Abstract:
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"Whether the constitutional and political future of Quebec and the rest of Canada will take on radically different sovereignist turns, or fall back on the status quo, it will not be for a lack of talks, public symposia and reports of one kind or another. Yet for all these talks and activities, there has been little or no public debate informed by covenant theory, and its relation to the Canadian admixture of federal principles with a parliamentary, majoritarian system. This is the missing element in the constitutional debate. From both a sovereignist
or status quo position, serious consideration of covenant theory
and its relation to Canadian federal arrangements is not important. Indeed, the logic of each position requires not to address this issue. But any attempt at creating or recreating self-rule and shared rule among ourselves — in Quebec as in Canada — must of necessity address or be concerned with this question. This is what I wish to argue here."
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