Quebec Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Joseph Facal to Speak to the ëQuebec-Ontario Partnership' at York University's Glendon College

TORONTO, October 13, 1999 -- Fresh from his recent foray into the constitutional fray at the international conference on federalism at Mt. Tremblant last week, Quebec Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Joseph Facal will change subjects and speak to another issue this Thursday, October 14, at 4:15 p.m. at York University's Glendon College, 129 York Hall.

Facal will deliver a 20-minute speech on Le partenariat QuÈbec-Ontario et les relations du QuÈbec avec les communautÈs francophones et acadiennes du Canada (The Quebec-Ontario partnership and Quebec's relations with the Francophone and Acadian communities of Canada) and participate in a 30-minute question-and-answer session. Facal is fluent in English, French and Spanish, and holds bachelor and master degrees in political science from the UniversitÈ de MontrÈal and a doctorate from the Sorbonne.

Once believed to be more conciliatory than his predecessors on the subject of Quebec sovereignty, Facal surprised pundits last week when he came out swinging, telling a federal government sponsored international forum on federalism that the question of Quebec sovereignty is a political -- not a legal -- one, adding that Quebec is not bound by Canada's Supreme Court decision on the constitutional requirements of a separation vote.

Asked the hypothetical question -- what would Quebec do if Ottawa deemed a new referendum question unclear and refused to negotiate sovereignty?-- Facal added more fuel to the fire by responding: "Just watch us," a direct reference to the words former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau used when he invoked the War Measures Act during the 1970 FLQ crisis.

Glendon is York University's bilingual liberal arts Faculty, the only institution in southern Ontario where university programs are offered in both French and English. With one of the lowest student/professor ratios, Glendon offers a superior learning environment for pursuing undergraduate studies on a beautiful campus situated in a park-like setting bordering the glen of Toronto's Don Valley River.

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For further information, please contact:

Kenneth McRoberts
Principal, Glendon College
York University
(416) 487-6727
email: kmcrob@yorku.ca

Sine MacKinnon
Director, Media Relations
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22087
email: sinem@yorku.ca

Guy Larocque
Chef de Communications
Bureau de QuÈbec ý Toronto
Gouvernement du QuÈbec
(416) 977-6060
guy.larocque@cex.gouv.qc.ca
YU/100/99