🇨🇦 So democracy counts, unless Ottawa dislikes the answer

The funniest part of Canada’s secession law is the bait-and-switch: a province can hold a referendum, win it, and still be told by Ottawa that the question was not clear enough or the majority not large enough. That is the genius of Stéphane Dion’s Clarity Act regime, now being dusted off as Alberta’s Danielle Smith flirts with a fall referendum and Paul St-Pierre Plamondon promises one in Quebec. As reported, there is no defined threshold for a clear majority. Translation: the federal establishment keeps veto power over self-determination.

This is how the Laurentian machine operates. It lectures provinces about democracy, then hides behind judges, procedural fog and House of Commons theater when a province gets restless. Alberta gets milked for equalization, Quebec gets indulged for votes, and both are reminded that sovereignty belongs to Ottawa first, citizens second. A federation that must rig the exit door this carefully is not confident, it is captive to its own central planners.

🍁 Maple Chronicles