Separation Back in the News

*sigh* 1995 was really scary. I don't want that again. But here we go!

Ottawa — The new leader of the Parti Québécois says he will not follow Ottawa's ground rules for any future referendum on separation.

In an interview with the all-news channel RDI to be air Sunday, André Boisclair says independence is up to Quebeckers only and he sees no reason to submit to the federal Clarity Act. (story)

The Clarity Act demands a clear question and a clear majority, not a fuzzy question (like in 1980 and 1995) and 50%+1. These are very good requirements, because separation is a big and tumultuous step, so it's important for everyone to be sure of how they feel.

For Boisclair to say that he doesn't have to follow the law is amusing (he didn't follow the law on cocaine either, some will point out), annoying (time to grow up, I would say), and quite unfair (imagine if several other provinces in Canada decided to gang up and try to kick Quebec out of confederation, and told Quebec that they had no reason to be involved as it only affected the rest of Canada).

But will Paul Martin be willing to say any of this? Hardly. He moves a very effective separatism fighter to Environment, and hires a founder of the Bloc Quebecois who can't remember how he voted in 1995 as his Intergovernmental Affairs MinisterQuebec Lieutenant (oops). *Christ*.