# Quebec Contingency Act

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Canadian bill

The **Quebec Contingency Act** (**Bill C-341**) was a [private member's bill](/source/Private_member's_bill) tabled in [Canada](/source/Canada)'s [federal Parliament](/source/Parliament_of_Canada) in 1996 to establish the conditions which would apply to a referendum regarding the separation of [Quebec](/source/Quebec) from Canada. It was a precursor to the [Clarity Act](/source/Clarity_Act) of 2000.

Bill C-341 was introduced by future [Prime Minister](/source/Prime_Minister_of_Canada) and then [Reform](/source/Reform_Party_of_Canada) [MP](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(Canada)) [Stephen Harper](/source/Stephen_Harper), and reached First Reading on October 30, 1996. Its full title was "An Act to establish the terms and conditions that must apply to a referendum relating to the separation of Quebec from Canada before it may be recognized as a proper expression of the will of the people of Quebec."[1]

Bill C-341 did not proceed any further in Parliament following First Reading.

## Summary

"This enactment allows the Government of Canada to determine whether a referendum question in Quebec is clear and unambiguous.

If an affirmative answer is given to a clear question, the enactment authorizes the negotiation of separation, subject to the approval of the rest of Canada by referendum.

It affirms that a unilateral declaration of independence is ineffective with respect to Canadian law and does not affect the functioning of the Canadian Parliament, Government and courts with respect to Quebec."

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Stephen Harper](/source/Stephen_Harper) (October 30, 1996). ["Quebec Contingency Act"](http://www2.parl.gc.ca/content/hoc/Bills/352/Private/C-341/C-341_1/C-341_1.pdf) (PDF). The House of Commons of Canada. Retrieved January 30, 2007.

## External links

- [Text of the Quebec Contingency Act](http://www2.parl.gc.ca/content/hoc/Bills/352/Private/C-341/C-341_1/C-341_1.pdf)

- [Entry in Hansard](http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?pub=Hansard&doc=93&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=35&Ses=2#5890)

v t e Quebec sovereignty movement History List of subjects Events and legislation Francœur Motion October Crisis 1980 referendum 1995 referendum Act Respecting the Future of Quebec Quebec Contingency Act Reference Re Secession of Quebec Clarity Act Bill 99 2012 Montreal shooting Active organizations Bloc Québécois Forum jeunesse du Bloc Québécois Climat Québec Les Intellectuels pour la souveraineté Mouvement national des Québécoises et des Québécois Marxist–Leninist Party of Quebec Parti Québécois Québec solidaire Réseau de Résistance du Québécois Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society Defunct organizations Front de libération du Québec Le front de libération populaire Mouvement de libération nationale du Québec Option nationale Partenaires pour la souveraineté Parti république du Québec Parti socialiste du Québec Rassemblement démocratique pour l'indépendance Rassemblement pour l'Indépendance Nationale Culture and media L'Action nationale L'aut'journal Breaking Point Le Devoir "Gens du pays" Le Jour Le Journal de Montréal Le Journal de Québec La Maison-Bleue Le Québécois Why I Am a Separatist Miscellaneous Pur et dur Quebec nationalism Republic of Lower Canada Declaration of Independence of Lower Canada Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day Étapisme Vive le Québec libre

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Quebec Contingency Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_Contingency_Act) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_Contingency_Act?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.