrétien Makes a Final Appeal the Polls Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, realizing On October 18, for the first time, the the sovereignists stood a good chance “Yes” side moved ahead in the polls. of winning, made a public statement Although it was a small margin (43.6 promising a new deal for Quebec within per cent for the “Yes” side and 42.6 per Canada if Quebecers voted to stay. cent for the “No” side), the rest of Although he gave an earnest televised Canada was shocked and realized, address, many felt that Lucien maybe for the first time, that Quebec Bouchard’s rebuttal was far more really might vote to separate. By Octo- effective. ber 20 the “Yes” side was ahead by seven full points. A Heart-stopping Final Vote When all the votes were counted, the The “No” Side Holds a Unity “Yes” side had 49.42 per cent of the Rally votes, while the “No” side had 50.58 The “No” side desperately wanted to let per cent of the votes. Quebecers had Quebecers know that they did not want voted to remain united with Canada by them to vote for sovereignty. One way the slimmest of margins.

Analysis 1. In a small group, select the two or three events of 1995 that you believe had the greatest impact on the outcome of the referendum vote. Record the reasons for your selections and be prepared to defend your choices in a classroom discussion.

2. What lessons can be learned from the 1995 referendum? Specifically, what lessons can Canadians take from 1995 to try to prevent such a close outcome in a future referendum?

CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 52 TO STAY OR GO: QUEBEC TEN YEARS LATER PQ Leadership Race

The Parti Québécois (PQ) was formed man named André Boisclair. As the Did you know . . . by René Lévesque in 1968. The PQ’s leadership race heated up, a number of Supporters of the primary goals were and still are to candidates joined together in an alliance PQ are sometimes called Péquistes, a obtain political, economic, and social against Boisclair. Some felt that word derived from independence for the province of Que- Boisclair should be disqualified because the French pronun- bec. When stepped of his admitted past cocaine use. ciation of the down as leader of the PQ in June 2005, Others felt that was the party’s initials. a leadership race began that was quite better choice for leader and the most sensational. Admissions of cocaine use, likely to be able to defeat the powerful attacks on character, and a number of Boisclair campaign. But despite this, Further Research hard-line candidates kept the leadership Boisclair won the leadership race on the To keep informed race dramatic. As well, the front-runner first ballot and became the new leader about the fast- changing world of in the race was a young, openly gay of the Parti Québécois. Quebec politics, it is worth visiting the To Consider official Web sites of As you read about the entire field of candidates for the PQ leadership, think the major Quebec about which candidate most appeals to you and why. Be prepared to defend political parties. your choice. These include the Quebec Liberal André Boisclair female of Quebec all her life. Party (www.plq.org), the Considered the leader of the pack from She first ran for the PQ leadership in Parti Québécois the beginning of the race, Boisclair, 39, 1985, where she placed second. (www.pq.org), and garnered a great deal of attention be- the Action cause he is openly gay. Even more Louis Bernard Démocratique media attention was focused on One of the hard-line separatists in the party (www.adq.qc.ca). Boisclair after he admitted to using group, Bernard entered the campaign Although the Bloc cocaine in the past. Despite the contro- pledging moderation but soon started to Québécois versy he generated, Boisclair was an campaign on sovereignty. Bernard, 68, (www.bloc experienced candidate, first elected in started his career in government in the québécois.org) is a 1989 at age 23. He actually dropped out 1970s working for Liberal leader Jean federal party, it plays a central role of university to run for office and went Lesage. He rose to become the highest- in the provincial on to hold down four posts. ranking provincial civil servant but had . Recently, he studied at the John F. never been an elected politician. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. Legendre, 52, was another popular Pauline Marois candidate. His popularity was largely Marois, 56, was another front-runner based on the fact that he was one of and the most experienced candidate. Canada’s top-ranked tennis players in She was a veteran cabinet minister and his youth. He also was an experienced had held the health, education, and politician, first elected in 2001. He finance portfolios. Marois said that she served in Bernard Landry’s cabinet. had dreamed of becoming the first

CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 53 Other Candidates their supporters to vote for Marois once Did you know . . . A number of other candidates also they were eliminated from the race. The recent PQ participated in the race. These candi- This led to charges from the Boisclair leadership race was the first the party dates—Pierre Dubuc, Ghislain Lebel, camp that the candidates were involved has had in 20 years. and Jean Ouimet—were not expected to in an “anybody but Boisclair” cam- The last three survive the first ballot and openly told paign. leaders—Jacques Parizeau, Lucien Discussion Bouchard, and Bernard Landry— 1. Which of the above candidates do you think was best suited to lead the were uncontested PQ? Explain. candidates, win- ning by acclama- tion.

