Referenda in Canada

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National referenda are seldom used in Canada, and have tended to fail. The first two saw voters in Québec and the rest of Canada take dramatically opposing stands, the third saw most of the voters take a stand dramatically opposed to that of the politicians in power.

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National referenda

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Referendum on prohibition

Results of the National Referendum on Prohibition (September 29, 1898)
Jurisdiction For Prohibition Percent For Against Prohibition Percent Against
Alberta and Saskatchewan 6,238 68.8 2,824 31.2
British Columbia 5,731 54.6 4,756 45.4
Manitoba 12,419 80.6 2,978 19.4
New Brunswick 26,919 72.2 9,575 27.7
Nova Scotia 34,368 87.2 5,370 12.8
Ontario 154,498 57.3 115,284 42.7
Prince Edward Island 9,461 89.2 1,146 10.8
Quebec 28,436 18.8 122,760 81.2
Canada 278,380 51.2 264,693 48.8
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Plebiscite on conscription

Template:Seealso The Question:

Are you in favour of releasing the Government from any obligations arising out of any past commitments restricting the methods of raising men for military service?
Results of the 1942 National Plebiscite on Conscription (April 27, 1942)
Jurisdiction Voted Yes Percent Yes Voted No Percent No
Alberta 186,624 71.1 75,880 28.9
British Columbia 253,844 80.4 62,033 19.6
Manitoba 218,093 80.3 53,651 19.7
New Brunswick 105,629 69.8 45,743 30.2
Nova Scotia 120,763 77.1 35,840 22.1
Ontario 1,202,953 84.0 229,847 16.0
Prince Edward Island 23,568 82.9 4,869 17.1
Quebec 375,650 27.9 971,925 72.1
Saskatchewan 183,617 73.1 67,654 26.9
Yukon 847 74.4 291 25.6
Total civilian vote 2,670,088 63.3 1,547,724 36.7
Military vote 251,118 80.5 60,885 19.5
Canada 2,921,206 64.5 1,608,609 35.5
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Referendum on the Charlottetown Accord

The Question:

Do you agree that the Constitution of Canada should be renewed on the basis of the agreement reached on August 28, 1992?
Results of the National Referendum on the Charlottetown Accord (October 26, 1992)
Jurisdiction Voted Yes Percent Yes Voted No Percent No
Alberta 483,275 39.8 731,975 60.2
British Columbia 525,188 31.8 1,126,761 68.2
Manitoba 198,230 38.0 322,971 62.0
New Brunswick 23,010 61.7 145,096 38.3
Newfoundland 133,193 63.1 77,881 36.9
Northwest Territories 14,750 61.0 9,416 39.0
Nova Scotia 218,618 48.7 230,182 51.3
Ontario 2,410,119 50.1 2,397,665 49.9
Prince Edward Island 48,687 74.0 17,124 26.0
Quebec 1,710,117 43.4 2,232,280 56.6
Saskatchewan 203,361 44.6 252,459 55.4
Yukon 5,354 43.6 6,922 56.4
Canada 6,185,902 45.0 7,550,732 55.0
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Proposed referenda

During the Canadian Federal election of 2004, the NDP stated that it would require the federal government to hold a national referendum on electoral reform (specifically Proportional Representation) for support from the NDP should the Liberals win a minority government. The Liberals won a minority, and the NDP announced they would press for electoral reform through a referendum (the two other parties in the House of Commons, the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois, have historically supported electoral reform and are expected to support NDP legislation on a national referendum). The possibility of a national referendum on electoral reform was made more likely through the throne speech that opened Parliament in October, 2004, in which Prime Minister Paul Martin included electoral reform in his plan for the next Parliament.

There had been discussion regarding a national referendum over the issue of same-sex marriage, which is a highly divisive issue in Canada (and most other countries). A national plebiscite had been suggested by Alberta Premier Ralph Klein and some Conservatives and Liberal backbenchers. However, Paul Martin's Liberal government, with the support of the NDP and Bloc Quebecois, passed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage through Parliament in July 2005 without holding a plebiscite.

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Provincial referenda

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British Columbia

In British Columbia a referendum on electoral reform on May 17, 2005 was held in conjunction with the provincial election that year.

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Newfoundland and Labrador

The island of Newfoundland, then a British colony, held two referendums in 1949 to determine its future. An initial referendum was held on June 3, 1948 to decide between continuing with the British appointed Commission of Government that had ruled the island since the 1930s, revert to dominion status with responsible government, or join Canadian Confederation. The result was inconclusive, with 44.6% supporting the restoration of dominion status, 41.1% for confederation with Canada, and 14.3% for continuing the Commission of Government. A second referendum on July 22, 1948, which asked Newfoundlanders to choose between confederation and dominion status, was decided by a vote of 52% to 48% for confederation with Canada. Newfoundland joined Canada on March 31, 1949.

A referendum was held in Newfoundland and Labrador in 1995 that approved replacing the province's system of parochial schools with a largely public school system. In 1997, a second referendum to amend the Terms of Union to allow for the Catholic and Pentecostal school systems to be disbanded and brought into the public system.

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Nova Scotia

In 2004, Nova Scotia held a referendum on whether to allow "Sunday shopping."

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Prince Edward Island

The small province of Prince Edward Island (under 150,000 people and therefore in scale more like a municipal government) has had several referendums in its past, although the correct terminology in the province is a plebiscite. The last provincial plebiscite was held to determine if Islanders were in favour of a fixed link to the mainland. It passed 60% to 40%. This allowed the provincial and federal governments to attract contractors to build what is now the Confederation Bridge. On November 28th, 2005, Islanders were asked to vote by plebiscite whether or not they wanted mixed member proportional representation - partly "party list-based" - electoral system. Islanders decided, 64% to 36%, to keep the status quo first-past-the-post based electoral system that was already in place.

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Quebec

Two famous referenda have been held in Quebec on the issue of sovereignty: the 1980 referendum and the 1995 referendum.

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