October 26, 1992
30th Anniversary of Defeat of Charlottetown Accord

Three Books by Hardial Bains

Three books by Hardial Bains were published during the period of the Referendum on the Charlottetown Accord and immediately after. They provided Canadians with the only real information about the contents and significance of the Charlottetown Accord on the Constitution.

– Essence of the Consensus Report was published in early September 1992. For practically the entire period of the referendum campaign, this book was the only source of information on the Charlottetown Accord. It also contained the call for discussion to take place in workplaces, educational centres, neighbourhoods and where seniors reside. This was proposed as a first step in forming citizen-based constituency committees to provide Canadians with a mechanism through which they could affirm their right to participate in governance.

– A Future to Face provides information on the Canadian constitution and the issues involved. During the Referendum on the Charlottetown Accord, reams of articles, talk shows and propaganda by the Yes forces issued dire warnings about the disastrous consequences to Canada of voting No and called opponents of the Charlottetown Accord “enemies of Canada.” Neither the government, the establishment political parties nor the media provided information or dealt with the substantive issues. This book remedied that situation, countering the sole object of the establishment forces to claim a mandate from Canadians to do whatever they wished, behind closed doors.

– A Power to Share explains where sovereignty lies in Canada and how the political process works to ensure that Canadians are marginalized politically and society is ghettoized. It explains who this favours, what can be done about it and includes proposals to change the political process so that it empowers the electorate.

The set is available for $15.00 from the National Publications Centre. Make cheque or money order payable to NPC and send to: NPC, Box 264, Adelaide Station, Toronto, Ontario M5C 2J8.

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