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Justice

Question period exchanges on referendums and the Clarity Act, prompted by the federal government’s stated intention to assess Alberta’s planned referendum question. Bloc Québécois members said provinces have the right to put any question they choose to their citizens and that 50 percent plus one should be enough for a result to count; one member called for repealing the Clarity Act. Prime Minister Mark Carney replied that expert advice indicates the Clarity Act does not apply to Alberta’s question, but that under the Act any decision to leave Canada requires a clear majority on a clear question, taking into account factors such as the size of the majority and voter turnout, and that the government follows Canadian law and Supreme Court decisions while respecting Quebecers’ wish for a strong Quebec within Canada.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

6 statements

Christine Normandin

Bloc Québécois
“Provinces have the right to ask their people any question in a referendum, and 50 percent plus one should be enough to win. The Prime Minister said he would interfere with Alberta's referendum question using the Clarity Act. I want him to stay out of it and respect democracy.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has to respect democracy, but yesterday he did the opposite by announcing that he would use the Clarity Act to meddle in Alberta’s referendum question. The provinces and Quebec have the right to ask their citizens any question they choose in a referendum. Citizens have the right to answer freely, and the majority wins with 50% of the vote plus one. Only two groups are involved: the government asking the question and the citizens answering it. That is democracy, plain and simple. Will the Prime Minister respect that?

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Mark Carney

Liberal

Linked statement

“Experts tell me the Clarity Act does not apply to Alberta's question. But under the law, leaving Canada still requires a clear majority of people to vote yes on a clear question.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, as Prime Minister, I have to heed the experts’ advice. I have just received the experts’ opinion on the applicability of the Clarity Act. It does not apply to Alberta’s question. However, according to the Clarity Act, in Canada, there must be a clear expression of a will by a clear majority of the population of that province in order to have a true vote on secession.

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Christine Normandin

Bloc Québécois
“A real majority is 50 percent plus one. That is how the government passes laws, and that is how referendums should work. I want the Prime Minister to respect that rule.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, respecting democracy means not only avoiding interfering in referendum questions, but also avoiding interfering in the people’s answer. A clear majority is 50% of the votes plus one. As the Prime Minister knows, all his laws are passed with a majority of 50% plus one. His own majority is 50% plus one. Even his own parliamentary secretary for justice said that the rule is 50% plus one. That is democracy, except for referendums apparently, because of the Clarity Act. Will the Prime Minister stop this drift away from democracy?

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Mark Carney

Liberal
“We must follow our laws and court rulings on referendums. By law, deciding to separate takes more than just 50 percent plus one of the votes. We also have to look at how many people actually voted.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we need to respect democracy, we need to respect the laws of Parliament and the decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada. Under the Clarity Act, the House of Commons must consider the following factors to establish the definition of a clear vote: “the size of the majority of valid votes cast in favour of the secessionist option [and] the percentage of eligible voters voting in the referendum”. It is not 50% plus one.

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Rhéal Éloi Fortin

Bloc Québécois
“I want the Prime Minister to get rid of the Clarity Act. A democracy should respect a vote where 50 percent plus one person agree.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, there is no place in a democracy for a law that does not respect the will of the people as expressed by a majority of 50% plus one vote. There is no place in a democracy for a law that overturns the will of the people by claiming, after the fact, that the question or the result was not clear enough. There is no place in a democracy for a law that flouts the rules of the ballot box when the outcome is not what the government wanted. We must steer clear of this slippery slope to authoritarianism. Will the Prime Minister finally make up his mind and repeal the undemocratic Clarity Act?

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Mark Carney

Liberal
“We follow Canadian laws, including the Clarity Act. We also respect Quebecers who want to build a strong Quebec inside a strong Canada.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we obey the laws of Canada. The Clarity Act is clear, but we respect the will of Quebeckers, which is to build a strong and resilient Quebec within a strong, resilient and independent Canada.

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