Rheal Seguin | Québec | September 24
Globe and Mail [1] - Mario Dumont, the bold, controversial leader of Quebec's third party, has once again rocked the political establishment by proposing an aggressive nationalist shift to turn the province into an autonomous state within Canada.
Building on the momentum from Monday's by-election victory in the Quebec City riding of Vanier, the Action Démocratique du Québec Leader wants his party to embrace a platform calling for Quebec to adopt its own constitution, collect all federal taxes and break federal laws if necessary to ensure full development of the province's hydroelectric capacity.
Mr. Dumont said the new party program, which will be tabled for adoption at the ADQ convention this weekend in Drummondville, strikes a balance between the Liberals' submission to status quo federalism and the Parti Québécois' obsession with referendums on sovereignty.
"We reject the centralist vision of Canada and want Quebec to evolve in a real confederation," Mr. Dumont said.
He argued that Ottawa would have to bow to Quebeckers' demands. "Ottawa cannot say no. We will take whatever actions are needed. . . . Ottawa will not dare to get in our way."
Two years ago, Mr. Dumont delivered a speech in Toronto in which he said Canada's Constitution was no longer on Quebec's political radar.
Yesterday he served notice that after a self-imposed 10-year moratorium on discussions of Quebec's place in Canada since the 1995 referendum on sovereignty, the subject would once again become a central issue.
The Liberals called the proposal ambiguous and misleading, insisting that Quebec is already autonomous within Canada and saying the ADQ copied heavily from their platform.
"He borrows from our position but adds ambiguity," Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Benoît Pelletier said. "You are either federalist or sovereigntist. You can't be both."
The PQ accused Mr. Dumont of being an opportunist, saying the rest of Canada has already tried and rejected the ADQ's proposal. "He is selling dreams," PQ House Leader Diane Lemieux said, adding that sovereignty is the only remaining alternative.
Roughly 20 per cent of Quebec's population is aged from 15 to 30, a core group of potential ADQ supporters, who, according to Mr. Dumont, are joining the ranks of disgruntled federalists and disillusioned sovereigntists seeking an alternative to the old parties.
A report released this week by the PQ appears to support Mr. Dumont's claim. It states that while most young Quebeckers support sovereignty, they no longer believe the PQ can deliver on its promise.
Former PQ leader Jacques Parizeau came to the same conclusion last month when he proposed an innovative platform on which Quebec would act unilaterally to achieve independence.
Mr. Dumont's proposal also includes a quick fix to Quebec's nationalist dilemma by calling for unilateral action to reinforce its autonomy, but within Canada.
He said this could be made possible with the changing of the guard in Ottawa and the demise of former prime minister Jean Chrétien's vision of a strong centralist state.
The ADQ, which supported sovereignty in 1995, says Quebeckers are tired of the old debates and want to set new terms for remaining in Canada. An ADQ government would hold no referendums and would not attempt to separate.
A proposed constitution would require a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly to adopt any changes, making it more difficult to take the ultimate step towards outright sovereignty.
The constitution would not refer to Quebec as a province but as the "autonomous state of Quebec" and would adopt the principle of dual citizenship within Canada. Yearly joint meetings of members of the National Assembly and Quebec members of Parliament would be instituted.
The ADQ proposes that Quebec be represented at all international forums "to affirm its sovereign rights" in areas of its exclusive jurisdiction and other areas of shared jurisdiction with Ottawa. The Liberals adopted a similar plan in a 1991 document and then rejected it a year later. It was written by Jean Allaire, who went on to found the ADQ with Mr. Dumont.
If interference from Ottawa hindered Quebec's development, the "autonomous state" would override federal laws. For example, in new hydroelectric projects, the ADQ says Quebec should disregard federal environmental regulations.
The ADQ acknowledges that the idea of a sovereign Quebec "will never die" even though it has been rejected in two referendums. The "autonomist" vision, it says can satisfy Quebec's nationalist aspirations without leaving Canada.