Another reason why this American loves Canada (to live, law)

[ILikeMike91]

Originally Posted by ChevySpoons

So, Larry, you have no cites and no grounds for your assertions? Very well then, your argument is dismissed.

All you have to do is do some minor research online. It is widely known that Option Canada brought in outsiders to vote on the 1995 referendum. The federalist side also illegally passed almost $600,000 over their spending limit but faced no consequences. The Grenier Report, expedited citizenship and the list goes on.

[mikeyyc]

Originally Posted by ILikeMike91

All you have to do is do some minor research online. It is widely known that Option Canada brought in outsiders to vote on the 1995 referendum. The federalist side also illegally passed almost $600,000 over their spending limit but faced no consequences. The Grenier Report, expedited citizenship and the list goes on.

Not to beat a dead horse any more, but if I recall correctly, anyone born in Quebec had the right to vote in the referendum, regardless of current address. If that's the case, "outsiders" would be eligible voters just coming to vote.

Back to your regularly scheduled troll baiting.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by ChevySpoons

Opinion piece; an editorial. Not a solid cite, but it does offer background information about the issue.

In short, we will never know whether the referendum was rigged or not. We may believe otherwise, we may think differently, we may share our opinions. But until we do know for sure, we cannot claim that it was.

The Gazette editorial is all about biblical motes, beams and eyes. The Gazette has always been a defender of the anglo community as one might expect, but over the past 20 years or so it has become more and more like a "journal de combat". Kind of like the News Letter in Northern Ireland or The Irish News.

Certainly the rejected ballot issue reported by the Gazette really happened, but as is typical of that side other things like major overspending by the Non side in violation of the electoral law are completely ignored. Or the illegal voting by many non-resident students from other parts of Canada at Quebec's three anglo universities. And the fast-tracking of tens of thousands of Canadian citizenships almost handed out on the street to anyone who was from another country (including foreign students, workers, etc.) on the assumption (or even maybe on the understanding) that they would vote Non.

[ILikeMike91]

Originally Posted by mikeyyc

Not to beat a dead horse any more, but if I recall correctly, anyone born in Quebec had the right to vote in the referendum, regardless of current address. If that's the case, "outsiders" would be eligible voters just coming to vote.

Back to your regularly scheduled troll baiting.

Sorry can you tell me how is that troll baiting? I am trying to look at both sides of the story instead of sweeping it under the rug. If you take a quick look online there is plenty of information about fraud in the 1995 referendum as well as some double standards so I dont see how talking about it is troll baiting.

[mikeyyc]

Originally Posted by ILikeMike91

Sorry can you tell me how is that troll baiting? I am trying to look at both sides of the story instead of sweeping it under the rug. If you take a quick look online there is plenty of information about fraud in the 1995 referendum as well as some double standards so I dont see how talking about it is troll baiting.

Look at the point of discussion...look at the title of the thread...now look again...

[ILikeMike91]

Originally Posted by mikeyyc

Look at the point of discussion...look at the title of the thread...now look again...

Mikey I made a comment about the exact same thing as you, Chevyspoons, larrycarver, and jambo101. So apprently you can comment on the subject and thats fine, but if I make a comment about the exact same thing as you guys it's "troll baiting". Gotcha.

Originally Posted by mikeyyc

Not to beat a dead horse any more, but if I recall correctly, anyone born in Quebec had the right to vote in the referendum, regardless of current address. If that's the case, "outsiders" would be eligible voters just coming to vote.

Back to your regularly scheduled troll baiting.

[mikeyyc]

I think it's a great topic for discussion. Just not on this thread. That's all.

I'm just as guilty as everyone else.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by mikeyyc

Not to beat a dead horse any more, but if I recall correctly, anyone born in Quebec had the right to vote in the referendum, regardless of current address. If that's the case, "outsiders" would be eligible voters just coming to vote.

.

It's a bit iffier than that. In order to be eligible people who were non-residents were required to sign some kind of affidavit that they intended to return to live in Quebec and were only outside the province temporarily.

The law existed for quite some time. As late as 1992 less than 400 people had invoked this right and gotten on the voter's list as a result.

In 1995, the number surged to over 50,000, almost all of them anglophones who resided in Quebec at one point but who were now living in other parts of Canada or the U.S.

Almost two decades after the referendum, it's a certainty that almost none of those 50,000 have returned to Quebec, nor did they ever have any intention of returning.

[dtmann]

Originally Posted by Acajack

It's a bit iffier than that. In order to be eligible people who were non-residents were required to sign some kind of affidavit that they intended to return to live in Quebec and were only outside the province temporarily.

The law existed for quite some time. As late as 1992 less than 400 people had invoked this right and gotten on the voter's list as a result.

In 1995, the number surged to over 50,000, almost all of them anglophones who resided in Quebec at one point but who were now living in other parts of Canada or the U.S.

Almost two decades after the referendum, it's a certainty that almost none of those 50,000 have returned to Quebec, nor did they ever have any intention of returning.

This is all legal and accepted practise?

[Acajack]

On the swearing-in of new Canadian citizens in 1995: during the month of October 1995 (the referendum was on Oct. 30) some 12,000 new Canadian citizens were sworn in by the Montreal citizenship office alone. In a normal year about 20,000 new citizens get sworn every 12 months by that same office.

The federal citizenship department actually flew in judges and staff from all over the country to Montreal in order to process as many applications as possible and churn out as many new Canadian citizens as possible.

Many of the new citizens were FOB and spoke no English or French.

I've seen on the news images of handouts given to these people in multiple languages telling them that they were now Canadian citizens and it was their duty to go vote Non on Oct. 30.

Anecdotally, I've heard quite a few people (on the news and in private conversations) mention that they were told they'd be deported if the Oui side won.

Among the interesting factoids, there is a member of Al-Qaeda who associated with the 9-11 terrorists who is a Canadian citizen as a result of this "operation" in 1995.