Fifty Plus One Should Not Be Enough -A Commentary on Referendums May 2025

In the aftermath of our recent election, referendums for possible provincial separatism are back in the news, this time led by Alberta. Having grown up as an anglophone in Montreal, I'm quite familiar with the tremendous stress and uncertainty that these cause. While I agree that the option for referendums are an essential component of modern democracy, I think the default rule of fifty percent plus one vote being enough to succeed to be nothing short of ridiculous. As far as I can tell this was never established in law, but just accepted as the threshold when promoted as such by Rene Levesque in advance of Quebec's 1980 referendum, and never meaningfully countered [although my Dad informs me that an essentially never mentioned Clarity Act was passed in 2000, which theoretically could be used to oppose a slim majority]. For even a minor change to the Canadian constitution, two thirds of provincial legislatures must agree. Even to change the bylaws of my BC condominium requires no less than 75% of the owners to be in agreement! How can fifty plus one be enough to change the very nature and boundaries of our country? What if two people die in a car crash the next day, or just change their minds? Shall we then be expected to do it all over again? At some point reconsideration must be allowed, but how soon and how many times? Reruns will be slow in coming and difficult to undertake, no matter how quick or widely regret sets in.   We all have seen the chaos caused by fifty plus one for Brexit and Regrexit, now at 55 vs 30% in favor of regret. Would fifty plus one also suffice to agree to Donald Trump making Canada the 51st state? It's time for strong Canadian leadership to unequivocally set the bar for any future referendums at a super-majority, meaningfully above fifty percent.