1980 Quebec referendum facts for kids

The 1980 Quebec independence referendum was a big vote in Quebec, Canada. It was the first time people in Quebec voted on whether their province should have more control over its own laws, government, and trade deals. This idea was called "sovereignty-association."

The vote was organized by Quebec's government, led by the Parti Québécois (PQ). This party wanted Quebec to become more independent from Canada.

The referendum happened on May 20, 1980. Most voters, 59.56%, said "No" to the idea of more independence. Only 40.44% voted "Yes."

Another vote on Quebec's future happened in 1995. That one was much closer, but it also failed.

What Led to the Vote

Quebec has been a part of Canada since 1867. It's the only province where most people speak French. Quebec also has strong ties to French culture and history. Many people in Quebec value their French identity.

In the early 1960s, Quebec went through a big change called the Quiet Revolution. During this time, the government took over many services that the church used to run, like education and healthcare. This made the government more powerful.

After the Quiet Revolution, two main political ideas grew in Quebec:

• Federalists: People who wanted Quebec to stay a strong part of a united Canada.
• Sovereigntists: People who wanted Quebec to become its own country, separate from Canada.

A key sovereigntist leader was René Lévesque. He helped start the Parti Québécois (PQ). The PQ suggested "sovereignty-association." This meant Quebec would be an independent country but still share an economic partnership with Canada, like having the same money.

The PQ won the election in 1976. They had promised to hold a vote on sovereignty-association. Once in power, the PQ made popular changes, like Bill 101. This law made French the official language of Quebec.

The PQ's ideas were very different from the Canadian federal government. The Prime Minister of Canada at the time was Pierre Trudeau. He was a strong federalist and did not support Quebec becoming separate. Trudeau wanted Quebecers to work within Canada and supported ideas like making Canada officially bilingual.

In 1979, Joe Clark became Canada's Prime Minister. His government decided not to get involved in Quebec's referendum. They left it to the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, Claude Ryan, to lead the "No" campaign.

On June 21, 1979, Lévesque announced that the referendum would happen in the spring of 1980. He also said the question for the vote would be ready by Christmas.

Getting Ready for the Campaign

On November 1, 1979, the Quebec government shared its plan in a special report. It was called Québec-Canada: A New Deal. The Québec Government Proposal for a New Partnership Between Equals: Sovereignty-Association. This report explained their idea for Quebec to be a sovereign nation with an economic link to Canada.

Then, something big happened in Canada's government. On December 11, 1979, Joe Clark's government lost a vote. This meant there would be a new federal election in 1980. Three days later, Pierre Trudeau announced he would return as leader of the Liberal Party.

The Referendum Question

The exact words of the referendum question were discussed a lot by the Parti Québécois. Some wanted a very simple question about Quebec becoming independent.

René Lévesque knew that "sovereignty-association" would need talks with the Canadian government. So, he decided the question should ask Quebecers for permission to negotiate a deal with Canada. If a deal was made, there would be a second vote for Quebecers to approve it. Lévesque thought this idea of a second vote would make more people vote "Yes."

The question was announced on December 20, 1979. It was quite long: "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 only be implemented with popular approval through another referendum; on these terms, do you give the Government of Quebec the mandate to negotiate the proposed agreement between Quebec and Canada?"

Lévesque said the question was long but clear.

Debates on TV

On February 18, 1980, Pierre Trudeau's Liberal Party won the federal election. Trudeau became Prime Minister again. He put Jean Chrétien in charge of the federal government's response to the referendum.

For the first time, debates in the Quebec National Assembly were shown live on TV. The debate about the referendum question started on March 4, 1980, and lasted two weeks. The Parti Québécois did very well in these debates. They explained their plans in detail.

The provincial Liberals, led by Claude Ryan, didn't do as well. Their quick, teasing comments didn't look good on TV compared to the PQ's long speeches. Ryan was even caught yawning sometimes.

After the debates, polls showed the "Yes" and "No" sides were about even. Most French-speaking voters seemed to support the "Yes" side.

The Brunch des Yvettes

A speech by a former TV host named Lise Payette caused some trouble for the "Yes" campaign. She made fun of "No" voters, calling them "Yvettes." This was a name for a very obedient schoolgirl from old Quebec schoolbooks. Payette suggested that "No" voters, especially women, were like these docile Yvettes. She even said Claude Ryan's wife, Madeline Ryan, was an Yvette.

A popular journalist, Lise Bissonnette, wrote an article criticizing Payette's personal attack. Payette later apologized during the debate.

But her comments sparked a movement. On March 30, 1980, 1,700 women, including Madeline Ryan, held a "Brunch des Yvettes" in Quebec City. This movement grew, and on April 7, 14,000 women gathered in Montreal. They spoke out against Payette's comments and showed their support for the "No" side.

The Campaign Begins

On April 15, René Lévesque announced that the referendum would be held on May 20, 1980.

On the same day, Prime Minister Trudeau spoke in the Canadian Parliament. He said the Canadian government would absolutely not negotiate "sovereignty-association." He felt the question was too unclear. Trudeau also said that a "Yes" vote wouldn't force Canada to negotiate independence. Instead, he promised that a "No" vote would lead to changes in the Canadian constitution. Both Joe Clark and Ed Broadbent, leaders of other federal parties, supported Trudeau's view.

