A dream that does not fade

摘要

For the past decade, English-speaking Canadians have been hoping that Quebec's appetite for quitting the federation was on the wane. Quebeckers voted no to separation in 1980 and again-though by the narrowest of squeaks (50.6% to 49.4%)—in 1995. To make separation harder, the federal government introduced a "Clarity Act" in 2000. This stipulates that the government would negotiate secession with Quebec only if the question posed in a referendum was clear, and only if a "clear majority" (not defined in the bill) supported secession.