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CHAPTER 15
The Parti Québécois and the Two Question Referendum
What is the one thing you want to say
to members of the sovereignty movement and the Parti Québécois regarding the Two
Question Referendum?
A Quebec with a Bill 101 will never, ever become an independent nation. Only a
free, mature Quebec which treats all its citizens equally will become the nation
that it is. Quebec isn’t a third world country and shouldn’t act like one.
Getting rid of Bill 101 will mean that Quebec has joined the family of
responsible, civilized, nations.
And don’t wait for independence; when you next form the government, repeal Bill
101. If you do that, you’ll be surprised at how quickly independence follows.
For if you start acting like a real nation who will be able to stop you becoming
that nation?
Whenever you have to force a language or culture on a people, that language or
culture ceases to be a legitimate language or culture. The Bill 101 within
Canada scenario has trapped Quebecers into becoming Canadians, not a nation.
And the most vile form of Canadians: human rights violators dependent upon the
equalization teat. Is this the kind of province you want to live in? Is this the
kind of nation that you want to celebrate, that Stephen Harper pushes and
encourages? Laws of coercion and restriction on free expression of language and
culture have over the past thirty years been introduced, passed, and become law
in Quebec as a province within Canada. Support and promotion of such great
Canadian laws keep Quebec within Canada.
As Daniel Latouche observed:
Provinces and states can have such
restrictive language and cultural laws (such as Bill 101 and Bill 178), but
full-fledged nation-states, those who aspire to play among the big boys (and
the big girls) of international relations, cannot afford to be caught with
such restrictions on their hands.[120]
What will the transition costs from a
province to an independent state be like for Quebecers?
Costly and rough. Let’s not mince words: there will be a heavy price to pay to
become an independent nation and the transition to that state will be tough
economically and emotionally.
You said earlier that the Two Question Referendum concept can only work if
the Parti Québécois adopts it.
Without the PQ's co-operation, the entire concept is
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