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Parti Québécois chief Paul St-Pierre Plamondon was uncharacteristically glum as he delivered his keynote speech on the finish of his get together conference on Sunday. He determined to go down the darkest path conceivable to persuade Quebecers that they need to be afraid, very afraid, of Ottawa’s nefarious plans for Quebec.
It might shock nobody who has adopted the sovereignty motion to listen to one in every of its former leaders invoking the separatist trinity of Domination, Despair and Disappearance. It was a shock to listen to such deeply miserable views being spouted by the normally upbeat and optimistic St-Pierre Plamondon.
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Considered one of PSPP’s hallmarks has all the time been his freshness and optimism. He’s the primary PQ chief from a brand new technology. The Parizeaus, Marois and Lisées of the previous used themes of worry as their inventory in commerce. PSPP has been hammering away on the want for Quebec to change into unbiased utilizing optimistic arguments. Till final weekend.
I had a front-row seat to one in every of his closing in-depth interviews earlier than the PQ conference on the LCN panel present Le Bilan final Friday. My distinctive colleague Emanuelle Latraverse did a prolonged Q-and-A with PSPP, towards the tip of which he let fly with “I don’t need a referendum.” I almost choked.
PSPP received his management contest vowing to not water down his quest for sovereignty. He promised there can be a sovereignty referendum if he have been to be elected. No ifs, ands or buts. This has additionally change into a defining side of PSPP; he sticks to his weapons. Certainly, he confirmed distinctive mettle when he refused to again down on the difficulty of swearing an oath of loyalty to King Charles.
He went on to inform Latraverse that what he actually desires is a rustic, and {that a} referendum is only a query of mechanics (“histoire de mécanique”). If he had been hoping to present himself a little bit of wiggle room on the referendum query, it fizzled. By Sunday he was again on message, with dire warnings as to what awaits Quebecers in the event that they didn’t separate from Canada.
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Successive Léger polls present assist for sovereignty at about 35 per cent. That is in step with inside Quebec authorities polling that I used to be aware about early in my profession. In clear phrases, there has by no means been greater than roughly one-third of Quebecers who have been actually prepared to separate from Canada.
In each the 1980 and 1995 referendums, the questions contained a phrase salad of circumstances and negotiations. There have been a number of different main referendums on this planet since and there may be now a consensus of experience on what constitutes a transparent query. Neither of these meets the check.
Sovereigntists will level out the shut vote in 1995 and the 40 per cent in 1980 as proof of a lot larger assist. In 1980, many individuals have been expressing their sturdy attachment to Quebec and knew there’d should be one other vote earlier than sovereignty. In 1995, the deep feeling of frustration after the failure of the Meech Lake and Charlottetown constitutional accords led many to wish to ship a robust message.
Sovereignty tomorrow and a full break from Canada? Not an opportunity.
So why has PSPP determined now to attempt to persuade the herd of caribou to affix him in leaping into the raging river?
His diatribe in opposition to Canadian multiculturalism in each that interview and his conference speech appears to have been stoked by the current go to of French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. His applause for Quebec’s discriminatory secularism legislation, Invoice 21, appears to have fashioned a heady brew for PSPP. He was swinging for the fences.
The historical past of Quebec is one in every of power, perseverance and, sure, survival. Greater than 400 years of it! Our collective reminiscence consists of two referendums that divided us and harm our financial system. The very last thing our society wants is one other one.
Tom Mulcair, a former chief of the federal NDP, served as minister of the surroundings within the Quebec Liberal authorities of Jean Charest.
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