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Tue, June 22, 2004
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Fears arise from demerger |
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'Yes' voters worry
referendum will backfire on province
By TOBI COHEN, Ottawa Sun
CALLING THE
Quebec provincial Liberals' demerger structure utterly undemocratic,
some disappointed "Yes" supporters fear the government has set a
precedent that could backfire in a big way. Aylmer resident and
staunch deamalgamation supporter George Levasseur said it's only a
matter of time before the Parti Quebecois comes to power again and
uses this Liberal referendum model to pull Quebec out of Canada.
"People don't
realize that," said a frustrated Levasseur, less than 24 hours after
the province-wide referendum which saw 32 former Quebec
municipalities including Gatineau's Masson-Angers successfully split
from their megacities.
'POLITICIANS
ARE SCARED'
While demerger
supporters in Aylmer won 58% of the popular vote, just 26% of all
eligible voters checked "Yes," thus voiding the referendum in
Aylmer.
For the
province to grant municipalities the right to split, each sector
needed a double majority -- more than 50% of the vote representing
at least 35% of the electorate.
"It's the first
time in Western democracy where politicians are scared of the will
of the people," Democracity Outaouais chairman Dany Gravel said.
Considering
voter turnout for general municipal elections is rarely even that
high, many considered the 35% condition entirely unfair.
In charge of
the "Yes" campaign, which has spent the past month canvassing the
region trying to sway votes, Gravel said he was particularly
disappointed in those who did not vote.
"To come up
short by 2,400 votes, maybe people wanted to go barbecue instead of
go out to vote," he said. "I guarantee when we see our next tax
increase people will be screaming their heads off, but it will be
too late."
Gravel said he
was also upset with the referendum question, which he said stumped
several people who voted "No" but who were actually in favour of
deamalgamation.
The voters'
list was also inaccurate, he said, adding he'd heard of one person
who was listed as residing at an address he occupied 25 years ago.
As Aylmer
deamalgamationists are coming to terms with the fact they'll have to
remain under the Gatineau banner, Masson-Angers residents are
bracing for change.
RECOUNT
EXPECTED
While those in
favour of amalgamation have until the end of the week to launch a
judicial recount, which they have said they plan to do because they
lost by just three votes, Quebec Municipal Affairs Minister
Jean-Marc Fournier announced yesterday the creation of a transition
committee, effective immediately.
The committee
will be responsible for overseeing the separation process and will
also be required to review spending and boundaries and make
recommendations to the government.
The new city of
Masson-Angers is expected to take effect on Jan. 1, 2006.
tobi.cohen@ott.sunpub.com
Tue,
June 22, 2004
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Quebec vote inspires rural rebels |
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By Tobi Cohen, Ottawa Sun
| Defeated
deamalgamation supporters in Aylmer might be fuming over process,
but at least the Quebec government has stayed true to its word, say
those in favour of a similar split in Ottawa. While Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuinty promised to review amalgamation, much like Quebec
Premier Jean Charest did, it's among many promises McGuinty has
broken since taking office, critics say. |
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| "Dalton
McGuinty said initially: 'I'm going to listen to the people. That is
the democratic process. We're going to give the people an
opportunity to vote on this issue if they wish,' " Rideau Coun.
Glenn Brooks said. "As soon as some |
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BROOKS
What benefits?
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of the municipalities such as Kawartha Lakes voted on the issue, and voted to deamalgamate, then
McGuinty did a flip-flop."
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..."there is so much
dissatisfaction not only in the rurals ... but I'm
getting e-mails and phone calls and comments from Kanata and Nepean
and Gloucester .... They want to know what are the
benefits of amalgamation. Are we getting value for money?"
-Councillor Glen
Brooks, Rideau Ward
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Brooks and
Osgoode Coun. Doug Thompson said they'll put forward a motion during
tomorrow's council meeting asking the city to launch a review of the
benefits of amalgamation.
"My sense is
there is so much dissatisfaction not only in the rurals ... but I'm
getting e-mails and phone calls and comments from Kanata and Nepean
and Gloucester ..." said Brooks. "They want to know what are the
benefits of amalgamation. Are we getting value for money?
"Maybe there
are huge benefits there, and if that's the case I'll be supporting
amalgamation," Brooks added. "(But) until we do that review, then we
are going to continue down this path of more money, more demands,
less services and eventually, people are going to say, 'Stop this
plunge into a deep black hole and let's reconsider this.' "
tobi.cohen@ott.sunpub.com
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