At the heart of debates over Quebec’s future and its status within Confederation lies a hotly contested question: who will decide? Following the last referendum on Quebec sovereignty the federal government referred this very question to the Supreme Court of Canada. Following the Supreme Court’s decision, Ottawa enacted the Clarity Act, which lays down ground rules regarding both future referenda and any negotiations on sovereignty that might ensue. For its part, Quebec’s national Assembly passed a law stating categorically that the province’s political future is a decision that belongs entirely to Quebeckers. In this Special Great Canadian Debate, the Hon. Stéphane Dion, former leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Cabinet Minister, and framer of Canada’s Clarity Act will trade rhetorical blows with Daniel Turp; former Member of Parliament for the Bloc Quebecois and former Member of the National Assembly with the Parti Quebecois over the question of who is entitled to participate in decisions over Quebec’s standing in Confederation. The moderator for this debate will be Jack Granatstein.
For tickets, please click here.
The Macdonald-Laurier Institute is pleased to announce The Great Canadian Debates, a series of provocative debates exploring some of the most compelling issues to Canadians. Each debate is presented at the Canadian War Museum and features well-known personalities and a moderator. Audience members are invited to get involved by posing questions during a Q&A session and voting for the winning argument. Following the debate, the evening also includes private access to the War Musem’s special exhibit.
June 20, 2013
Barney Danson Theatre, Canadian War Museum, Ottawa
