The question here is not whether Quebec wants to separate or not (some Quebecers do, some don't). It's whether a 50% + 1 victory for the ''OUI'' ought to be sufficient for the provincial government to initiate the process of separating Quebec from Canada.
The PQ government passed Bill 99 in 1999 as a retort to the Clarity Act. Now Harper is challenging the validity of Bill 99 and one wonders what his true motivations are. With a provincial election looming around the corner in Quebec, the PQ is working hard to try to get a majority, which could potentially lead to a 3rd referendum. Challenging bill 99 at this moment gives ammunition to separatist rhetoric so why do it now? Why not wait until after the election? Of course Harper doesn't have much to gain in Quebec at this point but in the rest of Canada he can score political points by presenting himself as the best defender of Canadian unity.
Are you saying separatists are evil?
From the link in the op.The case was started in 99 by a private citizen.
The federal government filed a legal intervention last Wednesday in a court challenge that argues a Quebec law outlining the grounds for secession is limited by the Canadian constitution.
A Quebec English-rights activist launched a challenge shortly after the law was passed, but it’s only now set to be heard by a Quebec superior court.
The legislation was introduced by Lucien Bouchard’s Parti Quebecois government in response to the federal Clarity Act, which was brought forward by Jean Chretien’s Liberals.
The Clarity Act, in contrast to Bill 99, stipulates that a Quebec referendum must result in a “clear majority” in favour of secession before beginning any negotiations.
And so, after more than a decade of relative peace on the constitutional front, echoes of 1990s battles are resounding again.
The PQ, hardcore Quebec federalists, and the federal government could soon be scrapping it out in court.