This article is part of a Southam newspaper series about issues relating to the referendum on Quebec sovereignty. Today Université de Montréal law professor Daniel Turp, who is also apolicy adviser to the Bloc Québécois, outlines why the sovereignists offer of a new partnership with Canada mahes sense.

Quebecers want a new relationship with Canada: that should not surprise anybody and cannot be challenged by anybody who knows Quebec history. Over the last 30 years, Quebecers. their political parties and their governments,. have demanded constitutional and political changes and repeatedly have taken intiatives to bring these chances about.

But these initiatives have not succeeded in bringing about any reform of federalism in line with Quebec's aspirations. The only significant constitutional changes that have taken effect. have been imposed on Quebec over the objections of the National Assembly. They have not only eroded the most crucial powers Quebec needs for the future, but also the clout and status Quebec has within the Canadian federation.

The reality of Canadian federalism since-1982, and its reality in the years to come is not in line with Quebec's interests. That is why Quebec is being asked to consider a new formula to manage its relations with Canada.

The formula developed by the sovereignist forces, and which has now been articulated in a promise to make an offer of an economic and political partnership to Canada, has been carefully thought out by those who promote change in Quebec.

When the Mouvement Souveraineté Association was founded in 1967. René Lévesque suggested that the way of the future consisted of a sovereign Quebec within a new Canadian union. He felt there was "no reason that neighbors should not remàin freely associated and partners in a common enterprise which responded to the other great current of our time: new economiic groupings, customs unions. common markets. etc."

He added that "such an association strikes us as just what we need to work together. without the handicap of old constitutional structures. by means of permanent consultations and flexible adjustments. ,which would better respond to our common economic interests."

This desire to work together with Canada bas been expressed by all important political parties in Quebec, primarily by the Parti Québécois, but also by the Liberal Party of Quebec. It is worth mentioning that both the president and vice-président of the No committee, Daniel Johnson and Lucienne Robillard. fully subscribed to the Allaire report, in which the Liberal Party envisaged "that a government of the Liberal Party of Quebec propose the accession of Quebec to the status of sovereign state." but also, "that in this eventuality, Quebec offer to the rest of Canada the creation of an economic union managed by institutions of a confederal nature."

The Bloc Québécois followed this trend. In its 1991 policy document, Un nouveau parti pour une étape décisive, it called for an "original association" The Action démocratique du Québec proposed to Quebecers that they exercise their right to sovereignty.

Quebecers support this trend and. testifying before regional and national commissions on the future of Quebec, have eloquently confirmed their desire to not cut links with Canada. They have stated not only the importance of maintaining, a common economic space with Canada, but also of providing institutional and political support for this space.

The proposal to offer an economic and political partnership now being submitted to Quebecers for debate and discussion has the advantage of proposing to Quebecers a new way of seeing and managing their relations with Canada. The partnership plan is a tool for managing common interests and an institutional device to make this management possible.

The signatories of the three-party agreement have carefully examined the formules of modern economic and monetary unions. and especially the experience of the European Union and the -Nordic Council. and have developed an original plan, well-adapted to the Quebec and Canadian concept.

This proposal calls for a différent relationship between Quebec and Canada. It is différent from classical federal formulas that have already failed because of roadblocks that prevent the application of the federal principle needed to satisfy Quebec's traditional demands.

The partnership proposal basically aims to maintain Canada's and Quebec's common economic space and pursue and even improve the liberalization of trade and finance under way in North America and the world. It would be astonishing if Canada were to bring a halt to the free circulation of goods. services, capital and people for the sole reason that Quebec had decided, democraticaly, to become a sovereign state.

If Canada decides to erect barriers to these freedoms. then it would be demonstrating the extent to which its concept of sovereignty is not foward-looking.

On Jan. 18 in Toronto. Canada's minister of international trade declared "in a world where national barriers are becoming so many self-inflicted wounds - a sure way to lose influence on increasingly global decisions in terms of investment and production- we are all subject to irresistible pressures which compel us to follow the movement of liberalized markets."

Canada's economic players will not allow a government to hold up the movement of the liberalization of markets and put at stake the liberties that derive from crucial economic and trade exchanges between Quebec and Canada.

Canada's finance minister and the premiers may serve up strong rhetoric, rejecting in advance the prospect of maintaining the économic and monetary union. But they will quickly have to take stock first of the will expressed hy Quebec to accede to sovereignty and to offer a partnership. and second of the will of Canadian and foreign economic players who will be seeking assurances about the integrity and stabilily of the new Canada-Quebec space.

The project underlines the importance of framing the partnership with an original institutional device. It provides that Quebec would have an equal status. from which would be derived Quebec's equality in institutions having decision-making powers. rnainly the council of ministers.

This equality is not in any way detrimental to Canada since its voice is needed for the adoption of decisions and it would have, just like Quebec. a veto in areas where the partnership came into force.

What these procedures do suppose, however, is the search for a real consensus. carefully considered decisions and -decision in the interest of both sovereign states sharing the same economic space. Such a political structure is likely to bring about. an "equal partnership between the two founding peoples," the way Canada itself had hoped for in 1963, in setting up the bilingualism and biculturalism commission.

The layout of the economic and political partnership can be perfected and discussions with Canada will show how this ambitious project can respond to the expectations and needs of Canada as well. But this is a really original formula. an innovative tool, which contrasts with recent proposals of constitutional change that revealed a lack of imagination.

This common project, of Quebec origin, could become the common project of Quebec and of Canada.

And, while the federal and provincial political elite of Canada has slandered the proposed partnership - the latest unhappy illustration of this being Finance Minister Paul Martin - many opinion polls show that a majority of Canadians are willing to maintain economic relations with a sovereign Quebec.

We belive that following a Yes vote to sovereignty, negotiating an economic and political partnership will seem desirable to the rest of Canada and that common sense and mutual interests will prevail in favor of maintaining a common economic space.

The proposal of partnership is an invitation to bring together our inventions, our abilities. our means with those of the country of Canada, the country with which we will continue to share -history. geography and common values.