OPINION
Monday, September 29, 2014 5
A Tale of two Referenda
Uncovering the parallels of the Scottish vote with our own,
somewhat besmirched history of secession
nicholas banerd › contributor
L
a s t w e e k , Scottish leaders followed in
Quebec’s footsteps and held that nation’s
first popular vote on secession from the
United Kingdom. Sovereignty referenda are
all too familiar to Canadians. Twice, in 1980 and again
in 1995, the Parti Quebécois sought secession from
Canada; the latter vote coming alarmingly close to a
dreaded ‘Yes’ victory. In their defeat, the PQ focused
on other matters, including leader Pauline Marois’
Charter of Values. Even while in power, the party
carefully kept its raison d’être on the backburner.
Last April, the Quebec Liberals seized a majority
government, and the sovereignty question seemed to
be buried for a long while. But for resilient Péquistes,
hope was emerging from abroad as some flew to
Edinburgh to revel in the excitement that was building among independence-minded Scots. It seemed as
if Scotland and Quebec had a similar, if not common,
foe: an Anglo-Saxon majority that was seen as historically oppressive, governing them from afar.
In Scotland, the increased powers devolved to
Holyrood from Westminster did little to quell the
nationalist fervor as kilt-wearing, bagpipe-playing Scots jammed city streets at pro-independence
rallies. The similarities to 1995 are striking: a complacent federalist, or Unionist, campaign caught off
guard as impassioned nationalist leaders catalyzed a
surge of popularity for secession.
Many were perplexed in the ’95 campaign, given
that Canada’s top job had been frequently occupied by
Quebecers: Pierre Trudeau, Brian Mulroney, and Jean
Chrétien. Trudeau is often vilified as orchestrating
egregious policies that ostracized his own province,
opting for a strong, centralized and bilingual country. A few years later, Mulroney twice failed to pass
subsequent constitutional reforms at Meech Lake and
Charlottetown. Despite having their own in the highest corridors of power, Quebecers were in full revolt
against Ottawa.
To some, the Scottish referendum was even more
puzzling. There seemed to be little impetus for the
vote; indeed, Scotsman Gordon Brown had been
Prime Minister for three years, and remains popular.
Even present Tory PM David Cameron has Scottish
ê SO MUCH BRITAIN!! I need some tea now.
ancestry. Scottish qualms centered around a collective nationalism, epitomized by the Mel Gibson
blockbuster Braveheart. While William Wallace
lived in the 13th century, some nationalists seemed to
have forgotten, or ignored, their more recent history
with England. In 1603 Queen Elizabeth I died and the
two kingdoms unified under a Scottish monarch—
James VI—whose Stuart dynasty ruled all of Britain
for a century. While the union suffered setbacks, it
endured in relative comfort until 1982. It is historical coincidence that this year marked the height of
peaceful coexistence in Britain after its victory in
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