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Title
Madam René(e)

Issues
Patriation / Canada Act (1982)
Since Confederation, Canada could request changes to Canada’s Constitution, but an act of British Parliament was still required to make amendments. Initially undertaken as fulfillment of a campaign promise made by Pierre Trudeau, patriation would involve transferring the power to amend the Canadian constitution from the British Parliament to Canada. One of the many difficulties he faced was to proceed in such a way that was acceptable for all of the provinces, particularly Quebec. Quebec Premier René Levesque was unhappy with many of the provisions, particularly with the lack of a constitutional veto for the province, and refused assent. Despite this fact, after protracted negotiations and revisions, Queen Elizabeth II came to Canada to proclaim the new Canada Act (also called the Constitution Act), which includes the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, on April 17, 1982. Levesque was incensed and as a result renewed his dedication to Quebec separatism. Subsequent initiatives such as the Meech Lake and Charlottetown Accords sought unsuccessfully to address the issue of Quebec’s identity within the Canadian Constitution.
Quebec Referenda (1980, 1995)
A referendum is a political process in which the general public votes on an issue of public concern. Two such referenda have been held in Quebec that asked the voters for approval on amendments that would grant Quebec sovereignty, which would allow it to ”acquire the exclusive power to make its laws, levy its taxes and establish relations abroad”. The 1980 Quebec referendum was the first. Called by Quebec's Parti Québécois (PQ) government, the province-wide referendum took place on Tuesday May 20, 1980, and the motion to pursue Quebec's independence was decisively defeated by 59.56% to 40.44%. The 1995 Quebec referendum was the second referendum on the same issue. It took place on October 30, 1995, and the motion was defeated by a much smaller margin, 50.58% to 49.42%.

Persons
René Levesque
- Born August 24, 1922
- Died November 1, 1987
- One-time Liberal, founder of the Parti Québécois
- Left Liberal Party, founded Mouvement Souveraineté-Association, 1967
- Merged Mouvement Souveraineté-Association with Ralliement National to form Parti Québécois, 1968
- Attempted to negotiate political independence for Quebec
- Passed Bill 101 to maintain French as the prominent language of Quebec
- Supported the repatriation of the Canadian Constitution
- Resigned party leadership, 1985