Discussion · Oral Questions
Yves Perron Bloc Québécois
“The Prime Minister says that winning 50 percent plus one is not enough in a referendum. He is ignoring democracy and cheating because he does not like the idea of Quebec choosing its own future. Quebeckers accepted the 1995 vote result. I want to know why Canada will not play by the rules.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has shown his true colours by claiming that 50% of the vote plus one would not be enough to win a referendum. He has shown that he will flout democracy if he is not happy with a decision made by the people. He has shown that he adheres to a long tradition of federalism that tramples on peoples’ right to self-determination—a federalism prepared to cheat to win. Quebeckers, for their part, are deeply democratic. They proved this by accepting the result of the 1995 referendum. Why is Canada fundamentally incapable of playing by the rules?”
Official Hansard
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has shown his true colours by claiming that 50% of the vote plus one would not be enough to win a referendum. He has shown that he will flout democracy if he is not happy with a decision made by the people. He has shown that he adheres to a long tradition of federalism that tramples on peoples’ right to self-determination—a federalism prepared to cheat to win. Quebeckers, for their part, are deeply democratic. They proved this by accepting the result of the 1995 referendum. Why is Canada fundamentally incapable of playing by the rules?