[maplesyrup]

Layton promises to repeal federal Clarity Act

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Sept-Iles, Que. — NDP Leader Jack Layton, seeking an electoral beachhead in the province of his birth, promised Friday he'd repeal the federal Clarity Act and recognize a declaration of Quebec independence if sovereigntists win a referendum.

Tossing those promises to Quebec nationalists in an effort to boost his party's standing in the province, Mr. Layton said the federal law on Quebec secession has done nothing for national unity.

"I believe it has not been helpful," he told a few supporters in this community on the north shore of the St. Lawrence.

"All of this accentuates division in our country. I think it's time to move beyond that."

[maplesyrup]

Layton tente de plaire aux souverainistes

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Jack Layton a tenté d'établir une tête de pont au Québec, sa province d'origine, vendredi, en faisant deux promesses susceptibles de plaire aux nationalistes.

Au cours d'un arrêt à Québec, où il espère voler quelques sièges aux partis dominants dans la province, le Parti libéral et le Bloc québécois, le chef néo-démocrate a promis de reconnaître une déclaration d'indépendance si les souverainistes gagnaient un référendum. M. Layton a aussi dit qu'il est pour l'abrogation de la Loi sur la clarté référendaire, en affirmant que cette loi sur la sécession du Québec n'a rien apporté à l'unité nationale.

[August1991]

For better or worse, I'm going to post this. (J'hésite à ma manière.)

Wow. I saw the picture with Ducasse on the wharf in Seven Islands. I thought "dumb photo op".

This election is wide open. Hats off to Layton for getting out of the closet. Canada needs this. But like a deranged family argument, we can needlessly (and harshly) hurt one another. Can of worms.

Please, all, be polite. Dans le fonds, notre vrai dons à l'existence, c'est la politesse.

[maplesyrup]

This is basically a Quebec issue.

The Liberal approach is the sponsorship scandal.

The Conservative approach - Scott Reid?

The NDP is confronting the Bloc and going after the centre, and left of centre, the Bloc voters. It is time to take on the Bloc.

[Kliege]

Bloc voters are not all left of center. The bloc is funny it as a mixture of old P.C tories to leftist. If that Bloc were to break up half would go to the Liberals or NDP and half to the CPC.

[idealisttotheend]

I have to say that this would be a good reason for me not to vote NDP, a very good reason. I am not totally adverse to seperation if it is voted for by a overwhelming majority but I believe that if the country can't be broken up under the terms of the clarity act it ought not be broken up. I mean a clear question and more than 50% + 1 is not unreasonable by any extent. In fact to break up a country on less is to not respect it in the first place frankly

I don't see how this at all relates to the NDPs objectives. It seems like fairly cheap vote mongering with no other particular purpose than to appeal to seperatists in Quebec. Plus if we have learned one thing about the Quebec issue it's don't open old wounds which this would seem to do again for no real good reason.

I am very disappointed with the leader of the (national) NDP, Mr. Jack Layton. If he wants to find common ground with Quebec there must surely be better ways than making it's seperation from Canada easier.

P. S. I find I have more and more respect for Mr. Chretien the further he receeds into the distance... I never though I'd say that though I did respect him somewhat before.

[Slavik44]

any one ever think that perhaps this could hurt the party?

Think abou tit, I woudl probabley be correct in thinking that sepratists vote for the bloc, right? So if sepratist vote for the bloc, then the pro-canada would vote for the libs, Con's, NDP. So perhaps by appealing to the speratists and the bloc, the push away their own voters. Logically a speratist will vote for a primary sepratist party, and a unionist will vote mainly for a national party, perhaps all they have doen is confuse the electorate in quebec and lost votes.

[playfullfellow]

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This is basically a Quebec issue.

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The NDP is confronting the Bloc and going after the centre, and left of centre, the Bloc voters. It is time to take on the Bloc. 

MS, at this point I think that if Layton suggested we shave our heads, wear pink speedos and tattoo "I'm with stupid" on our foreheads, you would think it a good idea. Quebec seperation is not an issue in this election and for the most part, I think the clarity act is fine. At least it defines exactly what a seperatist party has to achieve to gain seperation from the rest of Canada. This is only a case of sucking up to the seperatists trying to gain votes. I wonder if Layton would feel the same way if Alberta seperatism was an issue in this election, which it is not but the sentiment is there. I doubt that Layton would feel the same way because many of his tax increases would affect a lot of people and companies based in Alberta and he would need this money to fullfill his promises.