Enough is enough

Guy Bertrand made front-page news across Canada when he challenged Quebec's referendum laws in court. In the face of the October referendum he obtained a court judgement ruling that a unilateral declaration of independence would be unconstitutional and would violate citizens' rights and freedoms. After the referendum, he made front-page news again when he asked the courts to issue a permanent injunction banning any referendum that would result in a future unilateral declaration of independence by the Province of Quebec. For Bertrand, enough is enough. In this startling and candid book, Mr. Bertrand describes the long march that led him from being a founding member of the Parti Quebecois and a diehard supporter of independence, to his creation of the Citizens for a Democratic Nation, a movement he founded in January 1996. The book explains this movement and what motivated him to challenge the legitimacy of any unilateral declaration of independence. For Bertrand, the referendum could have led to an illegal political coup d'etat that defied both the Canadian constitution and the Charter of Rights. He reviews the disastrous social and economic effects that separation would have on Quebec and vigorously criticizes political elites, both nationalist and federalist, for losing touch with the real problems confronting ordinary people. He proposes new solutions for Quebec, and calls upon citizens to seek a better future as full members of the Canadian federation. Bertrand offers a moving and reasoned plea, in the name of all citizens, for democracy and the rule of law in a free society. The English translation includes the full text of the Lesage judgement in Bertrand's favour.