1980 Quebec referendum
Encyclopedia
The 1980 Quebec referendum was the first referendum
in Quebec
on the place of Quebec within Canada
and whether Quebec should pursue a path toward sovereignty. The referendum was called by Quebec's Parti Québécois
(PQ) government, which strongly favoured secession from Canada. See also 1995 Quebec referendum
.
In 1979, the Quebec government made public its constitutional proposal in a white paper entitled Québec-Canada: A New Deal. The Québec Government Proposal for a New Partnership Between Equals: Sovereignty-Association. The province-wide referendum took place on Tuesday, May 20, 1980, and the proposal to pursue secession was defeated by a 59.56 percent to 40.44 percent margin.
The original French text was:
Key federalists:
.
Other key sovereignists:
energized the federalists, relations between him and the former Le Devoir editor and now Liberal Leader, Claude Ryan
, were frosty - dating back to the FLQ Crisis. Nonetheless, the two agreed that a modus vivendi would need to be worked out as the stakes were too high to permit personal disagreement to assist the sovereigntists. Trudeau and Ryan were also helped by a political and public relations disaster that the Pequistes themselves created.
In a major gaffe on March 9, Cabinet minister Lise Payette
denounced women supporters of the "No" side as Yvettes (the name of a docile young girl in an old school manual). She went so far as calling Claude Ryan's
wife, Madeleine, an Yvette. This backfired spectacularly as the Yvettes, led by Madeleine Ryan, held a number of political rallies in response to her remarks.
The first of those rallies happened on March 30 when a group of 1,700 women held the brunch des Yvettes at the Château Frontenac
in Quebec City
. The major rally occurred at the Montreal Forum
on April 7 when 14,000 women denounced the minister's declarations about women and manifested their support for the "No" side. This was the first major rally for the "No" side in the campaign. This would be followed by many more smaller rallies particularly by women groups.
At the National Assembly
, Lise Payette would eventually apologize for her remarks.
During a major rally for the "No" side on May 14, six days before the vote, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
promised to reform the Canadian Constitution if the "No" side won. Many people interpreted this as a promise to change the constitution to satisfy traditional Quebec demands. He asked the Quebec people to vote no, but warned the rest of Canada that a no vote did not mean that all was well and nothing would change.
No Committee:
Yes Committee:
Despite the referendum loss, the PQ government was re-elected in the 1981 provincial election
. Meanwhile, the federal government of Pierre Trudeau renewed its efforts to patriate the Canadian Constitution and succeeded in doing so in 1982, outmanoeuvring Lévesque to gain the support of the premiers of other Canadian provinces in the so-called Kitchen Compromise.
During much of the 1980s, Quebec sovereignty was perceived as a dead issue, and Lévesque himself put the issue on the back burner, opting instead for the beau risque of trying to work towards a deal with the Mulroney
government. This led to a split in the Parti Québécois which led to Lévesque's resignation from politics in 1985 and eventually paved the way for Jacques Parizeau
and the second sovereignty referendum of 1995
.
For about 15 years, the ball had been in the federalist court. On two occasions, federalist politicians did attempt to find a solution to the Quebec question, but both, the 1987 Meech Lake Accord
and the 1992 Charlottetown Accord
, ultimately failed to gather the support of the majority of Quebecers. (And, in the case of the latter, from the majority of Canadians outside Quebec).
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
on the place of Quebec within Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and whether Quebec should pursue a path toward sovereignty. The referendum was called by Quebec's Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
(PQ) government, which strongly favoured secession from Canada. See also 1995 Quebec referendum
1995 Quebec referendum
The 1995 Quebec referendum was the second referendum to ask voters in the Canadian province of Quebec whether Quebec should secede from Canada and become an independent state, through the question:...
.
In 1979, the Quebec government made public its constitutional proposal in a white paper entitled Québec-Canada: A New Deal. The Québec Government Proposal for a New Partnership Between Equals: Sovereignty-Association. The province-wide referendum took place on Tuesday, May 20, 1980, and the proposal to pursue secession was defeated by a 59.56 percent to 40.44 percent margin.