2. Which of the above candidates do you personally consider the best? Why?

3. Boisclair is the first openly gay person to be elected as leader of a Cana- dian political party. Do you think this is significant? Explain

4. Do you think sexual orientation has any bearing on a person’s ability to be an effective politician? Explain.

5. Some people feel that Boisclair’s admitted cocaine use while serving in a provincial cabinet position will come back to haunt him in the next provin- cial election in Quebec. Do you agree or disagree? Explain.

CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 54 TO STAY OR GO: QUEBEC TEN YEARS LATER The Clarity Act

Almost immediately after the Quebec “clear majority” for the federal Parliament Definitions referendum, federalists blamed the to recognize its validity. The meaning of A federalist is close result on the referendum question both a “clear question” and a “clear someone who wants Quebec to itself. They claimed that the question majority” is left unspecified in the act, remain within might have confused some voters. meaning that the federal government can Canada. The question was: “Do you agree that decide upon its definition even after a A separatist is in Quebec should become sovereign after successful referendum. favour of Quebec having made a formal offer to Canada The Clarity Act contains the follow- independence. for a new economic and political part- ing elements. Unilaterally means nership within the scope of the bill • The House of Commons has the performed or done respecting the future of Quebec and of power to decide whether a proposed by one person or entity. the agreement signed on June 12, referendum question is considered Secession is another 1995?” (A copy of the June 12 agree- clear prior to a public vote. term for separation ment was sent to every household in • The House of Commons has the or withdrawal from Quebec before the vote.) power to determine whether or not a Canada. Another major complaint of the clear majority has expressed itself in federalists was that Quebec had passed any referendum. a law stating that the province had the • Any question not solely referring to right to declare independence unilater- secession is to be considered unclear. ally. Many Canadians felt that it should not be legal for Quebec, or any other • All provinces and the First Nations are province, to be able declare themselves to be part of the negotiations. independent from Canada. • The House of Commons can override To clarify this point, on September a referendum decision if it feels the 30, 1996, the federal government referendum violates any of the tenets submitted three questions to the Su- of the Clarity Act. preme Court of Canada. The Supreme Federalists are hopeful that the estab- Court responded that Quebec, in fact, lishment of The Clarity Act will prevent did not have the right to unilateral a future Quebec referendum with such secession. close results. Separatists, however, After the Supreme Court ruling, the argue that the Clarity Act simply dem- federal government drafted The Clarity onstrates the federal government’s Act. The act stated that any future referen- disregard for the Quebec people by dum would have to be on a “clear ques- basically giving the federal government tion” and that it would have to represent a a veto over any future referendum vote.

Activity Form small groups that contain at least two members who will play the role of separatists and two who will play the role of federalists. Within your groups:

1. Draft your own “clear” question that could be used in a referendum on sovereignty.

2. Discuss what would constitute a clear majority in a referendum vote.

CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 55 TO STAY OR GO: QUEBEC TEN YEARS LATER Timeline

The political movement for Quebec of independence was to engage in Did you know . . . separatism began in the . Over the violent activities. This group named Prior to its use decades there have been periods when itself the Front de Libération du Quebec during the , the War demands for Quebec’s separation from (FLQ). Measures Act had Canada were very vocal and even Between the years 1963 and 1969, only been used violent. And there have been periods members of the FLQ engaged in over during the First and when the issue of Quebec separatism 200 violent political actions such as Second World was all but forgotten. The following bombings and bank hold-ups to bring Wars. timeline highlights some of the major attention to their goal of Quebec inde- moments in Quebec separatism to this pendence from Canada. Their targets day. generally included anglophone-owned businesses, banks, and mailboxes near The , 1960- the homes of prominent anglophones in 1966 the wealthy Westmount area of The birth of the sovereignist movement Montreal. of Quebec is generally considered to have started in the 1960s with the Quiet The October Crisis, 1970 Revolution. The Quiet Revolution is the In October 1970 the terrorist acts by the name given to the period of Quebec FLQ came to a climax with the kidnap- history extending from 1960 to 1966. ping of Quebec’s minister of Labor and During this time, Quebec went through Immigration, , and Brit- a revolution of ideas, moving forward ish Trade , . from the traditionalism and conserva- On October 17 the body of Pierre tism that had been a dominant force in Laporte was found. He had been mur- public policy and society up to that dered. On December 3 the police were point. It was a time of great political, able to negotiate the release of James social, and economic reform. Cross.

