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MINISTER DION STATES THAT A UNILATERAL
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WOULD ENTAIL
INEXTRICABLE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, March 23, 1998 – Convinced of the need to clarify
what would be at stake in the event of a unilateral secession, the President of
the Privy Council and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, the Honourable
Stéphane Dion, highlighted the practical difficulties of such a unilateral move
in a speech to the Quebec chapter of the Canadian Bar Association.
"Even a mutually agreed-upon secession would pose tremendous practical
problems. A unilateral declaration of independence would create insurmountable
concrete difficulties," he noted.
The Minister stated that such a unilateral attempt would fail first of all
because it would provoke a conflict of legitimacy that would place Quebecers in
an untenable situation. "Everyone would be forced to decide for himself or
herself which law, which government to obey... Citizens filing their tax
returns, public servants getting up for work in the morning, police officers
conducting an investigation, lawyers defending their clients, must all know
where the authority lies."
Referring to Minister Jacques Brassard's suggestion that it would be enough for
a secessionnist government to exercise its authority over all of Quebec's
territory to obtain international recognition, Mr. Dion further noted that the
PQ government has never explained how it could take over all federal
responsibilities within Quebec's territory. "Because that is the most
concrete definition one can give of an attempt at unilateral secession: the
Government of Quebec would be trying to swallow up Canadian common institutions
as they affect Quebec. The federal government, for its part, would believe it
had a duty, in light of the above context of "dangerous ambiguity", to
continue to exercise its constitutional responsibilities."
Furthermore, according to Mr. Dion, the Government of Quebec would not have the
means to back up its claims and could not assume all of the functions currently
fulfilled by the federal government. "How, in the absence of intense
cooperation by the federal government, could the Government of Quebec collect
source deductions, excise tax and customs duties, payment of operating licences,
fees of all kinds and various levies? And if the Government of Quebec were
unable to count on all of the tax revenues from Quebecers, how could it provide
all the services and take over all federal programs in Quebec...?"
Mr. Dion reiterated that Quebecers will never be kept in Canada against their
very clearly expressed will. But he added that it is wrong to think that the
provincial government could alone assess the will of Quebecers, determine what
would and would not be negotiable, and dictate the terms of secession.
"Asserting that a unilateral secession poses inextricable practical
problems has nothing to do with a so-called hard line against Quebec," the
Minister added. "No one who loves Quebec wants to see it plunged some day
into such uncertainty, which is unacceptable in a democracy."
The Minister explained why he wished to add his voice to those, increasingly
numerous, that are calling for clarifications on all these issues. "Because
frankness dictates that it be said that there is no consensus not only on
whether or not secession would be the right choice, but also on how secession
could be effected... My own conviction is that, in an atmosphere of clarity, we
will never renounce being both Quebecers and Canadians," he concluded.
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For information: André Lamarre
Press Secretary
(613) 943-1838
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