OTTAWA — Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette says his goal is not to unilaterally declare Quebec independence with his recently tabled draft constitution.

In an interview with the National Post, Jolin-Barrette, who is also minister responsible for Canadian relations, said that his intention is to give Quebec the necessary tools to increase its autonomy so that the Canadian federation can work better as a whole.

“Sovereignty is a project that is legitimate,” he said. “However, that is not the objective of the CAQ (Coalition Avenir Québec) government. Our project is (to stay) within Canada.”

“When federate states, of which Canada is composed, acquire more autonomy, the federation wins.”

Jolin-Barrette is the CAQ minister who piloted Quebec’s controversial Bill 21 prohibiting r

See Full Page