In PEN-L 1187 Elaine Barnard wrote: >The results of the Quebec referendum with over 90% voting >was 50.6% no and 49.4% yes. Hard to imagine a tighter vote. However there's always a way out; In 1979 if my memory serves me right the Scots voted for devolution by a majority; it was refused because the 'Yes' vote was less than 40% of the *population*, this threshold having been inserted into the basis of the referendum once opinion polls made clear how the vote would split. Maybe the Quebec government should have inserted a clause that more than 40% of the population would have to say no, in order to stay in. This would also be an interesting principle to apply to parliamentary and presidential elections. I don't think there many governments would get elected if it was. Alan Freeman
