[ARCHIVE PONTIAC 2007] Democracy and sovereignty

As an Anglophone from Toronto running in the current election for a left sovereigntist party, I am constantly being asked about the issue of “separation”.  Here is why I believe the Québec solidaire platform on the national question should unite all progressive people and a great majority of Quebecers.

First, there has never been a fully democratic debate about the institutions of Québec (or Canada for that matter) or the place of Québec in the world. The three referendums held between 1980 and 1995 have been overall inconclusive, rejecting both sovereignty and a slightly amended version of the current Canadian constitution, and that is why the debate is still not settled. This lack of clarity is not surprising considering that these referenda only allowed the people to accept or reject a proposal put together by a small group at the top: the leadership of the PQ in 1980, a premiers’ conference in 1993, and a compromise between three party leaders in 1995.

The key proposal of Québec solidaire on the question of independence is to elect a constituent assembly, made up of representatives of all sectors of the population, specifically for the purpose of consulting everyone who lives in Quebec on the topic.  This process would allow for full and meaningful debate of all the possible options, both in terms of institutions for Québec (modes of representation, division of powers, protection of rights, etc.) and on the question of Québec’s political status (Canadian province, independent country, something in between). A referendum would only be held following this process of consultation and debate, and would have two questions, one on the constitution, and another on the political status.

This is completely different from the PQ approach to the issue, which is to wait for “winning conditions” and then hold a third referendum on a project very few people will have a say in defining. Also, the PQ project is one of “a country like any other” as Jacques Parizeau once put it. In other words, nothing would change and we would end up with a geographically smaller version of the status quo. In contrast, one of the key slogans of Québec solidaire is that “another Québec is possible”, echoing the World Social Forum movement and the aspirations of millions for a globalization that puts the economy at the service of people and their real needs, and not the opposite.

The heart of QS is a profound aspiration for social justice, ecology, international solidarity, and human rights. It is a party emerging from the social movements, and is a very democratic organization. It is the long awaited realization of the unity of the left. In Québec, such an organization could only be created if it took on the centuries old aspiration for self-determination. All progressive people in Québec should embrace this new political force and help it change the political scene by putting forward a truly democratic solution to the national question.