How can Quebec support the double standard that a soveriegn Quebec could/should/would not be divisable?
IE; Native territories and Natives that overwhelmingly wish to stay within the Nation of Canada.
"There is no way that any Quebecker would accept that a square inch of that territory be extracted from Quebec." {784}
IE; Native territories and Natives that overwhelmingly wish to stay within the Nation of Canada.
"There is no way that any Quebecker would accept that a square inch of that territory be extracted from Quebec." {784}
Bloc Québécois Leader, Lucien Bouchard, 1994
"Et le principe de l'intégrité territoriale...peut-il à son tour être invoqué pour le Québec...sans heurter d'autres' droits à l'autodétermination?" {785}
F. Brousseau, 1995
The PQ government takes the position that it can impair the territorial integrity and cause the break-up of Canada in its present form, in the event of an affirmative simple majority vote in the Québec referendum. At the same time, the government claims that the "territorial integrity" of Québec is unassailable, {786} regardless of the claims of self-determination of Aboriginal peoples (or an overwhelming supramajority in any Aboriginal referendum vote). In this regard, D. Cliche, special advisor on Aboriginal affairs to Premier Parizeau, states:
"...the freedom to walk away from an independent Quebec...That's where we don't agree...We can never accept the idea that aboriginal lands can be taken out of Quebec."{787}
S. Scott (McGill University) comments on this type of double standard {788} on the part of the PQ government as follows:
"Ceci amène à la question de l'intégrité territoriale et du double standard. Pour certains, le Canada est divisible, et le Québec ne l'est pas. Je ne puis accepter ce genre de raisonnement, soit sur le plan du droit constitutionnel, soit sur le plan du droit international, soit même sur le plan de la simple morale. Tout argument voulant que le Québec soit indivisible veut aussi que le Canada le soit également. Et tout argument voulant que le Canada soit divisible veut que le Québec le soit aussi." {789}
[Emphasis in original.]
["This brings me to the question of territorial integrity and the double standard. I cannot accept this kind of reasoning, be it on the level of constitutional law, on the level of international law, even on level of simple morality. Any argument suggesting that Québec is indivisible suggests also that Canada is as well. And any argument suggesting that Canada is divisible suggests that Québec is also." [Unofficial English translation, emphasis in original.]]
In addition, S. Dion states:[Emphasis in original.]
["This brings me to the question of territorial integrity and the double standard. I cannot accept this kind of reasoning, be it on the level of constitutional law, on the level of international law, even on level of simple morality. Any argument suggesting that Québec is indivisible suggests also that Canada is as well. And any argument suggesting that Canada is divisible suggests that Québec is also." [Unofficial English translation, emphasis in original.]]
"...si le territoire du Canada devait être partagé en dépit de l'intégrité territoriale que lui garantit le droit international, le territoire du Québec aussi pourrait être partagé." {790}
M. Venne reports on the position of the Chiefs of the First Nations in Québec as follows:
"Les chefs amérindiens du Québec rejettent le concept de l'intégrité du Québec' et affirment avoir le droit de choisir avec qui (ils veulent) s'associer,' que le Québec devienne souverain ou non. Ils soutiennent d'ailleurs que toute modification du cadre constitutionnel ou politique exigera (leur) consentement'." {791}
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http://www.uni.ca/library/si_sect06.html
Read more...
http://www.uni.ca/library/si_sect06.html