The question
The question posed on the ballot was:"The Government of Quebec has made public its proposal to negotiate a new agreement with the rest of Canada, based on the equality of nations; this agreement would enable Quebec to acquire the exclusive power to make its laws, levy its taxes and establish relations abroad — in other words, sovereignty — and at the same time to maintain with Canada an economic association including a common currency; any change in political status resulting from these negotiations will only be implemented with popular approval through another referendum; on these terms, do you give the Government of Quebec the mandate to negotiate the proposed agreement between Quebec and Canada?"
The original French text was:
«Le Gouvernement du Québec a fait connaître sa proposition d’en arriver, avec le reste du Canada, à une nouvelle entente fondée sur le principe de l’égalité des peuples ; cette entente permettrait au Québec d'acquérir le pouvoir exclusif de faire ses lois, de percevoir ses impôts et d’établir ses relations extérieures, ce qui est la souveraineté, et, en même temps, de maintenir avec le Canada une association économique comportant l’utilisation de la même monnaie ; aucun changement de statut politique résultant de ces négociations ne sera réalisé sans l’accord de la population lors d’un autre référendum ; en conséquence, accordez-vous au Gouvernement du Québec le mandat de négocier l’entente proposée entre le Québec et le Canada?»
Federalists
Favoured the "No" vote. Believed in Canada's national unity and opposed the separation of Quebec.Key federalists:
- Prime Minister Pierre TrudeauPierre TrudeauJoseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
(Liberal Party of CanadaLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
) - Federal Justice MinisterMinister of Justice (Canada)The Minister of Justice is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the Department of Justice and is also Attorney General of Canada .This cabinet position is usually reserved for someone with formal legal training...
Jean ChrétienJean ChrétienJoseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003.... - Speaker of the House of CommonsSpeaker of the Canadian House of CommonsThe Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Parliament of Canada and is elected at the beginning of each new parliament by fellow Members of Parliament...
Jeanne SauvéJeanne SauvéJeanne Mathilde Sauvé was a Canadian journalist, politician, and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 23rd since Canadian Confederation....
Sovereignists
Campaigning for the "Yes" side were those in favour of the Quebec's government's proposal. The president of the Yes Committee was René LévesqueRené Lévesque
René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
.
Other key sovereignists:
- Finance Minister Jacques ParizeauJacques ParizeauJacques Parizeau, is an economist and noted Quebec sovereignist who was the 26th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from September 26, 1994 to January 29, 1996.-Early life and career:...
- Cultural Development Minister Camille LaurinCamille LaurinCamille Laurin was a psychiatrist and Parti Québécois politician in the province of Quebec, Canada. MNA member for the riding of Bourget, he is considered the father of Quebec's language law known informally as "Bill 101".-Biography:Born in Charlemagne, Quebec, Laurin obtained a degree in...
- Women Status Minister Lise PayetteLise PayetteLise Payette, is a Quebec politician, feminist, writer and columnist. She was a Parti Québécois minister under the leadership of Premier René Lévesque and National Assembly of Quebec member for the riding of Dorion....
The campaign
Initially, polls hinted at a possible victory for the "Yes" side. While the election of Pierre TrudeauPierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
energized the federalists, relations between him and the former Le Devoir editor and now Liberal Leader, Claude Ryan
Claude Ryan
Claude Ryan, was a Canadian politician and leader of the Parti libéral du Québec from 1978 to 1982. He was also the National Assembly of Quebec member for Argenteuil from 1979 to 1994.-Early life and career:...
, were frosty - dating back to the FLQ Crisis. Nonetheless, the two agreed that a modus vivendi would need to be worked out as the stakes were too high to permit personal disagreement to assist the sovereigntists. Trudeau and Ryan were also helped by a political and public relations disaster that the Pequistes themselves created.
In a major gaffe on March 9, Cabinet minister Lise Payette
Lise Payette
Lise Payette, is a Quebec politician, feminist, writer and columnist. She was a Parti Québécois minister under the leadership of Premier René Lévesque and National Assembly of Quebec member for the riding of Dorion....
denounced women supporters of the "No" side as Yvettes (the name of a docile young girl in an old school manual). She went so far as calling Claude Ryan's
Claude Ryan
Claude Ryan, was a Canadian politician and leader of the Parti libéral du Québec from 1978 to 1982. He was also the National Assembly of Quebec member for Argenteuil from 1979 to 1994.-Early life and career:...
wife, Madeleine, an Yvette. This backfired spectacularly as the Yvettes, led by Madeleine Ryan, held a number of political rallies in response to her remarks.
