The 1980 Quebec referendum was the first referendum in Quebec on the role of Quebec within Canada and whether Quebec should pursue a path toward sovereignty. The referendum was called by Quebec's Parti Québécois (PQ) government, which strongly favoured secession from Canada. See also 1995 Quebec referendum. A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Official languages French Capital Quebec City Largest city Montréal Lieutenant-Governor Lise Thibault Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 75 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 2nd 1,542,056 km² 1,183,128 km² 176... The Parti Québécois or PQ is a political party that advocates national sovereignty for Quebec from Canada, as well as social democratic policies and has traditionally had support from the labour movement though unlike other social democratic parties it has no formal ties with labour. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The province-wide referendum took place on Tuesday May 20, 1980, and the proposal to pursue secession was decisively defeated by a 59.56 per cent to 40.44 per cent margin. May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

The question

Audio: Listen to the question as spoken first in the National Assembly of Quebec by René Lévesque

The question posed on the ballot was:

"The Government of Quebec has made public its proposal to negotiate a new agreement with the rest of Canada, based on the equality of nations; this agreement would enable Quebec to acquire the exclusive power to make its laws, levy its taxes and establish relations abroad — in other words, sovereignty — and at the same time to maintain with Canada an economic association including a common currency; any change in political status resulting from these negotiations will be effected with approval by the people through another referendum; on these terms, do you give the Government of Quebec the mandate to negotiate the proposed agreement between Quebec and Canada?"

The participants

Federalists

Campaigning for the "No" side were those favouring the status quo and reformists opposed to the secession of Quebec.

Key federalists:

• Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (Liberal Party of Canada)
• Quebec Liberal leader Claude Ryan
• Federal Justice Minister Jean Chrétien
• Speaker of the House of Commons Jeanne Sauvé

Pierre Elliott Trudeau (October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was the fifteenth Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984. ... The Liberal Party of Canada (French: Parti libéral du Canada), colloquially known as the Grits (originally Clear Grits), is a Canadian federal political party positioned around the centre of the political spectrum, combining a generally progressive social policy with moderate economics. ... The Parti libéral du Québec (Liberal Party of Quebec), or PLQ, is a liberal political party in the Canadian province of Quebec. ... Claude Ryan, CC, D.h. ... A justice minister is a ministerial position in the governments of some countries, with general responsibility for policing and the maintenance of public order. ... Jean Chrétien (born January 11, 1934), was the twentieth Prime Minister of Canada, serving from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003. ... Current house speaker Peter Milliken In Canada the Speaker of the House of Commons (French: Président de la Chambre des communes) is the presiding officer of the lower house and is elected by fellow MPs. ... The Right Honourable Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé, PC , CC , CMM , CD (née Benoit) (April 26, 1922 – January 26, 1993) was a Canadian journalist, politician and stateswoman. ...

Sovereignists

Campaigning for the "Yes" side were those in favour of Quebec's separation from Canada. Canada was very succesful back then k everyone

Key sovereignists:

• Premier of Quebec René Lévesque (Parti Québécois)

The Premier of Quebec (in French Premier ministre du Québec, sometimes literally translated to Prime Minister of Quebec) is the first minister for the Canadian province of Quebec. ... René Lévesque (pronounced ) (August 24, 1922 – November 1, 1987) was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, Canada, (1960 – 1966), the founder of the Parti Québécois political party, and 23rd Premier of Quebec (November 25, 1976 – October 3, 1985). ... The Parti Québécois or PQ is a political party that advocates national sovereignty for Quebec from Canada, as well as social democratic policies and has traditionally had support from the labour movement though unlike other social democratic parties it has no formal ties with labour. ...

The campaign

Initially, polls hinted at a possible victory for the "Yes" side. While the election of Pierre Trudeau energized the federalists, relations between him and the former Le Devoir editor and now Liberal Leader, Claude Ryan, were frosty--dating back to the FLQ Crisis. Nonetheless, the two agreed that a modus vivendi would need to be worked out as the stakes were too high to permit personal disagreement to assist the sovereigntists. Trudeau and Ryan were also helped by a political and public relations disaster that the Pequistes themselves created. Pierre Elliott Trudeau (October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was the fifteenth Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984. ... Claude Ryan, CC, D.h. ... The October Crisis was a series of dramatic events triggered by two terrorist kidnappings that occurred in Quebec, Canada, during the month of October, 1970. ...