The "Yes" campaign started quietly. It tried to get wide support for sovereignty-association by creating small groups of supporters. These groups would get special certificates from Lévesque. This was meant to show broad support and encourage discussions. However, trying to form these groups in professions that were strongly federalist, like lawyers, caused a lot of negative reactions.

The "No" campaign, led by Claude Ryan, was run more like a traditional election. Ryan traveled around Quebec, giving speeches in local hockey arenas.

The Canadian government also got involved, even though Quebec's referendum law limited campaigning to official "Yes" and "No" groups. Canadian politicians, coordinated by Jean Chrétien and Marc Lalonde, made appearances. They warned about the economic problems a "Yes" vote could bring. For example, Lalonde claimed that old age pensions could be at risk. Ryan, at first hesitant, later welcomed the federal government's help.

The referendum caused a huge political buzz in Quebec. It was a difficult time, as people had to choose between "Yes" and "No." This choice broke the unity that had existed in Quebec since the Quiet Revolution.

Trudeau's Big Speech

Six days before the vote, on May 14, Prime Minister Trudeau gave a powerful speech at the Paul Sauvé Arena in Montreal. This was the same place where the PQ had celebrated their election win in 1976.

Trudeau criticized the "Yes" campaign for having an unclear question. He said a "Yes" vote would lead nowhere because the rest of Canada wasn't bound by the question. He repeated that a "No" vote would lead to changes in the Canadian constitution. He even said his own Members of Parliament would resign if he failed to keep this promise.

Trudeau then spoke about his own background. He mentioned his parents, who both had many ancestors in Quebec. He said his full name, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was both a Québécois and a Canadian name. He then listed members of the Parti Québécois who had Irish or English last names. The crowd cheered loudly. Trudeau left the stage to chants of "Elliott."

This speech was seen as a major blow to the "Yes" campaign, even though Lévesque tried to cast doubt on Trudeau's words.

Results of the Vote

What Happened Next

After the "No" win, René Lévesque gave a speech to his supporters. Many of them were crying. Lévesque started by saying, "My dear friends, if I understand you correctly, you're saying: 'until next time.'" He called the Canadian government's involvement "scandalously immoral." He also said the result must be accepted and that Canada now had to deliver on Trudeau's promises for constitutional change.

Claude Ryan gave his speech later. He refused to let Jean Chrétien speak. Ryan then listed every area that had voted "No." His speech was seen as harsh, especially after Lévesque's emotional speech. Trudeau then spoke to the country in a more calming way. He stressed the need for unity after the difficult referendum. The next morning, Chrétien was asked to work on getting provinces to agree on constitutional changes.

Effects of the Referendum

After the referendum, Trudeau kept his promise. He called a meeting with all the provincial leaders. The meeting was difficult. Lévesque surprised everyone by joining with other premiers who wanted more power for the provinces. Since the premiers weren't cooperating, Trudeau announced he would bring the Canadian constitution home from the United Kingdom. He also wanted to add a Charter of Rights and a way to change the constitution.

Meanwhile, Quebec had a provincial election. Even after the referendum loss, the PQ easily won against Ryan's Liberals in the 1981 election. They campaigned on their good record and against Trudeau's plans. This time, the PQ did not promise another referendum.

Lévesque, who had just been re-elected, joined eight other premiers. They agreed on a plan that would not give Quebec a special veto power. But it would allow provinces to opt out of some federal programs with money.

The federal government still wanted to bring the constitution home. They asked the Supreme Court of Canada if they could do it without provincial agreement. The Court said that legally, they could. But, by tradition, a lot of provincial agreement was needed.

This Supreme Court decision led to a final meeting of the premiers. Lévesque left the meeting early. The other premiers and Jean Chrétien worked out a compromise. This happened during what is sometimes called the "Kitchen Meeting." In Quebec, this night is often called the "Night of the Long Knives."

Because of this agreement, the Canadian government brought the constitution home in the Constitution Act, 1982. This happened without Quebec's support. This was a big defeat for the PQ. Quebec's government actually lost power compared to its position in 1976.

People still debate whether Trudeau kept his promises from his Paul Sauvé Arena speech. Trudeau said he kept his promise to bring home the constitution and add a Charter of Rights. But Quebec nationalists argue that he promised Quebec would get a special status, or his MPs would resign.

In 1984, Brian Mulroney became Canada's Prime Minister. He promised to try to fix Quebec's issues with the constitution. Lévesque decided to work with Mulroney. This led to a split in the PQ, and Lévesque resigned from politics in 1985.

After the PQ lost the next provincial election to the Liberals, Mulroney's government started talks with Quebec. They tried to find a deal that all provinces would accept. The Meech Lake Accord in 1987 and the Charlottetown Accord in 1992 both failed, even though all premiers agreed to them. These failures made the sovereignty movement stronger again.

The PQ returned to power in 1994, led by Jacques Parizeau. Parizeau called a second referendum on sovereignty in 1995. The question was more direct this time. That referendum failed by a very small amount, less than 0.6%.

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See also

In Spanish: Referéndum de Quebec de 1980 para niños