The first of those rallies happened on March 30 when a group of 1,700 women held the brunch des Yvettes at the Château Frontenac
Château Frontenac
The Château Frontenac, currently known as Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, is a grand hotel in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1980...
in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. The major rally occurred at the Montreal Forum
Montreal Forum
The Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by Sporting News, it was home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996...
on April 7 when 14,000 women denounced the minister's declarations about women and manifested their support for the "No" side. This was the first major rally for the "No" side in the campaign. This would be followed by many more smaller rallies particularly by women groups.
At the National Assembly
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
, Lise Payette would eventually apologize for her remarks.
During a major rally for the "No" side on May 14, six days before the vote, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
promised to reform the Canadian Constitution if the "No" side won. Many people interpreted this as a promise to change the constitution to satisfy traditional Quebec demands. He asked the Quebec people to vote no, but warned the rest of Canada that a no vote did not mean that all was well and nothing would change.
The results
| No: 2,187,991 (59.56%) | Yes: 1,485,851 (40.44%) | ||
| ▲ |
| Total votes | % of votes | |
|---|---|---|
| Valid ballots | 3,673,842 | 98.26% |
| Rejected ballots | 65,012 | 1.74% |
| Participation rate | 3,738,854 | 85.61% |
| Registered voters | 4,367,584 |
Expenses
Maximum amount authorized by referendum law: $2,122,257 ($0.50/voter x 4,244,514 voters)No Committee:
- State subsidy ($0.25/voter): $1,061,128.50
- Amount received by political parties: $987,754.04
- Contributions by voters: $11,572.60
- Total fund: $2,060,455.11
- Total committed and discharged expenditure: $2,060,455.00
Yes Committee:
- State subsidy ($0.25/voter) : $1,061,128.50
- Amount received by political parties: $683,000.00
- Contributions by voters: $305,118.05
- Total fund: $2,049,246.55
- Total committed and discharged expenditure: $2,047,834.00
Effects
In his concession speech Lévesque said, "If I've understood you well, you're telling me 'until next time'." The victory speech given by Claude Ryan was widely perceived to be ungracious.Despite the referendum loss, the PQ government was re-elected in the 1981 provincial election
Quebec general election, 1981
The Quebec general election of 1981 was held on April 13, 1981, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Claude Ryan.The PQ won re-election despite...
. Meanwhile, the federal government of Pierre Trudeau renewed its efforts to patriate the Canadian Constitution and succeeded in doing so in 1982, outmanoeuvring Lévesque to gain the support of the premiers of other Canadian provinces in the so-called Kitchen Compromise.
During much of the 1980s, Quebec sovereignty was perceived as a dead issue, and Lévesque himself put the issue on the back burner, opting instead for the beau risque of trying to work towards a deal with the Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
government. This led to a split in the Parti Québécois which led to Lévesque's resignation from politics in 1985 and eventually paved the way for Jacques Parizeau
Jacques Parizeau
Jacques Parizeau, is an economist and noted Quebec sovereignist who was the 26th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from September 26, 1994 to January 29, 1996.-Early life and career:...
and the second sovereignty referendum of 1995
1995 Quebec referendum
The 1995 Quebec referendum was the second referendum to ask voters in the Canadian province of Quebec whether Quebec should secede from Canada and become an independent state, through the question:...
.
For about 15 years, the ball had been in the federalist court. On two occasions, federalist politicians did attempt to find a solution to the Quebec question, but both, the 1987 Meech Lake Accord
Meech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
and the 1992 Charlottetown Accord
Charlottetown Accord
The Charlottetown Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. It was submitted to a public referendum on October 26 of that year, and was defeated.-Background:...
, ultimately failed to gather the support of the majority of Quebecers. (And, in the case of the latter, from the majority of Canadians outside Quebec).