Day disavows 3% trigger for national votes: Briefing document: 'It is not up to me to make that decision,' Alliance leader says National Edition

Mr. Day and senior Alliance officials were put on the defensive after the release of the party's "official candidate briefing book." It explains that citizens could trigger national referendums on any issue by collecting signatures of just 3% of Canadians who voted in the previous ele...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNational post (Toronto)
Main Author Sheldon Alberts, with files from Robert Fife and Justine Hunter and Glen McGregor
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Don Mills, Ont Postmedia Network Inc 08.11.2000
Subjects
Abortion
Capital punishment
Elections
Leadership
Prime ministers
Referendums
Voters
OTTAWA
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Summary:Mr. Day and senior Alliance officials were put on the defensive after the release of the party's "official candidate briefing book." It explains that citizens could trigger national referendums on any issue by collecting signatures of just 3% of Canadians who voted in the previous election. Jean Chretien, the Prime Minister, was busy preparing for tonight's French TV debate and tomorrow's English debate and was unavailable to comment, but Randy McCauley, the Prime Minister's press secretary, accused the Alliance leader of having a "hidden agenda" when it comes to forcing a referendum on the contentious issue of abortion. "It is clear there are two voices in the Reform-Alliance. Stockwell Day said on Monday that no decisions have been made on the 3% but the guidebook he sent out to Canadians includes a specific reference to it ... What we are seeing is their hidden agenda."
ISSN:1486-8008