Montreal is governed by a mayor and a council,
the members of which are elected by popular vote
for four-year terms.
Since 1970 the regional government, the Montreal
Urban Community, has had full responsibility for
services such as police, property assessment,
environmental protection, and regional planning.
The cities and municipalities are still responsible
for the remaining powers normally held by local
authorities, such as fire protection, water treatment
and distribution, sewers, garbage collection,
traffic, zoning, building regulations, and libraries.
The Urban Community is governed by a council,
an executive committee, and a president.
The issue of metropolitan governance was hotly
debated during the late 1990s because almost half
the urban population lived outside the borders
of the Montreal Urban Community. In early 2000
the Quebec government announced a plan to establish
a new Montreal Metropolitan Community in 2001.
The Montreal Metropolitan Community would replace
the existing Montreal Urban Community and encompass
most of the metropolitan area.
In 1976 in Quebec, the Parti
Québecois (PQ), a party of French-Canadian
nationalists formed in 1970, won control of the
provincial parliament under René Lévesque. The
new government initiated a series of language
and cultural reforms whereby the use of English
was discouraged. During the 1980s, Montreal attracted
many high-technology and financial services companies.
In 1980, Lévesque's plan for an independent Quebec,
called sovereignty-association, was rejected in
a provincial referendum by 60% of the voters.
The PQ was returned to power in 1981, however,
and in 1982 the provincial government refused
to accept the new Canadian constitution. From
1985 to 1994, the Liberal party,
led by Robert Bourassa and Daniel Johnson, controlled
the assembly. In 1987 there appeared to be progress
on the issue of Quebec separatism, when the Meech
Lake Accord was signed, but the accord collapsed
in 1990. A package of constitutional reforms was
subsequently drafted by the Canadian government
and presented to voters in a national referendum
in Oct., 1992, but it was defeated.
In 1994 the PQ, now led by Jacques Parizeau,
regained control of the provincial government.
A referendum on independence was narrowly defeated
in October, 1995. Parizeau announced his resignation
and was replaced in 1996 by Lucien Bouchard, who
had led the Bloc Québecois in Ottawa. Quebec was
recognized by Parliament as a distinct society
because of its language and culture and was granted
a veto over constitutional amendments. Separatists
said the changes were symbolic and vowed to continue
their struggle. They suffered two blows in 1998,
however, when Canada's Supreme Court ruled that
Quebec could not legally secede on its own and
the PQ's majority shrank in provincial elections.
Polls showed that in 1999 support for secession
had also shrunk, to about 40% of Quebec voters.
Quebec sends 24 senators and 75 representatives
to the national parliament.
Copyright EasyExpat Ltd © 2002-2008. All rights reserved.