The Parti Québécois, 1968 The The use of the word sovereignty and Implemented in 1970 many of the ideas of this movement Following the kidnapping of Cross and originated in the mid-1960s and re- Laporte, Prime Minister sulted in the birth of the Parti took the unprecedented step of invoking Québécois (PQ) in 1968. The goal of the War Measures Act. The War Mea- the PQ is to increase the independence sures Act (later replaced by the Emer- of Quebec, eventually leading to full gencies Measures Act in 1988) was a political independence from Canada. Canadian statute that allowed the government to assume sweeping emer- The FLQ, 1963-1969 gency powers. In particular, under this Although the Quiet Revolution was act citizens could be arrested and im- renowned for its non-violent progress, prisoned without trial or even being there were a number of people who officially charged with a crime. decided the best way to reach the goal Once the War Measures Act was

CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 56 implemented, there were tanks on the Failed Attempts at streets of Montreal, and heavily armed Constitutional Amendments, soldiers were present everywhere. 1987 and 1992 Hundreds of arrests were made in the The of 1987 effort to capture the FLQ. attempted to recognize Quebec as a “” within Canada. The Parti Québécois Elected in 1976 accord would also have transferred new One result of the October Crisis is that powers to all the provinces. Quebec more people began pushing for a politi- said that it would accept this deal if it cal solution to Quebec’s concerns. This received support from all the rest of the resulted in the PQ coming to power in provinces. However, the accord was 1976. defeated after Newfoundland and Manitoba withheld their support. Quebec Referendum, 1980 In 1992, another constitutional pro- The PQ held its first referendum on posal, known as the Charlottetown sovereignty in 1980, but the question Accord, was drafted. It called for the was defeated. decentralization of federal powers, an elected Senate, and recognition of Repatriation of the Canadian Quebec as a distinct society. In a na- Constitution, 1982 tional referendum held in October 1992, Quebec opposed the repatriation of the Canadians rejected these constitutional constitution in 1982 because it included changes. a provision for freedom of language in education. Although the constitution Quebec Referendum, 1995 continues to apply to Quebec, many By less than 55 000 votes Quebecers Quebecers feel left out of the constitu- chose to remain within Canada. tional process. Election of André Boisclair in November 2005 A resurgent PQ has a new leader who pledges to push hard for a new referen- dum.

Quebec Provincial Election, scheduled for 2008 Activity Review the timeline and decide what you consider to be the central themes of French-English relations since 1960. Briefly describe what you feel the likely future of these relations will be.

CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 57 TO STAY OR GO: QUEBEC TEN YEARS LATER Activity: The Next Referendum

The next time the Parti Québécois wins a provincial election in Quebec they will Quote call a referendum on sovereignty. Your task is to determine what can be done “Speaking as a now to avoid another referendum, or at least ensure that the outcome is not as committed federal- close as it was in 1995. In small groups, create a list of possibilities. Be prepared ist, this is going to to share them with the rest of your class. The comments on this page may help be a very serious you with some ideas. opponent. Any- body who underes- Former prime minister Lester B. Pearson wrote in his memoirs that: “The French timates Boisclair in Canada are a nation in the sense that they are a separate people. A separate does so at their people, a nation united with other peoples in a single ‘political nation,’ Canada. peril.” — Michael I see no way of holding our country together unless English Canada adopts a Ignatieff, academic new attitude toward the intention of our French-speaking compatriots to and federal Liberal maintain their identity, their culture, and their language as a special fact of life candidate in elec- tion of 2006 (To- within Canada. Those who persist in telling us that we must do away with this ronto Star, Novem- idea, that we must insist on talking about our country, race, and nation as one ber 21, 2005 and indivisible—these are the real separatists.” — quoted by André Pratte, , “It’s time to talk national unity again,” August 4, 2004

Columnist Martin Lawrence said: “The federal [government] threw down the gauntlet with its Clarity Act, demanding a decisive democratic vote for seces- sion. But what’s so democratic, the sovereignists can argue, about legislation that says a vote of 50 per cent plus one isn’t good enough?” — The Globe and Mail, “Parti Québécois and the politics of Quebec separatist movement,” August 19, 2004

Pollster Jean-Marc Leger said: “. . . if we have another referendum, people could say yes, not because they want a country, but because that’s the only way to negotiate a new partnership with Canada.” — News in Review video, Decem- ber 2005

Lucien Bouchard, former PQ leader on the 1995 (via translator): “Our hearts are beating,” he snidely joked. “English Canadians coming here to tell us they love us.” — News in Review video, December 2005

Possibilities Notes

CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 58