In a major gaffe on March 9, Cabinet minister Lise Payette denounced women supporters of the "No" side as Yvettes (the name of a docile young girl in an old school manual). She went so far as calling Claude Ryan's wife, Madeleine, an Yvette. This backfired spectacularly as the Yvettes, led by Madeleine Ryan, held a number of political rallies in response to her remarks. March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... Lise Payette (born August 29, 1931) is a Quebec politician, feminist, writer and columnist. ... Claude Ryan, CC, D.h. ...

The first of those rallies happened on March 30 when a group of 1,700 women held the brunch des Yvettes at the Château Frontenac in Quebec City. The major rally occurred at the Montreal Forum on April 7 when 14,000 women denounced the minister's declarations about women and manifested their support for the "No" side. This was the first major rally for the "No" side in the campaign. This would be followed by many more smaller rallies particularly by women groups. March 30 is the 89th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (90th in Leap years). ... Château Frontenac in Québec The Château Frontenac, a grand hotel, is one of the main attractions of Québec City, Quebec. ... Motto: « Don de Dieu feray valoir Â» (I shall put Gods gift to good use) Site in the province of Quebec Official logo Provincial region Province Country Capitale-Nationale Quebec Canada Gentilé Québécois, Québécoise Mayor Term Andrée P. Boucher 2005-2009 Federal Members of Parliament... The Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Canada. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ...

At the National Assembly, Lise Payette would eventually apologize for her remarks. The Quebec Parliament Building at night The National Assembly of Quebec (French: Assemblée nationale du Québec) is the name for the legislative body of the province of Quebec, Canada which was defined in the Canadian constitution as the Legislative Assembly of Quebec (lassemblée législative de...

During a major rally for the "No" side on May 14, six days before the vote, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau promised to reform the Canadian Constitution if the "No" side won. Many people interpreted this as a promise to change the constitution to satisfy traditional Quebec demands. He asked the Quebec people to vote no, but warned the rest of Canada that a no vote did not mean that all was well and nothing would change. May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... Pierre Elliott Trudeau (October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was the fifteenth Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984. ... The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada. ...

The results

Effects

In his concession speech Lévesque spoke the famous words "If I've understood you well, you're telling me 'until next time'." The victory speech given by Claude Ryan was widely perceived to be similarly ungracious.

Despite the referendum loss, the PQ government was re-elected in the 1981 provincial election. Meanwhile, the federal government of Pierre Trudeau renewed its efforts to patriate the Canadian Constitution and succeeded in doing so in 1982, outmanoeuvring Lévesque to gain the support of the premiers of other Canadian provinces in the so-called "Night of the Long Knives". In the Quebec general election on April 13, 1981, the incumbent Parti Québécois under René Lévesque won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party under Claude Ryan. ... The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Night of the Long Knives (in French Nuit des longs couteaux) is the name Quebec nationalists use to refer to the night in November 1981 when the Constitution Act 1982 was agreed upon by the Prime Minister of Canada and the provincial Premiers, excluding René Lévesque the Premier...

During much of the 1980s, Quebec sovereignty was perceived as a dead issue, and Lévesque himself put the issue on the back burner, opting instead for the beau risque of trying to work towards a deal with the Mulroney government. This led to a split in the Parti Québécois which led to Lévesque's resignation from politics in 1985 and eventually paved the way for Jacques Parizeau and the second sovereignty referendum of 1995. Martin Brian Mulroney (born March 20, 1939), known as Brian Mulroney, was the eighteenth Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993. ... This article is about the year. ... Jacques Parizeau, Ph. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

However, for about 15 years, the ball had been in the federalist court. On two occasions, federalist politicians did attempt to find a solution to the Quebec question. However, both the 1987 Meech Lake Accord and the 1992 Charlottetown Accord ultimately failed to gather the support of the majority of Quebecers. The Meech Lake Accord was a set of failed constitutional amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the provincial premiers, including Robert Bourassa, premier of Quebec. ... The Charlottetown Accord was a package of constitutional amendments, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. ...

See also: Quebec Sovereignism Quebec The Quebec sovereignty movement is a movement calling for the attainment of sovereignty for Quebec, a province of the country of Canada. ...

External link

• Le Directeur Général des Élections du Québec